Too many, too much & not enough (ideas, time & skills)
Too many ideas requiring too much time and money? Apply dharana, one-pointed attention, and give your energy to the ideas that matter.
At the start of this new financial year, many business owners may be reflecting ‘is this worth it?’ Some friends of mine recently opened and closed a gourmet grocer within six months, despite breaking even from the first month. Although this was a great start, my friends were adamant – enough was enough. As they explained, it should bring either wealth or a great lifestyle, and they could lay claim to neither.
Too many ideas
Having too many ideas is the scourge of most business owners – it’s what gave them the crazy idea to start their own gig in the first place. Those who’ve suffered too many ideas know how to stare into darkness, hour upon sleepless hour. Too many ideas without dharana, one-pointed attention, results in feeling scattered, confused, overwhelmed and inert.
Too much to do
Too many ideas means too much to do, and too many tasks requiring many different skills. You may see problems needing fixing and recognise opportunities left wanting, but without the clarity of one-pointed attention, big ideas and small ideas merge and become fodder for an overactive, tired mind.
So what gets your attention? The squeaky wheel, bright and shiny ideas, quick and easy tasks. Without clarity or enough time and money, the best ideas often go unrealised.
Not enough clarity
It’s not enough anymore to have a great idea. Nowadays, a good idea without the backing of marketing is lost amid the humdrum of louder ideas.
In the whirlwind of organising a retreat, creating a course, completing a course, writing a manual, book, sequence, health program (fill in the blank), marketing is often relegated last. And the problem with marketing, like the problem with too many ideas, is the appeal of the glamorous, the stop-gap, the cheap and easy.
What to do?
Yes, there is a positive outcome to this tale of scarcity and excess. Write a list of all your business events – real and desired – in the next 12 months. Now work backwards and decide when you need to promote them. Having a timeline gives clarity to priorities. You can make all those good ideas happen – but not without help.
Now choose what marketing you will do yourself and what you will outsource. It’s nearly impossible to do this all yourself. Marketing skills include research and analysis, design and creativity, writing, media knowledge, project management and budgeting, search engine optimisation and web design know-how.
Work from your timeline, choose one aspect of marketing you will manage yourself and outsource the rest. It’s as simple as that.
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At the start of this new financial year, many business owners may be reflecting ‘is this worth it?’ Some friends of mine recently opened and closed a gourmet grocer within six months, despite breaking even from the first month. Although this was a great start, my friends were adamant – enough was enough. As they explained, it should bring either wealth or a great lifestyle, and they could lay claim to neither.
Too many ideas
Having too many ideas is the scourge of most business owners – it’s what gave them the crazy idea to start their own gig in the first place. Those who’ve suffered too many ideas know how to stare into darkness, hour upon sleepless hour. Too many ideas without dharana, one-pointed attention, results in feeling scattered, confused, overwhelmed and inert.
Too much to do
Too many ideas means too much to do, and too many tasks requiring many different skills. You may see problems needing fixing and recognise opportunities left wanting, but without the clarity of one-pointed attention, big ideas and small ideas merge and become fodder for an overactive, tired mind.
So what gets your attention? The squeaky wheel, bright and shiny ideas, quick and easy tasks. Without clarity or enough time and money, the best ideas often go unrealised.
Not enough clarity
It’s not enough anymore to have a great idea. Nowadays, a good idea without the backing of marketing is lost amid the humdrum of louder ideas.
In the whirlwind of organising a retreat, creating a course, completing a course, writing a manual, book, sequence, health program (fill in the blank), marketing is often relegated last. And the problem with marketing, like the problem with too many ideas, is the appeal of the glamorous, the stop-gap, the cheap and easy.
What to do?
Yes, there is a positive outcome to this tale of scarcity and excess. Write a list of all your business events – real and desired – in the next 12 months. Now work backwards and decide when you need to promote them. Having a timeline gives clarity to priorities. You can make all those good ideas happen – but not without help.
Now choose what marketing you will do yourself and what you will outsource. It’s nearly impossible to do this all yourself. Marketing skills include research and analysis, design and creativity, writing, media knowledge, project management and budgeting, search engine optimisation and web design know-how.
Work from your timeline, choose one aspect of marketing you will manage yourself and outsource the rest. It’s as simple as that.
* * *
E-News subscribers received a special offer this month - a chance to score $550 worth of Yoga Reach services. To receive our E-news fresh to your inbox once a month, in all its HTML glory, please subscribe. And as a thank you, you'll receive our 'Facebook Cheat Sheet for Yoga teachers' to use Facebook more effectively and escape the time sink. While you can access our E-news without being a subscriber, we value our subscribers and show our appreciation with exclusive offers.
See more E-news.
