One blog post. One networking call. One addition to the recipe index.
I’m an ideas guy. For ideas guys like me, it’s easy to get lost. (See Darren Rowse’s talk at minute 24 ish). My head’s already spinning with ideas for the lifeisnoyoke site (and that’s absurd because I just launched a complete redesign).
But looking back on the week’s daily “ones”, I can see that I’m not lost. I’m not just an ideas guy.
I’m getting shit done.
One.
One.
One.
Another reason expecting quality is best in the long run.
Facebook announced an update to their News Feed algorithm this week to focus on high quality content. They aim to serve you more news and less “meme photos.”
That’s good news for publishers, like lifeisnoyoke (wink), that have always believed in quality. What’s more, articles from the past will now resurface in News Feeds to “keep the conversation going” for longer.
Moral of the story? Expect better content on your Facebook News Feed. And expect better quality of yourself.
Monday through Friday, I post to this blog. The deadline is 8am CST.
Do I always make the deadline? No. Do I always hit a home run? No. Am I always looking forward to publishing something new? No.
But has this blog been the most consistent part of my life over the last year? Yes.
Rewarding, beneficial, recognized, fulfilling, fun, satisfying also work.
Free blogs at wordpress.com.
To get opened? Your blog posts to get read? Your advertisements to get noticed?
Apply the “would you miss it” rule. To every paragraph. Every sentence. Every word.
If it will complicate, confuse or dilute your call-to-action, you audience probably won’t miss it.
Right?
If you closed up shop, would your customers miss you?
If you stopped being an elementary school teacher and became an administrator, would your students miss you?
If you left your sweet sales job, would your clients miss you?
If you stopped writing your daily blog, would your readers miss you?
If your TV show switched time slots, would your viewers miss you?
If a role-player on your team left, would she miss you?
Ask this of yourself. Will you be missed?
The answer maybe no despite your current success (material or otherwise).
But longevity and truly valuable impact require the answer to be yes. Will you be missed?
Often effort and personal satisfaction don’t correlate with mass reception and / or success.
A blogger’s post that took hours to write and is, to her, life-changing, doesn’t get many views. Yet, the one she whipped up in five minutes goes viral.
A retail clothing store owner’s winter line will have some winners and losers. But there’s no telling which were studiously chosen and which were last-minute add-ons.
The salesman’s long-term, premier prospect is a high-maintenance bust. Yet, from someone wanting a quote on a Friday afternoon immediately turns into her biggest account.
Fortunately, the effort and personal satisfaction sometimes pleases the masses and / or is successful. Even better, though? Getting up to the plate every single day.
Giving ourselves a chance.
Ask any coach, executive, or leader of any kind. It’s crucial to recognize and celebrate milestones.
Just wrapped up Spring Training? Recognize and celebrate.
Just finished your first full year in business? Recognize and celebrate.
Just published your 100th blog post?
Recognize!
Now let’s celebrate 100 blog posts by remembering some of the best:
Thanks to you for reading. I write ’em for you.
What’s on your calendar today? Don’t keep a calendar? What’s on your task list today? Don’t keep a task list?
Well.
Put it on your to-do list. Your productivity tomorrow will soar.
Which would you prefer? Shopping at Costco or shopping at CVS?
Buy-in-bulk vs. buy one-at-a-time.
Use most vs. use it all.
Use the best vs. use you got.
Isn’t that a good way to think about work? Do in bulk.
Who doesn’t prefer going to Costco? Just gotta get yourself there.
If you’re a homeowner, your toolkit probably has a hammer, screwdriver and maybe a power drill. The rest is a bunch of other stuff you only use 20% of the time.
If you’re a small business owner, your toolkit probably has MS Office, a printer and maybe an email marketing app. The rest is a bunch of other stuff you only use 20% of the time.
If you’re an amateur chef, your toolkit probably has some knives, pans and maybe a Vitamix. The rest is a bunch of other stuff you only use 20% of the time.
So, since all theses toolkits probably take up lots of space, and 80% of it is hardly used, why not downsize? Someone else probably has a toolkit to replace your “bunch of other stuff”. And that’s what that toolkit does 80% of the time.