by JimRaffel on October 18, 2011
Five days a week I schedule the social sharing of the posts we write on this blog and some days it can be difficult to find the motivation necessary to do it. However, I know it’s working because the site traffic and subscribers continue to grow at a slow and steady pace. So each day I find the time to go through the routine of sharing the posts on Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and Google+. As mundane as it can become, routine is an effective method for getting repetitive tasks done.
It’s working, keep doing it
The results of routine completion of repetitive tasks are seldom seen in days, weeks or even months. Think about exercise or proper diet routines. Even if you attack both at the same time, it can take a month or more to really see and feel the results of the effort. The progress is slow and incremental but it’s there and it’s worth the effort.
Sure, you can get stuck out on the road for a few weeks and not work your exercise and diet routines into enough of the days. That, however, is no reason to give up. You just pick up where you left off because you know it’s working so you keep doing it. I take the same approach with sharing blog posts or making followup sales calls. When I complete those repetitive tasks, I seldom get the instant gratification of a traffic spike or a sale, but that doesn’t stop me from doing both tasks.
If you stop doing it, get back as quickly as you can
The key is to pick the routine back up as quickly as you can. If you’re a week behind on sales followup, then it’s time to pick up the phone and get yourself one less day behind. The alternative is to not pick up the phone and be eight days behind. Exercise and diet are a bit different. Once you’ve missed a day, it’s lost forever. That’s what drives me to get back in the routine as quickly as I can.
Check your success metrics at the correct intervals
While I may check the traffic for today’s post several times throughout the day, I will not check overall site traffic statistics more than once a month. It just doesn’t make sense to check more frequently as it’s more useful to look at the current 30 days vs. the pervious 30 days. Then if the results aren’t what you expect, make adjustments and check again in another 30 days.
With diets and exercise, I say stay off the scale. I get on about two or three times a week, but not every single day. I’m trying to cut back to two or three times a month. The changes just happen slower and I’d like to see a larger difference.
While improvements may not be happening as quickly as you like, don’t quit or give up when you know it’s working.
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by JimRaffel on August 30, 2011
Yes, sometimes you do have to fake it until you make it. It’s important to clarify that when I say fake it I’m talking about making even a bad day count. Sometimes, you need to plow through what needs doing even when you don’t want to do it.
Pick your bad day tasks carefully
You’ll have to identify your own moods and limits. For example, I know that once I reach a certain down mood, the absolute worst thing I could do is pick up the phone and start calling customers. On a bad day like this, I used to do just that in hopes of selling something and then having the adrenaline rush that goes along with the sale lifting my spirits up. As you might imagine, more often than not the exact opposite happened. My customers and prospects picked up on my down mood and made sure the calls didn’t last long.
Instead, take a look at your to-do list and pick off some of the low hanging fruit. The other day I was in one of my down moods and realized I was a bit behind on balancing bank statements and other business paperwork. That’s not work I love doing but it still needs doing and it’s the perfect kind of task for a bad day. I put some music on and started digging into the pile. The feeling of relief several hours later did in fact drag me out of that down mood. Something I really don’t like doing was off my plate for another month or so.
The payoff comes on the good days
Over the course of this summer, I’ve struggled a bit to find the intense motivation that has transformed ColorMetrix and this blog over the last couple of years. I’ve found myself sleeping in (which is 7 a.m. for me) and relaxing while watching TV with my first cup of coffee. That really isn’t me. That first cup of coffee usually joins me at the computer while I start to plan out my day between 5 and 6 a.m.
I’ve arrived at the realization that your body and mind know when to rest. This does not, however, mean you can lay around all day eating bonbons and watching 24-hour news channels. At some point fairly early in the day, you need to get yourself to do the work that needs doing.
When you are self-employed, motivation can be tricky
If you work for someone, they have an expectation you will show up for work even when you are having a bad day. If you don’t or show up late too often, eventually you won’t have a job. When you work for yourself, it can be a slippery and slow-moving slope. First, your income will decrease but you’ll be able to cut back and blame it on the economy. Then, you’ll lose a big customer or two and your income will be slashed. Once this happens to you a time or two, you begin to realize the importance of working hard every single day even when you don’t feel like it.
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