Recently, I’ve been reminded by so many of my clients (and prospective clients) how easy it is to overlook, discount or misjudge what is simple. I can’t tell you how disheartening this is for me. Before I get into the 3 simple steps to what YOU want, a quick intro about what I’ve learned about simplicity:
1) Simple is deceptive. The most powerful changes are the most simple. The most profitable changes you make in your business are simple. The most impactful changes you make in your life are simple.
2) Any fool can make the simple complicated. And many do. (lol) Consultants will wow you with charts and graphs and systems with some corny acronym… crazy hair, glitzy events, and more. And they’ll want you to believe that success is so complicated that you need them as a guide, revealing all of their “little known secrets” to you in bite-sized chunks. And, let’s face it. This is an EASY thing for many of us to buy into, because if all of these secrets have truly been kept from us, well… our lack of success isn’t our fault, right?
A quick hint for all of us, take note:
Whether you sell weight loss, better health, more money, stronger business,
better sex, a sexier marriage or fitness memberships,
the “It’s not your fault” approach is EXTREMELY seductive.
MY goal with my clients and gym members is to make the complicated… SIMPLE. (What is simple gets DONE.)
3) Simple does not mean easy. It usually doesn’t. But don’t discount the simplest of strategies. In today’s culture, it takes COURAGE to be simple. And your courage will always be rewarded.
Okay, so now on to the THREE SIMPLE STEPS you can take to Get What You Want.
What if you knew exactly what you wanted from your business, had identified the shortest route to get it, and knew what you had to DO to get there in the least amount of time possible?
Well, chances are you’d have what you wanted already, right?
Exactly. Let’s follow this model then.
Step One: Write down exactly what you want from your business. What dollar amount per month? What lifestyle? What hours? What positioning? What ego-based result? Don’t JUDGE your desires. Just write them down. Write down the “lifestyle” stuff (like I want to bring my dogs to work, do work that surprises my friends, and allows me to travel once a month, for example) and — OF COURSE — write down the monetary stuff, too. How much do you WANT to MAKE? Leave NOTHING off the table.
Step Two: Brainstorm. What is the shortest route between where you are now and that visionary document you just created? The shortest distance between two points. So, for instance… let’s say you have a product you want to launch, but you need a LARGE LIST in order to launch profitably. So, all of your time is right now spent in getting “exposure” and growing your list, and you’re not making a dime. (Yuck.) Well, the SHORTER distance might be to find a joint venture partner with a large list, just as one example. What IS the shortest distance between where you are now and where you want to be?
Step Three: Isolate the specific steps necessary to achieve what you identified in Step Two. What specifically must you do to carve that “shortest path” to get where you want to go? Make a list, and schedule those to do Items.
Please don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these three steps. Take the time. Give yourself some uninterrupted time to figure out YOUR BEST PATH forward. Brainstorm. Think creatively. Challenge assumptions. And then, of course… put it all into action.
Here’s to YOUR wild, unreasonable success!
This stood out to me right away “Consultants will wow you with charts and graphs and systems with some corny acronym… crazy hair, glitzy events, and more. And they’ll want you to believe that success is so complicated that you need them as a guide, revealing all of their “little known secrets” to you in bite-sized chunks. And, let’s face it. This is an EASY thing for many of us to buy into, because if all of these secrets have truly been kept from us, well… our lack of success isn’t our fault, right?” and is so true!
How many times to we go to a well publicized event to learn something about business and what you get are little bites of information from all of the presenters and opportunities to buy the complete program for more money. We are inundated with some many books and so many workshops that all have the secrets to success, when it really is simple.
Each month I sit down and write a statement about what I would like to accomplish that month and how I am going to get there. I even create a vision board in my journal. I like the idea of looking for shortcuts. I am going to play around with that idea in the coming months. Thank you.
I like that you differentiate between simple and easy. So many things are simple. Loose weight by eating less and moving more, simply but not easy. And I have found in my business, that often I know the simple thing to do is not always the easiest. So yes, simple often needs courage to actually get it done.
I really resonate with this because it seems to me that you are teaching folks to stand in their own authority, strip it down, make it plain, and then go do it!-lovely and well done!
love it! interesting point about “the “It’s not your fault” approach is EXTREMELY seductive.”, unfortunately it’s so true.
I completely support your suggestion to write everything down.I do it myself. I’ve done step 1, but never came around to follow up with steps 2 and 3.
my favourite quote “it takes COURAGE to be simple. And your courage will always be rewarded.”
Deep breath in … Yes, simple does not mean easy. I know these three steps, I know how helpful they would be … and still I resist. Because it isn’t easy. But necessary. Thanks for the reminder!
Simplicity . . . that is what I’ve been overlooking and avoiding! As I have been building my business I’ve definitely made things harder on myself by believing there is some secret (or secrets) I’m missing that will get me there. I love the reminder that “it takes COURAGE to be simple. And your courage will always be rewarded” because next week is all about taking steps to simplify my business and now I have faith that I will see the results. Thanks!
While reading this a colleague was looking up directions to a restaurant and it was giving a circuitous route rather than direct. Your blog was mirroring what mapquest was showing her.
Why is it that we make things so complicated?!
I have been on a quest for many years to simplify my home and life.
Simplification can mean different things to different people, but you hit the nail on the head when you said that “simple does not mean easy.” I have often lamented, “Why does simplification have to be so complicated?” Decluttering one’s physical environment is indeed a difficult process.
I am almost there…. so very close. It has been far from easy. It has taken about 7 moves in 8 years to get there. But now that the physical environment is almost simplified, it is like that old Windex commercial, “I can see clearly now and it’s beautiful.” And that clear view applies to every other area of my life: spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, business…. you name it.
I only have one goal in mind. Something for which I prayed for many years and now intend to finally embrace. After a divorce and remarriage in the past 8 years, I prayed oh so many times, for peace. Just peace. Does this mean everything in my life, relationships, family, business is perfect? No! But if I have done all that is possible to keep it simple and trust God’s sovereignty despite the circumstances, then there is peace and it is beyond understanding. It is simple, but not easy.
Simplicity …true simplicity and peace go hand in hand.
God bless you Michelle as you continue to reach out to others with the wisdom God gives you. <3