Daily Lab: The pace is the point.
To stay fast, slow down.
To stay fast, slow down.
Last week was a fairly short piece on the “One Big Day” problem, with no quotes or external references. Today, here’s a dive into some of the ideas, models, and quotes that informed my thinking.
Whether it’s simple procrastination or the insidiously banal interruptions of the work day, sometimes, we just don’t pace ourselves like we should. Instead, we kick the can down the road, gearing up for what I like to call “One Big Day.”
Structured Joy and Joyful Structure are two complementary approaches to having a successful and satisfying working (and marketing!) life.
Marketing never fails. It just stops. It stops because we ran out of money, enthusiasm, or patience.
I thought the best way I could be helpful to you today is to just make your marketing a little easier. A little bit less stressful or overwhelming, so you can focus on other things.
I used to think the secret to getting what I wanted was to have an ambitious goal, to state it publicly, and to exert as much effort as I could in that direction, as fast as I could. But I was wrong. That doesn’t actually work.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that, if you want to get a lot of things done quickly, you have to slow down. It feels counterintuitive. We can easily think that, in order to achieve a lot, we must do a lot—and fast.
Our immediate measure of the quality of our marketing is whether we are enjoying the process or not. We need to enjoy it, which means we need to feel confident in what we’re doing, embrace joy and celebrate our achievements, and set a measured, sustainable pace.
With the New Year now upon us and ambitious goals set, or resolutions made, we’re entering a dangerous period of disillusionment. The first shock may come when we realize we don’t suddenly have more energy or motivation this year than we did last year.
It can be tempting to respond directly when you feel attacked. Perhaps by a competitor trying to “steal” your customers by drastically undercutting your prices. But to respond in kind is to rush headfirst into battle against someone who wants you to fight on their terms.
2020 is a year of anxieties for everyone, business owners included. And a particular strain of anxiety I’ve noticed is over competition.