Do you feel that no matter how much you try to move your business forward and get things done, there’s always something holding you back from taking the next step?
Or that, you’re moving forward, but at a painfully slow pace – almost seems as though you’ve been at this thing forever, and you’re still not seeing the results you want?
If this is you, then know that you’re not alone.
Many creative entrepreneurs I know have a hard time with moving their business forward and making some real progress, and getting some real results.
One of the most common things I see when working with creative entrepreneurs is that whenever they run into a road block they will either stop entirely for a few weeks or months, and then come back once they are “motivated” again, or they will start working on another project since they couldn’t figure out how to move forward with this one.
This cycle repeats indefinitely and they rarely end up ever launching their product, website, program or marketing campaign. They get motivated, start working on their program, get stuck somewhere along the way, shift gears, and then repeat the same thing, over and over. Nothing meaningful ever really gets completed.
To help you overcome these mental blocks once and for all, I’m going to share 3 effective ways to break through “entrepreneurs block” and get control over your life and business.
1. Delegate tasks that you find hard to do
A lot of entrepreneurs I speak to think that no one can do something better than they can, and that their entire business will crumble if they are not writing that perfect blog post, or designing that perfect presentation.
The reality is that you can’t do everything yourself. You only have so much time, will power, energy and money.
You need to focus on the things you’re good at, AND the things you actually enjoy doing.
You need to outsource the rest. No questions asked.
So for example, if you love creating your audios for your program, but can’t get yourself to edit it – even though you could if you wanted to because it drains how just thinking how long it will take – then that’s something you need to delegate.
Or if you love to write blog posts for your blog, but don’t like promoting it on social media, then you’ll need to find someone to take all your blog posts and submit it to all the social media sites.
Or if you’re extremely non-technical, and couldn’t figure out how to upload an image to your blog if your life depended on it, then it’s time to find an assistant.
For relatively simple tasks such as editing a blog post, audio, creating social media accounts/web 2.0 accounts, logo design, book covers, etc., you can goto fiverr.com and find someone to do this for as little at $5. Of course, the more complex the project the more it will cost, but it’s well worth getting it done so you can free up time to do things you actually want to do (i.e creating great content).
Also don’t let the low cost fool you into thinking it’s low quality. There are some extremely talented people on fiverr.com that can do some amazing things for you in a relatively short period of time. Many of them do it as a full-time business and take their work seriously. Make sure to read their bio, reviews and checkout their portfolio and samples. For as little as $5 you really have nothing to lose. If you don’t like what you see, work with them until you get it right, or simply find someone else.
For more bigger projects that require special skills like web design/development, link building for SEO, and copywriting, you can go to Upwork to find a qualified professional. Simply create an account and post a job with the right title, description, skills and budget. You’ll then start to get some replies. Make sure to check the freelancers reviews, portfolio and sample work before awarding them the job.
2. Start Writing Down Your Goals & Find an Accountability Partner
We all know the importance of setting goals but how many of us actually follow through to completion? If you’re part of the majority, then it’s likely that you’re not completing all your goals.
There was a study conducted at Dominican University by Dr. Gail Matthews which showed that people who wrote down their goals, shared the goal with a friend, and also sent them a weekly update, were 33% more likely to complete the set goal than people who merely knew what their goals were, but did not write them down.
So based on this information, it’s important when you first get started on a project, to ensure that you write down your goals in detail. Set the goal you which to achieve as well as the timeframe.
So if your goal is to say, launch your product, write down:
Send out first autoresponder email to subscribers for product launch on [date]
Or to get more subscribers:
Add 100 email subscribers in 30 days [by date].
Etc.
The key is to get as specific as possible. Write down the goals, print it, and tack it on your corkboard or wall so that it will always be visible and serve as a reminder and keep you on track.
You also want to share this with a friend or accountability partner and send them regular updates on your progress. I think this is really where the magic takes place. Knowing that someone is holding you accountable for getting things done, will motivate you to get things done each week and move you closer towards completion of the project. When no one knows about it, then you’re much more likely to procrastinate. So seek out an accountability partner, tell them your goals, and send them a weekly update. You’ll be amazed how much work you got done that week once you start doing this.
3. Find a mentor to help stay on track and push you through any barriers
In his book, the Talent Code, Daniel Coyle looked at 3 things which made people great: deliberate and deep practice, passion and master coaching. All of them are extremely important to help you master of your craft, but the one that will take you to new heights is to find a mentor/coach that will guide you throughout your journey.
If you look at any great athlete, musician, entrepreneur, you’ll see that many of them had great mentors. For example, Michael Jordan, considered Dean Smith – one of the greatest basketball coaches and minds – to be his greatest teacher and mentor. So if Michael Jordan – arguably the greatest athlete of all time – had a mentor, then surely you can too.
You can still get to where you want to go without a mentor if you are really committed, however it will probably take you a lot longer to get there; you’ll probably experience a lot of setbacks, challenges and failures – which is fine and part of the journey – but there is nothing wrong with cutting the learning curve and getting ahead faster by hiring a mentor. You’ll also end up saving a lot of time and money since what would have taken you a year to learn, could possibly cut that time in half or more.
Where do you find a mentor?
You can find a mentor by doing some research and checking to see who might be a great person to connect with.
One of the best ways I know to find a mentor is to use Twitter. Twitter is full of exceptional and skilled people. If you listen in long enough, you’ll discover someone who you resonate and want to connect with. If you like what that person does, shares, and believes in, then perhaps they would be the right fit for you and your business. Many mentors have website with 1-on-1 coaching or membership sites. All you need to do is visit their site, contact them, and let them know what challenges you’re having and how they can help you. Or you can join their mastermind group to be part of a community so that you can connect with like-minded people.
If you’re looking to push through your mental blocks once and for all, then get started today by writing down your goals in detail, delegating tasks you don’t like to do, and finding a mentor. Of course, you don’t have to do all 3 if you don’t want, but the more people you have to support you the better. With the amount of work required just to get up and running online, it can be daunting and stop you dead in your tracks. So having that support system can help you get past any barriers and finally help you achieve your personal and business goals.
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller