Why Knowing "How" is Not Enough
Today, I want to share a surprising insight I had about the thing that has made the biggest difference in my business in the past year. Take a look and let me know what you think!
Also, check out my latest posts, in case you missed any of them:
- Looking Back at 2014: Power Curves, Teamwork & Mindset Changes
- 4 Step Checklist for Getting & Converting More Clients
- WordPress Comments: Disqus, Jetpack, Facebook Comments or Livefyre?
I mainly put that here because I wanted to play with one of the new features in Thrive Content Builder, which lets you add post grids like the one above to your content.
It may be childish, but one of the benefits of what I do that I enjoy the most is that I now have a whole team of developers who build shiny new tech toys for me to play with. :)
Since this is the last update for this year, let me add: Happy New Year! May 2015 be your best year yet.
41 comments
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Picturing the end result desired is a great way to shift focus from the problem to the solutions.
Karen
Yes, that's a good way of putting it.
Hi
Thanks for the email,and the tip. Happy New Year! May 2015 be your best year yet.
Thank you very much, Rod!
Dear Shane,
I've read and heard it probably 1000 times - goals! You have to set goals! And then you can decide which will be the first step to take...
Don't know why, but even though you said the same thing (in a way), this time it hit me :-)
I am stuck in a part of my business since about 6 months, and I was convinced I had a goal - well, I have not, not really. It is not exact enough, not clear enough.
You made me see it, now I can change it.
Thank you!
:-)
Susanne
P.S.: I love the work you are doing - and sometimes I get really overwhelmed when I find yet the next post or new feature or course you offer... wow! (and this doesn't mean you should slow down - it's nice to be overwhelmed by such great stuff!
Hello Susanne,
This happens to me all the time, actually. I hear something for the 1000th time, but that time it was said in a way that just makes sense to me for the first time. Glad I could create an ah-ha moment like that for you as well. :)
Hi Shane, hope your 2015 is even more successful for you and your team. I just wanted to thank you for the great videos and posts this year, I have really enjoyed them. Thought I would also share my "thing" for keeping on track. Each year I set a theme for the next 12 months. I find by doing this as well as visualising my end result it helps me either address a weakness that I know needs improving or a strength I want to build on. My theme for 2014 was "abundance" - it changed my mindset to one of giving back and on reflection I can see the things I did to overall improve my approach to others that I came in contact with. Including writing this post...lol
All the best for 2015, May the wind be always at your back.
Thank you very much for this comment, Liz! I love the idea of having a theme for each year. Makes a lot of sense and it's great to have this kind of long term view for your goals.
Have a great one Shane. Having a vision pulls you - That's what I've heard others say. 2015 is game time!
Yes, something like that. I think the clearer you are about your goals, the more you can subconsciously move towards them. I believe that's where this magical effect of writing something down, almost forgetting about it, but then achieving it anyway comes from.
Great words Shane. Its all true and thank you for reminding us about these things. I enjoy being your customer and hopefully I will be proficient one day in using the tools you provide as well. Best of luck for 2015, I certainly can put you in the category of someone who deserves to be highly successful.
Thank you very much, Collin!
Writing things down - the mind/body connection. Some people think it's foo foo but it really is magical. Not just typing stuff but actual handwritten thoughts of the end result. It was Frank Kern in a presentation that he uploaded to Youtube speaking about how he had already been successful but was not really happy with his life. One day he thought about what his perfect average day would be like and wrote it down. A year later after having moved to the West Coast and unpacking some stuff, he found that letter he had written and marveled at the similarities of his now life with respect to what he had written a year previous.
I've had similar stuff happen to me - writing things down and not being specific resulted in laughingly ironic results whereas writing things down and being very specific about the end result - near perfection.
And, of course, the work involved to achieve the end result is part of the formula. That should go without saying.
I'll second writing things down.
I have a favorite fountain pen (yes, a real fountain pen with jet-black ink from a bottle) and notebook (dead-tree variety) that I use. I find that the act of handwriting something cements it into my memory much better than typing, and I rarely have to go back and *read* what I've written.
I've transitioned from hand-writing these things to typing them. Mainly because I type so much faster than I write. But I can agree that there's something more special and more personal about a handwritten note.
Yeah. I'm one of the people who would generally categorize this kind of thing as foo foo, but I have to admit that it's worked quite well for me, nonetheless. :)
Shane, Get out of my head! Great vid post, I'm certainly going to give this a 'red hot go'
cheers
Thanks for your comment! Definitely worth giving this a go. :)
Shane,
Do you have a recent post about the most important things you do in your role as head of marketing, and what marketing efforts and activtites brought you most success in 2014?
Would also love to hear about top traffic sources and top inbound marketing tactics that worked for you.
Cheers,
Johnn
Not particularly recent, no. Because I spent almost the whole year on the product side of the business, I don't have a lot of news on that front. However, everything I talked about in my Impact System post is stuff I'm still practicing and that still works for my business. And the same goes for this Evergreen Marketing post.
Thanks Shane.
Hi Shane... Thanks for the nudge! You have inspired me to start the new year on an in- breath and spend a day next week with my business partner on the subject of Vision.
On that subject, it may be helpful to re- iterate one of Tony Robbins' anachronism "V2MOM" :
1. What do I Really Want (Vision)
2. What is important about it (Values)
3. How will I Get it? (Methods)
4. What is preventing me from having it? (Obstacles)
5. How will I know if I am Successful ? (Measurement)
Taking time out to ask and write down the answers to these questions annually, seems to have helped me to define a road map, and keep me, and my business on it... Hope that is useful...
Last year, you turned us onto a book by Jonathan Haidt - The Happiness Hypothesis. And for anyone who missed it, it's a 'must read'.
However, and sorry to mention Robbins again (!) but he has come out with another 'cracker'. This time it is about wealth acquisition, it's a blueprint, and for we entrepreneurs it's really a 'MUST'. It is packed with insider information...
As entrepreneurs we can often fall into the trap of either not taking care of investing for our future
BECAUSE we passionately believe our businesses will do that for us, or in the other trap of succeeding in our businesses, and not knowing how to look after the wealth we have created.
Robbins' latest book: " Money, Mastering the Game" plus the App that goes with it, and the free financial support, is not to be missed...it is essential reading
Oh, and I have nothing to gain by saying this, I just bought the book, and have spent the holidays devouring it!
Take a look, and perhaps you and Paul can let us know what you think?
Finally, what more can I say to you both, but 'thanks'..
Michael
Hello Michael,
Thank you for the recommendation! I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to Tony Robbins (along with all similar gurus). However, I trust your recommendation and I'll get the book to see what I can learn from it.
This reminds me a little of what Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach says. If you're just trying to marginally grow your business, sometimes it's hard to figure out which way to go.
But if you're trying to 10X your business, it becomes much clearer what you should and more importantly, what you SHOULDN'T be doing.
When I feel stuck that often helps me work it out...
Thanks for your comment, Tommy! That's a great example, yes. If you have a hugely ambitious goal, you can see the sweeping changes that need to happen. That's much clearer than trying to grow revenue by 10%.
Hi Shane,
I can so relate to what you are saying in this week's video.
I first learned about working backwards from the end results when I had to prepare financial budgets as a program manager. I knew how much money I would have, then had to figure out how to deploy it.
Your added tip about writing it all down works like a miracle.
I call it "getting out of my mind and back to my senses."
May 2015 bring you the very best in your life, and thank you for all the wisdom (and fine products) you share with the rest of us.
Very best regards,
Phil
Thanks for this comment, Phil. There is indeed an aspect of getting something out of your head and gaining clarity that comes with writing things down.
Hello Shane,
Thanks for another great post. One question that I have is .. I constantly struggle to find a good team. I have joined so many groups and wasted so much time and still am no better off. People promise the world and don't deliver. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for everything Shane and I hope you had a lovely Christmas and all the very best for a bigger and better New Year.
Kind Regards
Xenia
Hello Xenia,
Finding the right people to work with is indeed a challenge. I can tell you from my experience that I've had more bad hires than good ones and more failed partnerships than successful ones. To some degree, that's just part of the business.
Can you clarify what you mean by "joined many groups"?
Hi Shane,
By 'groups" I mean local networking events I attend(Sydney Australia)with technology meet up groups, entrepreneur groups, IT groups etc., hoping to meet someone who can do the work. That is apart from odesk, freelancer, fiverr and Australian businesses listed on google.
The worst part is the hours, days and months I have wasted meeting, explaining, interviewing and hiring people, only to find they don't know how to do the job.
Anyway, Shane, that's my gripe for today :-)
Have a great day! Kind Regards, Xenia
Hi Xenia, use our free recruitment service to find the right people to help you. We specialise in matching your needs with our approved VAs, it'll save you all that time and angst. Www.vaplacements.com.
Thank you Liz. Will check it out. Regards
Xenia
I see. I don't think any of the things you've attempted are flawed in and of themselves. I'm working on a post containing everything I've learnt so far about hiring good people. Hopefully, it will help you with your quest for better employees as well.
Thank you Shane. Really looking forward to that. Kind Regards Xenia
Shane, I agree with you, My experiences are similar and as you so rightfully say its just part of business overall and don't let it take you down. There is always another bus so to speak.
Happy New Year Shane. I'm a new member and really satisfied and impressed with your themes and plugins. You've truly taken a huge step forward in the growth and reputation of your products. You looked a little tired in your video. Take a holiday break. We'll wait for you.
Thank you very much, Rudy! This means a lot.
Hi Shane, thanks again for this valuable and heart-felt video. It has been a pleasure knowing you this last year, and I wish you all the best for 2015. Thanks for all the help, support and genuine generosity. You have made great strides in 2014 that are also inspiring and informing my business direction.
Thank you very much, Lewis! I wish you all the best for 2015 and beyond.
Shane, this is a smart principle of getting your ideas & vision on paper as our brains have so much to deal with on any given day. I want to be on a warm, sandy beach in Hawaii during the day & do a little work on my websites in the early evening!
Sounds quite nice. :)
I bet a goal like that is cheaper to accomplish than most people would guess, if you really break it down.