Client Magnets Official Blog

How many things do you have to do today?  Or this week?  How many of those things are springboards for the bigger and better things that are waiting on the other end of your procrastination?  The things that are going to lead you and your business to satisfying success!

Often, many of us feel overwhelmed with all of the things we need to do by allowing the end results of a virtual to-do list mill around in our heads.  Maybe your current brain-contained list sounds a little like this:

• build a website
• schedule a teleseminar
• research trade magazines
• start outsourcing – find a VA

How many times have these items (or similar items) drifted around the outside of your brain, bouncing off the inside of your skull, clouding your view of current events, and dampening your motivation?

If these words in any way resonate with you, let me share with you my prescription for de-cluttering your head and getting things done.

In order for any grand task to be accomplished, it must first be dissected into small, manageable task chunks.  For instance, building a website might involve defining your website budget, asking business associates for webmaster recommendations, interviewing copywriters, and choosing styles for the individual pages.  And the best way to break that large task into smaller tasks, without further cluttering your brain?  On paper.

To-do lists are the ultimate back-patters.  Think about it.  How good do you feel when you accomplish something that you’ve been putting off?  When you can check an item off of a list, no matter how small, you’ll experience that feeling, and will, in turn, feel motivated to do it again and again…ultimately accomplishing the large task.

Here are some tips for making a list that will work for you:

• Keep the end in mind, and only include tasks that will contribute to that end.  For instance, don’t commit to writing a free report just because it sounds intriguing to write a free report, or because you’re proficient at writing reports.  Everything on your list should contribute to your desired result.

• Remember to delegate, wherever you can.  And mark that delegation on your paper!

• Start with the items that you feel most confident in completing. If you’re most proficient in research, hit the internet and get to know some webmasters.  The quicker you can get that first checkmark, the quicker you’ll fuel your own motivation to tackle the tasks that aren’t as simple.

• View your list-making as a brain dump. Give your tasks to the paper, and envision space clearing in your head.

• Understand that the writing of the list is a checkable item. Simply making the list brings you one step further to accomplishing your grand tasks.

• Don’t stress over every little detail. As you conquer the notable tasks on your list, small details will fall into place.  For instance, if you’re planning a workshop, you’ll need to establish a date, a time, a method of advertisement, and you’ll have to know its main benefit (the problem it will solve).  You’re not going to have to figure out how coffee will be served or whether lunch will be chicken salad or turkey.  Once your motivation is in full swing, the details will fall into place as you move along.

• Commit to your list. Feel the momentum that’s generated when you accomplish even the smallest of tasks and use that to propel you forward…but remember, you can’t experience that momentum unless you keep the check marks coming.

Some of us are natural list-makers.  Others manage our busy lives in our heads…or at least we like to think we do.  No matter our natural or learned tendencies, there is a wealth of potential just waiting to be realized…on a blank page.

Building your list of potential clients is necessary for landing deals, filling seminars, and realizing the revenue that you desire.  But in order to build your list of interested parties, you must first organize your thoughts into manageable pieces of doable tasks.  There’s no better method for accomplishing this than a list.

You want a list of for-sure, ready-to-buy prospects and clients, right?  Then get your pen, grab your paper and prepare to clean your brain’s RAM with your new list!

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