‘Mistake’ #1. Defining your task or project too clearly.

Why you won’t ever have a problem with this:

When we create a new project, we tend to think in broad strokes – in fact, the details can sometimes get in the way! We often forget that our employees or business partners aren’t inside our heads. When the ideas are flowing, it can seem as if they know exactly what we are thinking, until time comes for implementation. Then – they start coloring things blue, when we think it should be red. They put the button on the right, when we think it should be on the left. Etc, etc.

How to enjoy coming close to this ‘problem’:

Dry-run thinking is one way, as is saying things out loud – speaking forces us to define things in ways that thinking just can’t quite do. But the main thing is getting to know someone well and asking yourself, “How could this instruction be misinterpreted?”

What else may masquerade as this ‘problem’:

Repetition, redundancy, restatement, repetition, and redundancy can sometimes seem like making ourselves clear. In fact, they muddle the equation and take longer to read.

‘Mistake’ #2. Hiring someone who is too perfect and can read your mind.

Why you probably won’t ever have a problem with this:

Um, well, if you’ve ever MET a perfect person, please let me know – I’m interested in meeting them! In reality, you’ll hire people who may be very competent (or trainable, or have good attitudes, or a good combo) but have a couple of flaws that you must learn to forgive. You’re going to have to learn to work with -anyone- you bring into your business life, much less someone you can come to depend on for business-essential tasks.

How to enjoy coming close to this ‘problem’:

Get to know your people very well, and reward initiative. You’ll get great results, great relationships, and a booming business.

What else can masquerade as this ‘problem’:

Magic?
3. Training your people too well for the job.

Why you probably won’t ever encounter trouble here:

I love the saying, “Don’t train until you can get it right, train until you can’t get it wrong!” Redundancy is not a problem here. For instance: MyInternetNinja trains our ninjas for cartain tasks and skills, and you may have a very different way you want those same skills implemented – your ninja is going to need to do a bit of training. (Many successful business owners don’t even do the training themselves – they outsource that bit as well, buying a course or a membership and telling their ninjas to ‘learn this and start doing it.’)

How to enjoy coming close to this ‘problem’:

Knit good relationships, spend the time upfront to get your folks going on your specific ideas.

What else can masquerade as this ‘problem’:

2 things:

1. Hiring overqualified folks who don’t have a real interest in your business. This can create a high turnover rate.

2. Micromanaging makes it difficult to assess real skill, and takes up your time as well. If you micromanage, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME. This can also create a high turnover rate
4. Taking too much measurable action toward life and business goals.

Why you probably won’t ever encounter this ‘problem’:

How many folks do you know making money that do too much toward their big life and business goals? Now, how many do you know that aren’t making money that DON’T take enough measurable action toward their goals? Hmmm.

How you can enjoy coming close to this ‘problem’:

The perfect is the enemy of the good, and it is also the enemy of the ‘right now’. Excellence, on the other hand, is created through constant, real-world, focused action.

What else can masquerade as this ‘problem’:

Lack of definition and reality checks can cause severe overload, strain, and ‘business delusions’. We need to make sure we’re clear on what we’re accomplishing on a regular basis if we are to make continual progress. Failing to define what ‘success’ means for us may bring us plenty of money, or fame, or whatever, but if we work toward OUR definition of success then we’ll never have that ‘hotel-room-bed’ feeling in our own minds.

5. Ignoring too many doom and gloom sales pitches.

Why this will never be a problem for you:

No matter how matter sales pitches you don’t hear, none of them will make your business go under because you failed to logon to one more teleseminar. 12 more ‘keys to action’ still aren’t going to do the work for you, nor will 3 more ‘life-crippling irreversible marketing blunders’ really kill you or your business. Really? I mean, come on. Most teleconfepitches -I’ve- been on were practically useless, what with
15 minutes of introductions,
8 minutes of mutual complements,
14 minutes of teasing,
8 minutes of dire warnings,
then it’s time for the 45min-mark pitch.
And a partridge in a freakin’ pear tree.

I can count on 3 hands the number of ‘preview calls’ that actually taught me useful and actionable information. And no, I don’t have 3 hands. Just sayin’.

How you can enjoy coming close to this ‘problem’:

You could unplug your telephone and computer if you really felt fanatical about trying.

What else can masquerade as this ‘problem’:

Lack of reality checks. This goes back to measurable action; if we are constantly dreaming and planning, without regularly checking our results, we can get some really screwy stuff happening in our businesses and lives. Don’t ignore the people that have helped you get results in the past, nor should you ignore your mastermind if they are getting results. Friends usually have your interests at heart, and they aren’t trying to dig into your checkbook.

6.Having every possible potential piece of information regarding your goal.

Why you’ll never have this problem without magically absorbing the internet into your brain:

We -always- are operating on imperfect information. Imperfect, and incomplete. We could always wait until we know one more fact, dawdle until we’ve ‘learned’ one more thing about proper SEO or split-testing, but none of it matters until we do something.

Honestly, I used to let myself be -paralyzed- by copywriters talking about how changing their headline from blue to green boosted their conversions by 47%, or how Haplessclient couldn’t get one single newsletter subscription until Amazingcopyman added three little words to the landing page.

Reality? NONE OF IT MATTERED! It didn’t matter because I wasn’t doing anything.

How you can enjoy coming close to this ‘problem’:

Trying to have this problem actually can be dangerous – I cheated a little . The closest we can safely come to this is doing good research, and moving ahead while paying close attention to the road-signs of reality.

What else masquerades as this ‘problem’:

Analysis paralysis – sound familiar, anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Oftentimes we can let our hesitancy get rolled into ‘research’, when we really have all the information we need. The key to remember on this one is that EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE ALL THE TIME. You’ll never have all the information before you arrive at the situation. The cool thing about this? Once you need the info, you can find out!

7. There is no number 7.

The End! I mean, if you want it to be. If you want to sign up for our stay-in-touch ninja magic email thing, then… you’ll have to just be content with Twitter for now. We’ll have one eventually, probably.

If you like what you see here, and want to chat with the the people that come up with this stuff, then feel free to call Jeremy at 206-651-4368. If I’m around, I’ll be happy to chat!