Do One Thing at a Time
Introduction:
(Image thanks to http://www.stockfreeimages.com/p1/clock.html
In 1975, I was corporate development manager for a large American corporation. A new corporate CEO came to the R&D center and told us that he was going to sell off our division. Then he bluntly asked what we should do while we were waiting for that to occur. I told him that any new buyer would want to know the financials on the processes we used in our business, what amount was being spent to produce the various products we made and for what the spendings were made. I was cut off when I said the second thing we should do…
He said, Dr. Jones, I have never got in trouble for doing one thing at a time. I want you to do that one thing. Before I left the company, I did that one thing I traveled to numerous factories and got into a ledger’s and I found that what they were spending had every phase of manufacturing. I could’ve left the company on that first day with plenty of compensation. However I stayed and I completed the project with everybody gone from the R&D center but me and the director who was still trying to save the division.
Flying Back and Forth Across the Country
I wasn’t home much in those days, flying from one airport to another visiting factories in California, the New York State and Pennsylvania. It was time for me to fly to Europe and visit our European factories in Great Britain. But I know something about European manufacturers, especially English manufactures and that they would know what I wanted and what I was talking about, quite different from American manufacturers where I had to dig things out for myself except for one exception. So I sent them a telegram and about two weeks I got the answers. I wrote my lengthy report. I left for my new job in Pennsylvania, still being paid by my previous employer.
Strangely, some years later, when I moved to New Jersey, the company I had worked for had still not sold off the divisions. We used my information in our plans to buy the divisions. But our company move too slowly and we were out of the final negotiations.
I Have a Point Here Somewhere
Here is the point: Do one thing at a time.
In my simple opinion, the reason most of us are here at Wealthy Affiliate is to start a new company that will give us financial support in years to come. Anything that distracts from that goal is not building your business.
Your time is very valuable. Here is a test:
Which would be more valuable for building your business:
1. Writing significant quality content for your website?
2. Reading a book on how to market on the Internet?
I didn’t say the test would be easy!
Which would be the most important for developing income from your business:
1. Going to forums related to your business and chitchatting, leaving your site URL is permitted?
2. Setting up an email campaign at Aweber or GetResponse and inviting readers to join that campaign?
This next one is touchy:
Which would be more important in building your business:
1. Participating in Live Chat here at WA?
2. Writing a post or tutorial here at WA?
3. Reading your email?
4. Texting your friends or visiting with your friends on Facebook?
5. Preparing a Business Plan for your business?
It’s not so much what you are doing as what you are doing when.
It’s hard for most of us to completely bury ourselves in our business. So we need to take a break. If that takes the form of writing a blog post here at WA, such as I’m doing now, or helping folks on Live Chat, that is okay. Just don’t make that your main purpose in life if your main purpose is to build a new business.
Associations are very important in business.
We learn so much from others here at wealthy affiliate and some members have very close connections with other members that are profitable. If we can help others, we are fulfilling a God-given direction. Just remember, that to obtain your goal of building a new business, you will have to be self-centered most of the time to make your business grow.
Work from a list of task to be done on a definite schedule.
Do that one most important thing and stick with it until you are satisfied that you are receiving your preconceived benefit.
Avoid distractions!
Do One Thing at a Time!
John
Recent Comments
63
Great advice! We're here to build a business. We can worry about helping others when we know enough about being successful to be helpful. A total focus on training and building out my website has all the different elements, and more, to keep me occupied. Sufficient reading and researching to find valuable content ideas, effective keyword research, drafting 1,000+ word posts that are sufficiently readable that someone will bother, finding images, annotating images, optimizing images so your pages load in a reasonable time, finding and embedding video, adding SEO like alt text, etc. My website is all I have time for. She says as she comments on your blog :)
Some folks here do start teaching and helping before they know what is up. That is OK if they catch up. They certainly learn while helping.
Thanks for your lesson in your story. Do one thing at a time. Especially as a woman who knows how to multi-task and had to multi-task when raising and home-schooling my children. What I learned from those days is to keep it simple. My motto:
Keep It Sooooo Simple
We had pizza every Friday when my kids were teenagers. They loved it and it helped made my dinner planning a little easier.
So, I have learned to either focus on writing my next website blog or spend time with the WA community. I can't do both at the same time. It takes all I have to write a good blog for my website as I take the time to do the research.
Self-centered is NOT the same as being selfish. We all need to look after ourselves because I don't want someone else taking on that responsibility.
God helps those who help themselves.
Hi John, how are you doing? To answer your blog: I get bored focusing at one thing so I do switch a lot, I know it's not the most profitable way, but it is the best way for me to keep on going:)
I noticed that. But you are helping others and I think that is your main priority right now. John
Not quite, love to help others but my main priority is my new website, John. Started it on the 20th of august and total indexed 209, and 992 pageviews. It has 48 post and pages on it now and most are above the 750 words, so I think that' s my main priority:)
Thanks for the reminder John. Working on too many things just means you have a lot of unfinished projects, with mediocre content.
So true, While reading your blog, I thought of a postage stamp. It achieves success by sticking to one thing until it gets there.
I like that. Last night in a dream, I made up a joke. I am not good at creating jokes. Want to here it? A robin flew through a stained glass window and landed in the church. The robin was cut in half. Father Murphy picked up the robin halfs, put them together and the robin flew off. An older priest said, "Father Murphy, you never could set priorities. What about the window?" Father Murphy said, "Robins are easy. Windows are a pane!" John
Thanks, John. I hope I get things straight with my business. I have an ulcer on my foot. It came back. I took a picture of the ulcer to show the manager. They don't seem to care if I lose my foot.
A friend of mine lost his foot due to diabetes. Take care of it! I brought him home from the hospital Friday. His good leg will not yet support his weight. Sad situation. God Bless You! John
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Super advice John :)
Thank you, Jude! How have you been doing?
Not too good at the moment, thank you for asking :)