This week I’ve been reflecting on the link between the activity we do and the results we achieve. It’s all too easy to focus on the outcomes without taking the time to look at all the inputs. Are you feeling overwhelmed or unfocused? Maybe lacking a clear plan or structure? Are you concerned about whether you’re doing enough of the right things? Whether you’re just launching a new business, thinking about starting or in a growth phase, focusing on activity will keep you on track and quiet the voices of doubt. Let’s focus on building a business and a life that works for you.
“The activity you’re most avoiding contains your biggest opportunity.” Robin Sharma
Activity drives results
At the start of a new year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. Should you be creating content, posting regularly on social media or engaging with other people’s content? Should you be attending networking events, reconnecting with existing contacts or finding new people to talk to? Should you be focused on your existing clients or trying to find new ones? With so many options, it’s hard to know where do you put your time and energy.
And that’s before we get into the self-doubt and second guessing that is so common when we’re unfocused. Am I really good enough to do this? What if I’m deluding myself? I should really have more clients, more orders, more….. by now.
Number of clients, orders, revenue – these are all lagging metrics. It’s important to track them but your focus needs to be elsewhere. If you focus too much on end results, you risk being overly reactive and too late to make any meaningful changes. If you obsess about the outputs you’ll get in your head, second guess yourself and find it difficult to stick with any plan you make.
The question is what are the activities that drive the best results in your business? Whether it’s marketing, business development or client relationship building, the things you do day by day, week by week, directly impact the results you achieve. It’s important to measure your activity. Each new client that comes in, make a note of where they came from and think about how to replicate that success. Make sure that anything you try, whether it be social media posting, networking, asking for referrals, is measured. Don’t allow yourself to change course.
Focusing on activity is key to staying confident and keeping your head in the game. Here are my Top 10 Tips:-
🌟 Headspace. Get your head in the right place by making the decision to focus on activity rather than on results. Trust the process. Doing the work will give you the data you need to make more decisions.
🌟 Activities. Chose a few key activities that you believe will drive results in your business. Those things you feel able to do consistently for a period of time. Not too many. Focus and quality are key.
🌟 Time. Decide how much time you’re going to try something for. Give each activity enough time for you to be able to collect meaningful data from which you can draw conclusions.
🌟 Plan. How much time do you want to devote to each activity? What time of day is going to work best for you? Block out time in your calendar each week to complete.
🌟 Measure. Each activity must be measured. How many social media posts did you create? How many new or existing people did you speak with or meet? How many new connection requests did you send?
🌟 Review. Every week take a look at what you’ve accomplished. Not the results but the activity. Did you manage to complete what you set yourself? If not why not? Do not change the targets. Not yet.
🌟 Consistency. Commit to yourself that you’ll do the work. Focus on showing up every day and doing what you’ve agreed with yourself. Don’t let yourself judge the results. Not yet.
🌟 Review. Once you’ve done the activity for the agreed amount of time (and not before), review your results. What went well and what could have gone better? What have you learned from the process? What were the results?
🌟 Refine. Now is the time you can change things. In an organised and structured way. Not when you’re having a bad day or filled with self-doubt, but at the time you planned to review and refine.
🌟 Evidence. As well as measuring activity, I suggest you capture evidence. Those little things that tell you you’re on the right track. Make a note of each small thing and use it to keep your spirits up on the tough days.
It’s completely unrealistic to expect yourself to know everything or be able to do everything. Please be kind to yourself and if you’d like to talk through the choices you’re facing or any blockers in your business, let me know.
Lisa Zevi – January 2022