Are You Having This Problem?

I recently received this email: (though edited to protect their privacy)

I have to ask you another question – after I tell you all these details.  I cannot focus on one task and follow it through to completion – like your suggestion for my first website.  I actually made notes about how I would do it.  But I eventually looked at the hundreds of emails I get and something attracted me and that led somewhere else and then I’ve spent all my time after supper on anything but what I wanted to do.  Morning comes and back to the job, come home and start over.  There are just so many things that look and sound so interesting.

Many of the emails I get originated at the giveaway events.  And then I get “my friend xxxxx is giving away this how to ebook” or whatever it is, and I get pulled that way, and another stream of email comes.  The bed in our guest room is covered with printed reports that I read as I can.

Finally to the question(s).  Did you have this situation?  Were you able to break yourself away from it?  Am I wasting my time – should I concentrate on just _____________and do something – anything at all – just do something?

I told myself it would be good to get all the emails to learn how others do it; and have to examples of what must be autoresponder email series.  I’ve read posts where some said “I unsubscribed myself from all those emails except for _____________” after they found the one person whom they thought they could follow.

I’m sure this sounds like rambling blather but I’m really wondering what to do to just get started.  I’ve read enough to know how to set up a site.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for caring enough to write.  I appreciate your time.

So in case you’re having the same problem, here is my response:

I’m going to try and answer your questions intelligently. To that end, I printed off your email so I won’t miss anything! Hope I manage it.

“I cannot focus on one task and follow it through to completion.”

Stop trying to learn everything you need to know at once. First, learn to build pages. Once you have that down, then move on. Without a website, you have NO business. Without a business you make NO money.  That’s why knowing how to build a web page must be first and foremost in your quest for an online business.

Here’s some suggestions (though you’ll have to make it fit you and your lifestyle):

• Take all your ebooks you’ve printed and stack them together in groups: listbuilding, salespages, etc.

• Put them away until you actually need them.

• The ones on your hard drive, put on disc, label and save for later.

• Remove yourself from lists, except the one’s your really getting help from. Choose three or four that you really listen to, the one’s that compliment what you’re learning from the main person you listen to (Hope I’m one).  I listen to three. Chris Farrell, Rodger Hyatt, and Matt LaClear. Why? Because they have all taken the time to respond when I had questions and needed help.

If you don’t want to unsubscribe, then move them all to a different email address that you will check once a week, or once a month . Trust me, they’ll still be there.

• YES just concentrate on what Chris is teaching. When you get that down, then you can move on. Really.

• If you think you’ve read enough to put up a site, do it! After all, it’s read (or watch) pause, do. It’s fun. I still treat it like a game so if I mess up, I’m not too heartbroken.

• If you get stuck, say so. Post it on the forum, email me, or skype me (marilyn808). You can do it.

Next I think it’s important that you schedule your time. This is what I do, our time situations are different, but I hope it gives you some ideas. By the way I use stickies, (download them free)  just in case my time or day changes. As a pastor, I never know when things will change and it helps to have my to do list moveable and keeps me on track.

• Every Monday is my planning day. I decide what I need to learn and what I want to accomplish that week.

• Tuesdays: Write articles for blogs. Load them and schedule date for them to be posted.

• Wednesdays: Write emails for autoresponder. Load and schedule date for them to be sent out. (this includes giveaway events coming up etc.)

• Thursdays: Website, what needs to be added, deleted, or updated.

• Fridays: Projects: writing ebooks, articles, learning how to make videos, etc.

• Saturdays: off (for online work)

• Sundays: off (for online work)

Mornings:

• 5 min. on CF forum

• 5-15 min. checking on emails from subscribers and and answering questions

• 5 min. check stats

• 1 hour studying what I need to learn next

• 45 min. doing

continue the process with what I’m doing that day
Afternoons:

• same

I hope this is some help to you. I know our situations are different. My evenings are always up in the air so I never plan for those, I just choose a sticky from the pile that’s on top and do that. I have them in the order of importance, so the most important gets done first.

Marilyn Parmelee
online pastor, marketer and teacher
http://www.frugalebizproducts.com
http://www.hearinggodsite.com