If you’ve ever fallen victim to great marketing for product that wasn’t exactly right for you, raise your hand. I’m raising mine too, because we’ve all been there. So let’s learn how to make decisions that are a little bit better than that, right now, and learn how to survive launch season.
If you’ve been around me for very long at all, you know that I talk often about the idea tornado…the swirl of ideas we have in our brain of all the things we could do or should do, but we can’t figure out which one is the right thing to do next.
But there’s also a second tornado that we have swirling around in our heads. And that is the problem tornado. We have all of these issues and barriers and problems that are holding us back and keeping us from doing the things that we really want to do or that we know we need to do. Naturally, we like to think about shiny object ideas a LOT more than we like to think about unresolved problems. So we go chasing after good ideas without knowing if they will actually solve a problem. I suggest that you swap the tornados around instead of focusing on your ideas, focus on the problem you want to solve and then find a product or a solution or a resource or an idea from your idea tornado that is going to solve your biggest problem.
1 Kings 5 tells the story of a powerful king who needed a resource to solve a problem. Solomon demonstrated a strategy that we can use for our own purchase decisions. Purpose + Plan + System = Strategy.
Start with a purpose. Get away from the low hanging fruit and work on your biggest problems. Make sure you know what solved looks like because even though you can identify your problem, if you don’t know what “solved” looks like, you can’t find the right tool.
Have a plan. Identify all the possible ways to attack the problem. Make sure that the ways address what solved looks like.
Have a system to implement your solution. Make sure that whatever solution you’re putting in place doesn’t have any unintended consequences. It will help you evaluate the different resource opportunities you’ll have during launch season.
So when you have a purpose that defines your problem and what solved looks like, you have a plan for the type of solution you can invest in, and a system to implement the solution, then you have a strategy.
ACTION STEP
Head over to my free FB group Plan & Pray with Do A New Thing to grab the worksheet and do the work.
As I am recording this in late September, I realized that this marks the six-month milestone of Just One Simple Thing. So I want to take a minute and say thank you to everyone who has listened to even one episode, shared your takeaways, left a review, or said a kind word about this podcast. It’s my honor to speak into your journey and to have you as part of mine.
RESOURCE
One of my favorite planners is the Golden Coil customizable planner. Choose your cover and all the interior pages, including pages you can use to plan projects, brainstorm, and keep lists of important resources you need. Learn more about Golden Coil planners here.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move by Andy Stanley.
Tired from trying to share your God-inspired message while working your full time job?
Do you wonder if it’s worth it, or even possible, to build a ministry or business on the side?
I have good news for you. It is possible. It is worth it. You can do it.
That’s why I’m glad to share with you the four-part Honor System, to help you honor all the work God has given you to do. These are the hard-earned lessons I’ve taken away from chasing after my dreams and maintaining the career that supports my family.
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