Epic Projects and Buying Groceries

March 1, 2013 Written by Frances Schagen

I have a confession to make.

I’m one of those people who can’t work on only one project at a time. My comfortable number seems to be 3. I’ve been that way for years.

I’m also an innovator. You know, someone who craves seeking out new ideas and trying them.

I learn lots. I get lots done. When I do work work, I get paid. When I work on building projects, I don’t get paid.

But I don’t seem to be able to make big headway on any of my projects. I make progress, for sure. I published a book, thank you Joel and Tom. I finally started the podcast here, thank you Joe and Gary. But the need to make money in the short term seems to get in the way of building something for the long term.

I figured I knew the best way to fix that and that’s when I made a big mistake. I stopped doing the paid work to concentrate on my ‘projects’, the current 3. So that I could get one up and running. My words for this year are Epic Projects. These 3 projects (and the 2-3 waiting in the wings) are all potential Epic Projects.

I cleared the time (and stopped making money) and have worked very hard. I am making progress, but I find myself needing to do some work to make some money for the short term. I am doing a series of workshops around Your Effortless Business. That should keep the wolves from the door. It cuts into the time available to work on this project, but that’s part of the balancing act we walk. Your Effortless Business is part of what I bring to this project, so any work in that area, adds to my ability to contribute, here, too. I like it best when things are intertwined like that.

As they say: wherever you go, there you are.

I’m back where I started.

But

With some important changes in thinking.

  • I value my time more. I examine how I’m spending my time and I expect to get a return for it. I expect to make progress on each of my projects over the span of a day. It helps keep me focused.
  • I’m deep into the lean start up modality. I’m being much more deliberate with testing my assumptions and being willing to try a new thing as I learn. Progress on my projects means that I am answering questions and refining the problem and solution.
  • There are dreamers and doers. I like to think I’m a bit of both, but I recognize I fall heavily on the dreamer side. That means I need doers working with me. I have partners on all three projects.

The Business Owners Success Club is one of the 3 projects.
It’s been one of the 3 on and off for many, many years. I ran it as an off-line group for three years (2006-2009). We met monthly and improved our businesses and ourselves every month. I have 36 mini workbooks and a ton of on-the-ground results. It’s part of the research that went into my book.

Here’s what I learned from that, 15 years of running a bookkeeping business and working with 100’s of business owners:

  • Making a business work well takes continual improvement.
  • Trying and testing must be done in a deliberate way
  • What I need today is different than what I needed last month.
  • I circle back around and learn more each time I work on a part of my business (or project)
  • It’s all about practice, habits, change and courage.
  • All that works better with a circle of support.

It takes a community to grow a business.

We are building that community. We are incorporating those lessons listed above.

It’s me, so it will be innovative. Parts will work and some won’t. If you are willing to play along I guarantee, you will be so much farther ahead that when you look back in a year you won’t recognize where you were today.

This is one of my Epic Projects. This is both, an example of how to build an Epic Project and a wildly valuable resource for business owners who want to build their own wildly successful business.

If you are interested in being part of the early development of this community, have a look at our Welcome tab to see what we are thinking. If not, stay tuned to see what happens.

Do you have Epic Project(s)? Is your business your Epic Project? Do you agree that building any successful venture takes continual improvement?

Here we go on an epic journey together to making the best business and the best life we can.
The business owners success club brings business owners together to help each other. Who else do you know who could benefit and who could add to the conversation? http://businessownerssuccessclub.com/

 

Develop Strong Teams, Do It, Know Where You Are Going
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