One of the hardest things to do is get a project, a blog, a business or a wacky plan started when you have a job and a life.
I have fallen in to the trap of creating great plans in my mind and then finding something else to do.
Like watching So You Think You Can Dance, Lost or Mad Men.
Or perhaps the footy game or cricket game just demands watching.
Or there might be a drink at a nice bar with some friends calling your name.
If you have dreams of being a player and work in a job every day then sometimes the nice things need to take a break so you can stop procrastinating and build on those dreams.
I am still working on building mine but here’s what I have learnt so far.
Make a routine of doing stuff
Routine used to sound so, well, routine to me, so boring. I wanted spontaneity, colour, laughter. The idea of a routine was enough to make me quit my job and hitch-hike up the east coast with a beautiful girl from London. But that is for another post.
Now I realise that a good workable routine can help create the space to have all the fun stuff whilst feeling good that I have met my commitments.
To get a routine started write down all your projects in different areas for the next 12 months. Then write down all your free time including time you currently devote to TV, mindless Internet meandering and lying around doing nothing.
For example I have free time whilst commuting, after dinner during the week and Sunday afternoon. This means that every week I can write two blog posts and spend four hours working on my super secret plan for being financially independent.
Don’t be scared
Starting out can be a scary prospect sometimes, chiefly because of irrational fears like “what if I don’t finish”, “what if I fail?” and “what if I am kidding myself?”.
The real question should really be “how much of a dickhead will I feel if I don’t do anything and continue being a lazy arse?”
Fear of failure is actually fear of being successful.
Turn off all distractions
If you’re like me, then you have 16 different things happening at a time including, twitter, facebook, that interesting article, that funny YouTube video, that cartoon I should laugh at, some technical documentation, a email from my wife, an sms from a mate and oh yes what I was meant to do doing.
Turn it all off!
It won’t hurt a bit and you might get something done.
The real answer to getting it done, is just getting it done, or as Gary Vaynerchuk commands, hustle.