10 Simple Ways to Take Daily Massive Action in Your Business
You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. — Unknown
A business is like a baby: it requires A LOT of care, nurturing and support… so it’s easy to see why entrepreneurs get overwhelmed the moment they think about their To-Do list. Especially for solopreneurs, it feels like there’s never enough time to do everything that needs to be done in your business.
All the productivity and time management courses in the world won’t give you enough strategies to get everything done… and, yet, there are those entrepreneurs who manage to take what I call DMA (Daily Massive Action) EVERY SINGLE DAY.
And the secret to their success isn’t a secret at all.
Those entrepreneurs who successfully take DMA do so because they approach each day with simplicity, efficiency and a commitment to make progress (not an obsession to be perfect).
So… how can you follow their lead and take DMA in your business?
Here are 10 simple ways:
1. Create or update your bio
If you don’t have a short (100 words or less) and long bio and you’re an entrepreneur, you need one now... Any publication, blog, podcast, and potential corporate client is going to want to read your bio at some point, especially at first glance and during the initial consideration of your work. When you launch your website, write a book, or start your own podcast, one of the things you’re going to need to have is a bio. And if you have a bio but you haven’t looked at it in a while, it’s time to re-read it and make sure that this bio still fits what you currently do.
Your bio can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2+ hours to craft and create. It is time well spent. At a moment’s notice, someone could email you requesting to feature you on a publication or interview you for a television program. That individual will ask you for a head shot, a bio, and a sample of your work… AND they’ll probably want that information pretty quickly. Having your bio up and ready to go is critical to seizing the opportunities that come at a moment’s notice.
2. Revamp your email signature as a Call-To-Action
Most entrepreneurs have multiple email addresses (personal and professional). Every email signature is an opportunity to market to your ideal client. If you don’t already have it maximized, revamp your email signature and be sure to include your links to your website, blog, podcast, social media, a book you’ve written and one email opt-in/freebie you’re offering. You want an email signature that invites and calls people to take action so they can learn more about your business.
3. Write a vulnerable, powerful Facebook post
One of my favorite entrepreneur mentors, Shanda Sumpter of HeartCore Business, has a saying, “Connection is currency.” So often, especially when we’re in a rush to get things done, we share things on our Facebook business page but in a very surface-like fashion. We post our latest Instagram pic. We broadcast an FB Live talking about our latest program registration.
How often do we spend 20 minutes to an hour crafting a really vulnerable,courageously open message about something that we’re currently dealing with? That kind of post goes so much farther than any of the FB posts we have scheduled for things like ‘Motivation Monday’ and ‘Freedom Friday.’
Allocate some time and write something from the heart. You’ll be surprised what comes back to you…
Action breeds confidence. — Dale Carnegie
4. Meal Prep
The last thing, as an entrepreneur, you need to be spending time doing is cooking. The average home cooked meal will take anywhere between 30 minutes and over 2 hours to prepare and serve (and this doesn’t include the time it takes to sit down and eat). When time is of the essence (especially if you’re building this business as a side hustle and have a 9 to 5 job), you do not have time to cook. Taking 2–3 hours out of your week to prep, cook and package your meals for the next 2 weeks is both a game changer and an efficiency decision. You can even have prepped meals made and delivered to your home so no excuses. Do not waste time cooking that can be spent building your empire.
Remember: Your actions demonstrate your priorities.
5. Work out at least 3 times a week
Research shows that workouts improve your mental clarity, focus, and overall mood. For whatever reason, when starting a business, healthy eating and workouts seem to be one of the first things to go out the window… only to find your mind and body overwhelmed, exhausted and sick within the first year of business. Avoid that trap.
It’s not about having time. It’s about making time. — Unknown
Carve out a minimum of 30 minutes, 3 times a week for a workout. Your body, mind, and business will thank you for it!
Surprise your doubts with action. — Danielle LaPorte
6. Sign up for HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and follow through
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is a free resource that allows journalists to connect with experts. Journalists are looking for experts to interview, quote and source. You’re an expert looking to gain media exposure. It’s a WIN-WIN.
Here’s the issue for most entrepreneurs: the daily emails can get overwhelming, they don’t have time allotted to both check AND submit to HARO requests, and you aren’t ready with your bio, portfolio and web site so you don’t submit because you didn’t get ready (see #1). Schedule 30 minutes to 1 hour a day to both review AND submit to HARO requests. You never know how much something as simple as HARO can expand your business reach.
7. Use Micro-focus to get more done in less time
I teach a course called The Focus Mindset Formula. After coaching many entrepreneurs, I’ve discovered that Shiny Object Syndrome, decision fatigue, and analysis paralysis are three gremlins that most entrepreneurs battle. So I created a course designed to teach them the art and science of laser focus. You can check out the course >>HERE<<.
One of the things I teach in the Focus Mindset Formula is this: focus on the next 3 steps and that’s it. In other words, ask yourself, “What are the next three, simple steps that I can take in my business to achieve my goals?” Write those three steps down on a 3x5 note card, dive into a focus block to get each one done and don’t even consider adding anything else to the to-do list until those three tasks are done.
What if you don’t complete all three by the end of the day?
Whatever tasks are left, they go to the top of the Next 3 Steps list for tomorrow. This keeps you focused, consistent and ensures that you finish what you start. It’s a game changer for productivity and drastically reduces the impact of Shiny Object Syndrome.
8. Batch business tasks.
This is another focus strategy that I teach in The Focus Mindset Formula. Rather than doing certain tasks on an as-needed basis, look at your business and ask yourself, “What similar tasks can I batch?” Batching is powerful because you devote a larger block of time to doing similar activities which reduces the amount of time spent re-learning or re-calibrating to that particular process.
For example, I like to write a number of Medium posts in one sitting. It keeps me in the post-writing mindset. I also like to find the photos for a batch of my upcoming Medium posts in a separate sitting. That way, I spend a big block of time with only one goal: finding great pictures. The more you batch, the faster you’ll get things done because you’re focusing on the same kind of task and repeating it to completion.
Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. — Harry Truman
9. Do an FB Live or shoot an IG Video sharing your top tips
You started a business because you have knowledge to share and services to provide. Give yourself an hour to produce a 3–5 minute video giving solid value to your tribe. Whether it’s your top 5 tips, frequently asked questions or 10 myths about your business area, one video can provide a ton of value to your tribe and, in that way, increase the likelihood of those individuals becoming your customers.
10. Devote 30 minutes a day to reading a book by one of your business mentors
So many successful entrepreneurs have put their business building blueprint into a book. Whether it’s the actual book or listening to it on Audible, give yourself a solid 30 minutes a day to learn from those who are where you want to be. But it requires more than reading which is why I recommend spending 15 minutes reading and 15 minutes applying what you’ve read. If you can spend more reading time than 30 minutes a day, do it but if all you’ve got is 30, half of the time should be reading and half of the time should be spent figuring out how you’re going to apply what you just learned.
At the end of the day, DMA (Daily Massive Action) doesn’t have to look massive at all. The point is not to do ‘big’ things but to have massive impact and the smallest things go a long way in building a business empire.
Get the little stuff right and the big stuff come on their own…
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