Ex-Teacher Cures Entrepreneurial A.D.D.

April 21, 2009

I've noticed that you read my blog a lot, THANKS! Lemme know if there's ever anything I can do for you email me, twitter me, or facebook me

Justin has a disease –and I’m sure you have it too! It’s called Entrepreneur ADD and I’d say that 98% of entrepreneurs have it. It’s highly infectious because once you see a profitable system all your brain can think of is how many different ways you can plug new topics into the system to make more and more money.

It’s because of this disease that Justin and I own over 300 domain names. Just this past week I received notice of 50 domains that are due to new renew over the next 60 days. So, I scanned through them for ones I knew Justin wouldn’t want to get rid of, then made a list of about 20 domains I didn’t think we needed anymore.

After an hour-long negotiation, I managed to wrestle 3 domains off of him. During that hour, I would name one on the list and then Justin would rattle off his plans for that domain, so I picked another one off the list and he would rattle off another plan to make money on that domain…he just couldn’t let them go because of how bad E.A.D.D has taken control.


OK, so I’m going to stop the dramatization here, but I do know that what people are calling “Entrepreneurial ADD” does affect a lot of our readers and I thought this week, I’d share with you a few tips we’re doing to reign in Justin’s constant river of ideas into a manageable income stream.

Old School Solutions For New Problems

The first system we put in place was old school – all you’ll need is a pack of index cards and a file box for them. Every time Justin has an idea he writes out the idea, the domain name he wants for it, his plans to monetize, and any other bits and pieces that come to mind right off the bat. Then they go in the idea box.

The reason I have Justin writing them all down now plays into the whole EADD issue – with the ADD side of the brain you have this weird obsession to get all the details in place so you wont forget. So, you sidetrack the project you’re already working to get the new one going so you wont forget it – which then causes you to have 2 projects going on at the same time and you’re focus in split.

When you’re focus is split and your to-do list for the projects starts to build and you get discouraged and find a new project to start all over from scratch. It’s a crazy whirlwind of a mess – and you’ve got to start to see the pattern and stop it in its tracks.

Still to this day, Justin will turn to me and list off this great idea that he just wrote copy for, and I have to ask – what project is that for? Then he gives me this sad look and realizes that he’s just done it again.

By writing down your ideas in index card you don’t start the new project, you avoid losing focus and going off track from your original place, and you get the details so you can use them in the future when you have time to start that project. And I warn you – it may not be anytime soon.

Our Brains Are Just Like Computers

At a recent seminar I got the best advice I heard in a long time. He explained that our brains are like a computer. When we open up all our big programs at once what happens?? The computer slows down. And the same thing happens to our brain when we have too many projects to keep track of and too many tasks to do.

By writing them down you let your subconscious roll the idea around and think of more ways to make it better (or more ways it could go wrong).

When you return to your ideas (after completing a project) you can look at them from a more critical point of view. You can pitch the ones that were just a spurt of the moment “I thought this would be great, but it really isn’t.” And you can prioritize which one you like the most that you want to start on next.

How To Handle 8 Projects At Once

The next step is to give yourself a maximum number of projects based on the time you’re committing to this. If you’re just starting out and only have 20 hours a week then only do one project because you’re going to be on a big learning curve that will take up the majority of your time. Justin and I have different project maxes – right now our project max is 8. Here’s the rundown and how we can handle so many at one time.

  1. We have one big project – SiteFling.com that we’re really focusing on growing – both in the forum, on the blog, and in SEO content in general.
  2. Then we have a couple partnership projects with 3 of our friends–
  3. Justin is working on two of them and I’m working on the other.
  4. After that we have the WebsiteFlippingWeekend workshop coming up – which is mainly my focus but the project will end by the end of may, so I know I can plan to start a new project in June.
  5. Justin is also working on another website in another niche.
  6. Finally I have a block of time that I put aside for DailyAffiliateArticles and website flipping. These are two projects that don’t take up too much of my time because I already have the system in place – so all I need to do is come back every couple of days to make sure their still rolling and not losing momentum.

We didn’t always run so many projects at one time, but we have our time management in place and we’re focused on what needs to be done for all of them with small to-do lists in our project management software.

Put Your Office In The Kitchen

I like to think of our office like a stovetop – a very large stovetop. We have 3 projects on the big burners boiling away in the front – that’s SiteFling, WebsiteFlippingWeekend, and one of our partner projects – thee take up the majority of our time at the moment.

On the back burners we have the remaining projects that get a little less of our time, but still require our attention. If for some reason a new project comes into the mix, then we have to decide which of the pots on the stove have to come off for now and can return when the more important project is finished.

Now, I can’t really tell you how to prioritize your stovetop, that really depends on your goals with making money on the Internet.

  • If you want to make money as an affiliate marketer then one of your affiliate campaigns goes in the front burner.
  • If you want to make money flipping websites, then put the smaller startup sites in the front burner and a long-term site that you can flip for big profits on a back burner.
  • If you’re running a website for your business or a forum, break down your priorities into projects of their own.

We just did some SEO for a dentist office, and when the customer called in she said we want more customers from our website… well wouldn’t everyone ☺ I told her that there are a bunch of different ways to do that – you can get more traffic, you can increase conversions, you can improve your email correspondence etc. So she had to pick on project she wanted to focus on first and then work on the other – so we started with SEO, and then her next project will be to improve her email marketing.

So don’t think that each project you start has to be a new website. It could just be different parts of your website that you want to improve. In order to stay focused and keep yourself on track you have to know where you want to go. Here’s how I suggest you get started.

First list out all the projects you have going. Then list out all the ones you want to get going. Put them all on separate sheets of paper. Then on each sheet of paper list every detail you can think of – what is your goal for this project (and don’t just list monetary goals), what will it take to get this done, what can be outsourced, can I partner with anyone on this, what do I need to learn to get this done.

Once you have all your projects written down, there’s two things you can do – you can start on the one you like the most or you can start on the one that is the most completed.

For Justin – he chooses the one he’s most interested in. I choose the one that is the most complete (because I know the end is near). You have to decide, but PICK ONE. And only one and then do everything you wrote down to get it done. Don’t worry about the others – they will still be there when you finish this one.

But I tell you; the most empowering feeling you will ever get is when a project is complete and successful. However, it doesn’t just happen from reading a blog post. All it takes is action and action builds confidence.

To continued success,
Chaunna Brooke

P.S. Do you have a system for managing your ideas that we didn’t cover? Tell us about it in the comments below…

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  • So It isn't just me that is trying to go in several directions at once? I like the idea of keeping it to just 8 projects.
    Sam
    .-= Sam Carpet Spokane´s last blog ..Carpet Machine Rental Blues =-.
  • Chaunna,
    I wish I had someone to keep me organized. Keep the big guy in line. Eight projects only is pretty good.

    Samm
  • So how can you say Justin is ADD. Just because his brain moves faster than his fingers can type or his mouth can move doesn't mean anything. You guys seem to be great at finishing things.

    Keep up the good work
    Nick
  • Hi Chaunna and thanks again.

    I sometimes I feel like I am losing my mind, going off in 20 different directions at a time. Sometimes to the point of depressing me because there is so much I want to do and so little time.

    I have followed your advice on outsourcing and I am starting to see great results in terms of getting things done. I have had to fire a few people pretty quickly but I guess it takes time to build a good team.

    If I can now just control my ADD brain using these new tips and stay focused, my life and mental health will improve as well. Thanks again for all the quality content you are putting out there.
  • Thanks, Chaunna... God knows I needed this advice!!

    <abbr>Bazz’s last blog post..Creating Anti-Spam Bot Verifications for Web Forms</abbr>
  • Rick
    Great post, Chaunna, and I have one simple question here:

    Which is the project managment software you mentioned?
    I have a self-made To Do List which gets full beyond belief.
    Maybe a software can help break down smaller tasks or so.
    If you're usuing one, that means it definitely can help me!

    Cheers,

    Rick
  • (stands up)
    Hi Everyone, My Name is Tony and I have EADD.


    WOW! glad to see that I'm not the only one who suffers from EADD!!

    I've really been helped by this post Chaunna, and it gave me an insight into the suffering the wives go through:

    "Still to this day, Justin will turn to me and list off this great idea that he just wrote copy for, and I have to ask – what project is that for? Then he gives me this sad look and realizes that he’s just done it again."

    That paragraph totally sums up mine and my wife's relationship when it comes to making money online, except she doesn't get involved; simply frets at how much time it takes up.

    The index cards thing is brilliant - that's one tip I'm going to apply immediately - I have these ideas and get all excited about them and I think dealing with them by writing them down will make a massive difference.

    Thanks Chaunna!

    Tony.

    <abbr>Tony Finbarr-Smith’s last blog post..The As-Yet Unnamed Info Product (the video I promised you)</abbr>
  • Chaunna,
    I had no idea that I had E.A.D.D until I read your post, you just made my day after reading this article to know that I am in the company of greatness now that I know that I have E.A.D.D like Justin.

    One method that I use is to capture everything in notebooks. I love the idea of using the index cards to capture ideas for future projects.
  • This is such a GREAT post! I have suffered from this condition for quite some time. After reading your post and the comments, my entire outlook on how I work is about to change. (For the better!) Thank you very much.

    <abbr>Brendan Wenzel’s last blog post..Tim Ferriss Spills His Guts</abbr>
  • Ray
    Great Content as Always, Chaunna.

    My first priority is to market my membership site.

    I watched your video on that Ustream, which I got some helpful tips on how to promote it. Like PPC, like Justin said. That was pretty cool you went over how to sell a membership. If a membership gets say 3000, you usually sell it for 5 times that much, $15,000. What is the best place to sell, I hear Justin talks about DigitalPoint and SitePoint. So I guess that would be a pretty good place to start. But I am not at that level yet. LOL!

    In starting an affliate program for your membership site, what is the best way to tackle that. I am a little confused on how to go about doing that. I know ClickBank you can set an affliate program up.

    In your opinion what is the best way to set an afflate program up.

    I like the idea of Being a Guest Blogger on your Site FlinGGGGGGGGGGGG
    Site. So maybe, I will do that in the near future. Money is tight right now, living in Michigan. So I am an avid follower. I am also an affliate for Russell Brunsons, SecondTier.com. But I want to attract more people to my membership website. I am going to create another Youtube Video and maybe go the PPC way to advertise the Youtube Video to get some traffic to it. I might even try Admob like Justin says in the blog post.

    Hey feel free, Chaunna, to check out my blog, I sure need the Love of someone leaving a comment to my blog,

    Okay talk with you later,
    Ray.
  • Justin Brooke
    Chaunna was up later then me last night so she's still sleeping. But we use several different things for our affiliate programs. #1 is 1shoppingcart.com, then for other membership sites like our SiteFling Mafia we use the software thats running the membership (Amember), and finally for others we have used Idev Affiliate.

    Cheapest route is going to be through clickbank or paydotcom... You might also want to checkout TotalMarketer.com they're pretty cheap.
  • Great Tips Chaunna,

    I just created an idea folder on my computer!

    Time management is something I've
    really been working on, this post helped me
    a lot!

    Thanks

    <abbr>J Bode’s last blog post..“Curiosity” A Powerful Motivator?</abbr>
  • Ray
    Hi Chaunna,

    Great post and great examples. I like how you add the "why" to your examples. We should come up with a phrase like P Diddy " No Bitchassness" thats catchy and reminds everyone to stay focused.

    This one is a way back burner project.

    Thanks,
    Ray
  • Perfect post! Spot on. I can't get my brain to slow down. One of my biggest problems are my friends that just don't get it. "There goes steve again". It's a different idea everyday.

    So, in my group that I have know for many years, there isn't anyone that I can relate to, bounce ideas off of and develop the good ones. That is why I'm so pleased with the sitefling mafia.

    Thanks, I'm headed out to the store to get my index cards now!!!

    Steve
  • Hey Steve,

    I completely know what you mean, and I am often hearing more and more ideas from Justin, but you just have to remember that ideas dont make money unless you put them into action. By writing them down you'll be forced to thing through the process of what will make them successful, how to make them successful, and what might make them not successful (so you can plan ahead before you reach the road block).

    Let us know how the focus strategies help you ;)
  • Troy Boyd
    Wow, ask and ye shall receive.

    Thanks so much. It feels like you're watching me with that first part. I've got way too many pots on the burner right now. They each have a purpose, but getting to them, plus client work is the challenge.

    Now gotta run out and buy some index cards.

    Great post! (as usual)...

    Troy
  • hey Troy,

    It will be hard to pull some pots off the burner, but by limiting yourself you'll force yourself to get projects completed - which will boost your motivation to get the rest of them done instead of doing bits and pieces.
  • Outstanding Chauna,`

    I have a personal web page that I use for a ToDo list. I like your idea of having a potential website/project file.

    My todo list gets longer and longer with partially done pages/projects.

    I have to split off unfinished business.

    I tried your idea with paper but it got too messy.--I didn't keep up on it.

    I am going to set up a complete private blog with links to my potential ideas.

    Rick

    <abbr>Rick Text’s last blog post..Apr 22, What Are Vonage International Phone Rates?</abbr>
  • gavin
    Wow what a brilliant and useful post! Thank you so much, it was just what I needed to hear and right when I needed to hear it.
    I suffer from EADD a lot and thought it was just me being disordered and chaotic...I will try everythging you suggested, don't know what I would do without you guys' help and advice, you rock, thank you! Love and best wishes, Gavin UK
  • hey Gavin,

    Thanks for the compliment. Once you get organized and start implementing some of the focus techniques you'll start seeing more and more success - u just have to remember to take action.
  • Hey Chaunna,

    Well done on the post! Great Stuff, like the "Kitchen Stove" scenario, really gets the message across.

    Like everyone Lyndon and myself have Other projects, (4) At first we found it hard until I sat dowm with A3 sheets of paper and drew a "Flow Chart" for each project, and stapled to that another A3 with lists of what needs to be done, when , what is to be outsourced. Each night before bed we both write a "To Do" list for the next day.

    I have an exercise book I carry with me (very crumpled now) and Lyn does the same, and we write down ideas etc in their. both books nearly full now, and when the projects we have are fully up and running, we will start on the next one. Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines fame, always carries an exercise book around with him and does the same, that is where I got the idea from. Look where it has got him!

    Emails, only 2-3 days ago, I decided to look at how much time was wasted during the day and emails are now not answered until the first 2-3 things on my list are done. Also, I have a code with my family now, if they want me on the phone URGENTLY they ring 3 times, put it down and then ring again. Otherwise, they phone after 6pm.

    I think too much time is wasted on unnecessary phone calls and definately in the email! Before Mobile phones and emails and "Instant" this and that, our minds were more focussed. We must get back to that for productivity sake.

    Oh also, those stupid jokes one gets with email, I have spoken to all my friends and told them only to send something really outta the box. A couple of them got upset, and I carefully explained one more time, that I am becoming a millionaire, that my computer is a "Work" computer, that this is what I want so I can help not only myself, my family but society, and promised them that if they did not clutter up my in box and supported me, we would go on an all expenses paid trip for 2 weeks, ONCE I CRACKED THE ONE MILLION DOLLAR MARK. They made me make an IOU, (Tough girlfriends) which I did, but it helped me gain their support, as they honestly did think I was being a "Meanie" (Girl language for a bitch!)

    I have taken myself off all lists except You and Justin and Russell Brunson. Between you guys we have it all!

    Again thats for your excellent post! Keep up the good work!

    Posts like this make us focus and look at what we are doing, which is needed if we are to make it to the "Big time"

    Love and Light

    P.S. Only 9 weeks to go before I become a Nanna - count down!

    <abbr>Maggie’s last blog post..Bye, Bye Charlotte, Charlotte, Bye bye!</abbr>
  • Thanks for some excellent strategies.

    "Plan your work and work your plan!"
  • Hey Brian,

    You got it - i like that line - it fits so well, and many people dont realize how much not planning effects how successful you are at reaching your goals.
  • Brandon
    Hi Chaunna (and Justin too!),

    That's some great tips on getting organized. I'm going to implement some of them right away. I've recently pulled the trigger on outsourcing some of my work, and am just focused on finding the right people to work with. Then if I could just get all these ideas out onto those index cards, I think I'll have to get a filing cabinet for them. My brain is like a constant machine, it's hard to shut it off long enough to grab 4 or 5 hours of sleep a day. Thanks for all the great content, keep up the good work!
  • Hey Brandon,

    Writing down your ideas on index cards will definitely allow you to get more sleep. I heard (or read) somewhere that when you sleep you allow your subconscious to work through road blocks and hurtles that you couldn't figure out when focusing on a topic - so sleep is important in defining your ideas and making them become a reality. Start writing them down and focusing on taking action and you'll find you get more done and start moving toward your goals instead of running in a hamster wheel of ideas.
  • shane_k
    Right now for me personally it is GTD (Getting Things Done) Man every time I post a response I am always talking about some book I have learned from. I read a lot. But I also put to use what I have learned.

    I use an app called "Things" which I had to buy for my Iphone. I think it is available for macs also. Anyway, I have my master list of all my projects for IM and other areas of my life. I set all my goals in phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, and I only insert the actions steps from the phase I am currently working on in the "Things" app. The other phases are in a reference file until I get to them.

    I find that breaking my goals down into phases helps so I don't get so overwhelmed with what I want to accomplish.

    What I also done was to set an alarm on my IPhone that goes off 4 times a day. The first alarm rings and a pop up appears that asks, "What is the one thing that I must accomplish to feel satisfied with my day?"

    This goes off at 10:00 every day that way if I haven't defined the most important thing by then, because I have been busy or whatever, this alert goes off and reminds me to focus on the most important thing.

    Then I have 3 more alerts that go off at 11:00 am, 1:30pm, and 3:00pm which again a popup appears and asks, "Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?"

    I have found that this helps so much and keeps me focused.

    I also do a weekly review like what is talked about in the GTD book. This book has been a life changer for me. I used to be the kind of person who would be extremely busy so I could feel like I accomplished something but the things that I was busy with weren't important at all and sure I was busy but didn't accomplish much.

    Shane_K
  • Hey Shane,

    That sounds like a fantastic book, and you have implemented some very resource full techniques. I'll have to check out the "things" app. You also make a great point of breaking your goals down into phases - that's why i have Justin write down every part of the project, so he can sort through the beginning middle and end tasks to get them done faster.

    Thanks for sharing what keeps you focused
  • There is just something about index cards!

    I have heard from several different marketers to use index cards... Now I just have to find where I put them!

    It's funny because I know exactly what you mean by "domain ideas" I don't have 300 though... Damn! maybe that 300th is that lucky "Spartan idea" or somethin!

    I have a couple domains that I want to do things with that I will do eventually... Great advice on the focus :)
    Doing so many different things at once make's us less productive and doesn't help our focus on our main project!

    <abbr>David King’s last blog post..3 Seo tips to get free organic traffic to your website</abbr>
  • Hey David,

    The business card idea is something we got from a mentor - he used to just write them all down in a notebook, but the index cards allows him to sort them by the ones he likes most and pitch the ones he realized weren't that great of an idea. We put them in an index card file box. You can find them at any office supply store - i think they even have them at walgreens, but I'm not sure.
  • Awesome post Chaunna. Great advice here.

    I currently have written out 15 business plans with multiple campaigns to be setup using each method. I have so many ideas, and so little time to work on them and implement them. Some involve affiliate marketing, some website flipping, some product creation, some membership sites, some software creation, and even a few offline ideas that I would like to implement. It seems I come up with a completely new business plan every week that I am sure could make a lot of money.

    I have decided to try something similar to what you have suggested. I have decided what to put on the front burner and what to place on the back burner. I am currently doing 3 things.

    1. I am partnering with a friend on a project promoting CPA offers in a hungry niche market with a medium amount of competition.

    2. I am training my brother so that he and I can work together and offer SEO services to local businesses and even to businesses across the country if I can get them to my website. (Local businesses first, then national businesses in a few months)

    3. I am working on one product for now, then I will create another product once the first one is finished.

    These are the three things I am working on, and the other business strategies that I want to implement I will work on after these ones are done or at least set on autopilot. My goal is to set up systems and then outsource them, so I have someone else doing most of the work for me implementing the strategies I come up with and then I can focus on discovering new models, testing them, tweaking them and handing them off to other people.

    I also think I want to focus more on offering SEO services, as I believe it is quite profitable, and I also can't stand how many companies are out there that are total garbage, and I want to offer SEO services that actually provide results and increase sales and actually make people happy and help people grow their business in a tough economy.

    I know that it is important to prioritize and choose a few projects to focus on. I definitely have EADD and I am working on overcoming it.

    Thanks for the great post Chaunna!

    Shawn
  • Hey Shawn,

    It's great to see you're already applying the techniques I talked about. Only focusing on a few at a time will build your productivity and success rate with each project. A training someone to help is definitely a priority since you can get even more work done :)
  • This is so great I read it again!!!! Simply wow... this smacked me in the face... I realized the reason i was so stressed about...

    Starting 3 blogs, Creating my first info product with a JV, Building 5 sites for clients, as well as up keeping some SEO campaigns for customers, buying into an offline fitness franchise, as well as expecting my 2nd child in 6 weeks (Elizabeth Paige)... was that I'm way over my max!!!

    PLEASE tell me what project management software you are using... I need this software...
  • WOW! I have to say you have a LOT of pots boiling away on your stove ;)
    I'm glad you're enjoying all our content, we keep a notebook in the room to write stuff down that pop in while we sleep.

    ALso, we're using www.Deskaway.com for our project management software. it's great for building projects and then outlining all the tasks and then you can assign them to assistants that have an account in there too!

    Sounds like you're rockin' & rollin' over there- keep up the momentum, but remember to focus so it all pays off ;)
  • Man this is right on the money... This is totally me... I haven't slept a solid nights sleep in months after becoming a fan of your blog, because I'll be waking up instantly thinking about long tale keyword phrases, or new blog post ideas, or this and that...

    My mind is constantly going... and it's kind of reassuring that I'm not the only one...
  • Very good post Chaunna. And you talk about everything that I'm dealing with right now. Too many projects and I can't really choose. Too much to learn and too little time. I'm seriously considering doing more outsourcing and have just started using deskaway. I feel that it might be more effective to put projects and tasks, ideas in there, rather than using my usual task manager. Then when I get a clear picture of what I can outsource I can just go ahead and do it.

    Focus and concentrating on one project is a key issue. I get too easily distracted by new ideas and new things to learn, so completing one before starting something new is very good advice.

    <abbr>sylvia’s last blog post..How to setup a free Google Apps mail account for your own domain</abbr>
  • No clue how many times a day I catch myself staring at TweetDeck, checking email, or day dreaming about yet another idea to do. Yay for ADD... :(

    <abbr>ScottBechtel’s last blog post..Why does UStream show 61/64?</abbr>
  • Hey Scott,

    I completely know what you mean, setting a work schedule forces you to make an effort to get things done in a certain amount of time instead of doing all the other social/fun stuff. Good luck organizing all those ideas. ;)
  • Hi Chaunna
    Thanks for that dose of reality. You know I find the biggest cuase of my EADD is my email inbox. Because I like to keep tabs on what other IM's are doing I am subscribed to goodness only knows how many newsletters. So i open up my email inbox in the morning and all of a sudden I have 'thousands' (well not quite that many, but you know what I mean) of new ideas.
    So, now I start the day by reviewing my list of projects and setting out my goals for the day. then when I am finished all of those I open up my emails to see what is there. I have been doing this for a few weeks now and I find I am achieving much more than I was b4.
    thanks for the great advice.
  • Hey Professional Web Design,

    i learned early on from our mentors that email is saved for the end of the day. I have a personal account - where friends, family, and close business partner can contact me, but the main business email (where the newsletters come in) is saved for the end of the day. If you ask any millionaire web marketer when they do email - it's always once a day and near the end of the day...

    Keep up the great work!
  • Frankie
    Right on Chaunna Brooke :) Great info just what I needed to hear, I have decided at this time I can only do one project at a time. So I created a plan of action and step by step instructions to go from A to Z. Then when I am comfortable I will start another plan of action to grow my business.
  • Hey Frankie

    That's excellent! It really does just take a plan, well and following it ;) It's great to see you're taking action. I look forward to hearing more of your succeses.
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