Remember learning about leverage in physics class? I think the discussion revolved around weights, pulleys, fulcrums, and anvils. Or something like that. The idea was we needed to lift something heavy and needed to find leverage to make it easier.
In our blogging world we’ve already gotten leverage in so many ways:
- WordPress: Isn’t adopting a content management system like WordPress easier than developing our own?
- GoToWebinar: You could always call the phone company and coordinate a bridge conference line. But isn’t using a system that works without much effort easier?
- Facebook: Go ahead Email all your contacts your daily status updates, then call and ask them what they’re doing so you can comment on it.
Leverage is how we exist the way we do. So why do we work ourselves to the bone trying to do every other thing in our business? And then when we stop working why do we work ourselves to the bone cleaning the house and doing all that? Why is it that some kinds of leverage is ok, but others we just won’t accept?
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Let’s switch gears, sorta. How many ideas do you have written down that you’d like to do? Get a book on Kindle? Load up all your presentations on Slideshare? Do more YouTube videos? Start a 30 Day Challenge with your audience? Create a physical DVD to sell and mail your people? Do a giant coupon workshop?
How many of your most bestest ideas ever would be great because they would make you money? I mean think deep. Think of your mostest bestest idea that you wish you had time for. (Did you think of it?) Yeah, that one. Isn’t it awesome? I can’t wait to see it too.
Back to Reality
So what do you have to do today? Blog posts? Affiliate links? Pinterest Photos? Facebook updates? Worry about SEO? Email? Blog Posts? New Deals? Pin stuff? Blog posts. . . . and even though we’ve been doing this for a long time everyday. . . something tells us that it’s going to payoff tomorrow. Right? Why else would we wake up everyday to do these monotonous things?
Really deep down inside we know that if we keep doing things this way, we’re going to keep doing things this way. Nothing will change.
That’s why you need to think about getting leverage.
Help
Leverage doesn’t mean hiring the lady at church who knows how to write recipes. Leverage doesn’t mean asking your VA to do a couple more tasks. Leverage means making a list of all the things that need to be done and finding an expert to do them. Don’t hire someone you have to train how to use WordPress. That’s adding several hours and to-do’s to your list.
Write out what you need, specifically. Make it strict.
“I need a housekeeper who can come on Monday’s between 3 – 5, clean the house including the laundry, dishes and backyard dog poo. I need them to be able to fold clothes and put them in the right drawers in the bedrooms. I need someone who won’t leave all the washed dishes in the sink to dry, but will dry them and put them away.” LEVERAGE
“I need someone who knows how to use WordPress including uploading tables, images, links, iframes, fixed width and full width pages. Knowledge of CSS, style sheets, anchor text links, Feedblitz. The person should be able to set-up and manage an automated network of posts to all my social media properties and create new profiles on new social media properties as we find them. The person should know how to write web copy and drive sales from blog posts to shopping cart pages. The person should be able to work 20 hours per week, communicate via Skype, phone and email, be prepared to clock-in using Freshbooks, attend Monday morning meetings and be happy”. LEVERAGE
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Only when you get Leverage can you do what you’re good at. Which is all the stuff on Page 2 of your to-do list. Going to conferences, speaking to brands, writing books, creating podcasts, doing interviews, coming up with new ideas for the team, directing efforts and spending time with family.
Get past the idea that you can’t afford to hire someone, because you’ll NEVER be able to afford it if you’re not freed to do the things that make you money. Eat rice and beans if you have to. Just do it.
Now iff this post resonated with you, then you’re 100% ready to take that next step. If not, you’ll get there. At some point you’ll get that “I’m burnt out” feeling in the back of your mind and then you’ll realize that you weren’t gifted with the ability to post deals. You were gifted with the ability to help people. When that day comes, you’re ready.