The only luck in business is the luck you create by the actions you take. This is why taking action is so important. But why is it so hard? Until you become someone who is an action taker, you’re going to be losing both time and money and I don’t think you want to lose either!
Tricks I’ve learnt that has personally helped me to be an A-grade action taker
P.S. There’s an action-taking test at the end of this episode to help you build your action-taking-muscles 😉⭐
Enjoy!
Resources:
If you’d like to work together with me as your 1:1 business and marketing consultant, book a call here.
The only luck in business is the luck you create by the actions you take. This is why taking action is so important. But why is it so hard? Until you become someone who is an action taker, you’re going to be losing both time and money and I don’t think you want to lose either!
Tricks I’ve learnt that has personally helped me to be an A-grade action taker
P.S. There’s an action-taking test at the end of this episode to help you build your action-taking-muscles 😉⭐
Enjoy!
Resources:
If you’d like to work together with me as your 1:1 business and marketing consultant, book a call here.
H ey guys, welcome to the podcast, super excited to chat with you here today.
Shannon Stone:Today we are talking about how to take action. This is going to be such a fun episode You'll know by the time we get to it but it's going to be one of those where I really geek out on these type of things anything goals, anything that leads us to where we want to go, and taking action is the place and the way to do it. So I will say once upon a time, when I started my business, I definitely didn't feel like I was someone who took action. I was like, oh my God, I just never implement anything, and I know. You know in those early days in business, you are learning things. You're either working with people or you're doing courses and things. So you're doing a lot of learning, but probably not as much implementing as you are learning. The ratio is a little bit out and I remember not feeling like I was someone who implemented things. And as the years kind of went on and I'll tell you what has helped me, I will also share with you the system that I follow as well. I really turned myself into someone who does implement things and who does take action. And people will even take notice as well. A friend of mine we both bought the same course and I just jumped in and started working through it and we hear this all the time. It's like, oh, bought another course but never opened it. But my friend was like, wow, you actually do it, you actually do the course and you actually take the action. And I was like it was a little bit of like yeah, of course I do, why wouldn't I? I bought the course but there would have been a time where I had bought things or said I was going to do things and didn't follow through on them and done all the things. So I know what it's been like to be there as well, and I also know what it's like to be on the flip side.
Shannon Stone:Not that I'm perfect by any means, as you will learn in the system, which I think is why the system is important but some different things that have helped me to take action. Because, honestly, I think the thing is about being a business owner. No one is going to tell you what to do, as much as you want people to tell you what to do. As much as you can hire a coach or someone to push you along your way. I think, honestly, the ultimate goal is to be self led, to be able to lead ourselves, regardless of anything, anyone or anything around us, and I think this is probably where the system comes in handy. So I turn.
Shannon Stone:Well, first of all, for the most part, all the action I take is all focused on the goals that I have. So to me, it's like why would I take action? Why would I spend my time on things that don't lead towards my goals? Now, this is not talking about life, this is talking about business, and I think sometimes people don't separate the fact that we do have to get things done in business. We do have to often do things that we don't want to do. There are things that people don't want to do in business and I see it all the time. It's like people not invoicing their clients or leaving that till really late and I'm like do you not run a business? Do you not want to get paid? This is not how businesses do things. It's not when you feel like it. So aligning your action to your goals, I think, is really important.
Shannon Stone:I turn all my goals into systems and if I'm not achieving my goals, it's probably because I'm not following the system. So I'll share with you what the system is and then we can dive in and talk about all of it here today. So, number one what's the goal? Number two what do I need to do in order to achieve the goal? Number three when am I doing it? So when am I doing the actions that will lead me to the goal? And number four when am I following through? So what's the goal? What do I need to do? When am I doing it and when am I following through? Actually, it's not when I'm following through, following through as the action. So let's go into each of these four steps of the system.
Shannon Stone:So number one is and this links to taking action, which is a big reason why people don't take action is because they don't know what the goal is. It's like well, why would I do it? What's the point of it? We have to, as humans, we have to know why we're doing it. There was some study that you can give you know small kids a task to do. It's like here's a book, go and put the book on the table. But if you give the same task or the same book to an adult, like, pick up this book and go put it on that table, we want to know why we're doing it. We want to know all the reasons behind it, and it's like we can either fight against that, that that is how we are as humans or adults, or we can just agree that.
Shannon Stone:Okay, we do need to know the reasons why we do things, and I think that's why number one is important what is the goal? And getting really clear on what it is that you need to do, because that would dictate the rest of it, and sometimes the goals are not the goals that people think they should set. So, for example, you could be setting a revenue goal, but maybe that is your overarching goal, but under your revenue goal, maybe you need to have other goals, like the number of leads you need to speak to or the marketing activities that you need to be doing in order to create the leads which will create the sales, which will create the revenue. You see what I mean. Sometimes the goal is not the goal and we have to dissect it down a few more layers. So number one is knowing what is the goal, and that is like a whole art form in itself, but don't overthink it, don't over complicate it. But sometimes we need to adjust the goals or become a little bit more layered down or dissect it a little bit more. So knowing what the goal is is always number one. Then number two is what do I need to do in order to achieve the goal?
Shannon Stone:So say, for example, your goal is to. It is revenue, which is more sales, which is more leads, which is marketing actions. What are those marketing actions? What do you actually need to do? And so I'm great to have a pen and paper and to write all of this out what do you need to do under those goals? So what marketing actions do you need to be taking? And I would write it out to a task level. So what I mean when I say a task level, it's not just post content, it's like post content where? Post content when? What type of content? Really getting down into the nitty gritty, because and this is like a really good technique I will use in the work that I do with my consulting clients If they're not taking action, whether they know it or not, we will dissect it down a little bit further and part of it is to take action, but part of it is a refinement process that we go through.
Shannon Stone:But layering it down and dissecting it down to a task level makes it easier to take action. It's like why are you not drinking two liters of water every single day, for example? It's like oh, you need to actually have two one liter bottles and they need to be in the fridge. Or you need to dissect that down even further. It's like one needs to be in the fridge, one needs to be with you at all times and you just kind of like swap between the two. So what do you need to do needs to be down to the level at which you will take action. But sometimes you won't know what the breakdown of it needs to be. Until you're making the mistakes and I don't want to call the mistakes, but until you're not following through you're not drinking the water, for example, or you're not say posting the content it's like, oh, I'm not posting the content, I'm not drinking the water. Why is that? You'll figure out what the problem is and then that will be the next layer you need to go down.
Shannon Stone:So step number two in this system is what is it that I need to do? And you do want to break it down and down to a task level and be totally okay If you don't get it right the first time, because we probably don't get it right the first time, okay. Number three, or step three in the system is when am I doing it? So when am I doing these actions? So, when am I drinking the water? When am I posting the content, or creating the content in this case?
Shannon Stone:So you want to be scheduling this. You know I live and breathe by my calendar. That's been one of the top episodes in this podcast, which is episode three turn your goals into reality using your calendar. Definitely a crowd favorite. But I would be adding if you want to kind of deep dive into that, definitely check out that episode. But you want your tasks to be added into your calendar so that you have a space, you know when you're doing it, you know when you're meant to be taking that action. We'll talk about the next bit, next of like following through on it. But when are you actually going to be doing that action? Is it a specific time? Is it a specific day? Like, add it in the calendar as if it's an appointment. If it's marketing, maybe you do marketing Mondays and that's a day that you do all of your marketing and then you add all your tasks in there and it's cool. Or maybe you need to have it across on certain days, whatever works for you. But you need to know when are you actually taking this action.
Shannon Stone:And the fourth and final step in this system is actually following through. So when the say it's 9am on a Monday and that's when you need to be creating content, what do you do when that comes up? Do you actually follow it? Are you like, oh, it's 9am and, yes, I need to create content? I better get onto that, but let me first just check my emails. So if you're noticing you're not actually following through. Like I said, with the dissecting, with the drinking the water. You know, maybe you need the two water bottles, maybe they need to be in the fridge, maybe one needs to be with you, maybe you need a timer on your phone, whatever it is when the system breaks, meaning you're not following the system. That's when you can look for the gaps that are stopping you from following through and you feel those gaps. So 9am on a Monday morning comes and you're not following through, creating content. Well, one, what are you doing instead? Like I think of it, I treat anything in my calendar as an appointment, as if someone was on the other end to be there holding me accountable. Like I treat it as if it's an appointment. But sometimes that takes a skill to develop just that following through of it.
Shannon Stone:Now, following through for you might look a little bit different. Maybe you need it to be a little bit more fluid. Maybe it's a Monday morning task, it's not a 9am task, it's a Monday morning task, but you will do it. But how Can you find a way to follow through the thing?
Shannon Stone:I'll say with this as well, when it comes to the follow through and Actually doing the task as well, you know, just knowing that it won't be perfect, it's okay, especially the first few times. And even if you do become really skilled at doing it and then sometimes it's not as good, the doing it is all that needs to get done. It doesn't matter what it looks like. It's that you keep this promise to yourself that you said and you went through this whole effort. It's like you worked out the goal, you worked out what you need to do when you need to do it, and here you are trying to follow through. You just have to do it to the best of your ability. So you build that trust within yourself that you are someone that takes action. And you will even get to the point where there's certain things, especially in business, it's like I have to do this thing. That is just so boring. Or it's the same thing over and over again. It's like take the emotion out.
Shannon Stone:It's okay to do things that you I don't want to say you don't care for, because you do care for them, because they are linked to a goal, but in that moment you don't want to do it. You don't care for creating content, you don't care for drinking a liter of water in the moment, but in the big scheme of things you do. But I would almost like just forget about all of that and just do it. But sometimes you have to understand the reasons under it in order to just do it in the moment. But if it's showing up in your calendar, that's when you're meant to be doing it. Just just almost try to pause all the stories and just do it. And however you do it and however you get it done is perfectly okay.
Shannon Stone:Earlier this year I did the 75 hard mental toughness challenge, which is, if you don't know it, definitely look it up and I will recommend that you do it as well. It is a 75 day challenge. You do two workouts a day, at least 45 minute long workouts. One has to be outside and they have to be at least three hours apart. There's four other things that you have to do as part of the challenge. They do call it a mental toughness challenge, which you will recognize. It is a mental toughness challenge once you get through it, versus it being a fitness challenge, but it really does push you and I would encourage you, especially if you would like to Take more action. If you want specific tips on completing 75 hard, definitely reach out and I can share them with you. But completing 75 hard will teach you to take action no matter what. So when it comes to something in your calendar of like creating Content at nine, you will get in there and you will get it done without question. But it's really funny. It's a great challenge to do because you learn so much about yourself and One of the things or like so many things that I learned was Almost like the way I try to trick myself In like good and bad ways.
Shannon Stone:So in the 45 minute workouts that we would do every day, sometimes I would be like but I walked a little bit slow for that minute, so I'll do a little bit longer. So sometimes I would do it where I'm going beyond, and sometimes I would get home and there was still like a minute to go and I still had to do more of like a one minute workout before I walked in the house. So sometimes you'll find we do play tricks on ourselves when it comes to getting things done. One thing that I did with 75 Hard and I've kept up a lot of the daily actions as five different ones I focused on just getting to the halfway mark. So I have this walking track that I go on. It's 45 minutes long. It's like and there's a halfway mark and I just get to the halfway mark and when I turn around and when I know I get back home, 45 minutes would have passed, and so I just focused on all I have to do is get to that halfway mark. And when I get to that halfway mark, mentally I feel like I've actually completed the workout. I know I've still got to all like walk the whole way back and maybe it helps like walking back is like slightly downhill a little bit, but I just would focus on I've just got to get to that halfway mark and then I could walk back. And so that was like a little mind trick type thing that I would play with myself as well.
Shannon Stone:But I think we can do these things, whether it's, you know, small little actions or actions in our business or fitness challenges or whatever it might be that help us to develop, I guess, the skills or the identity, honestly more than anything, of being someone who actually implements things. And I really distinctly remember the times when I felt like I wasn't taking action. And I remember multiple times. I remember calling my business coach at the time in the early days saying like I know you told me to do all these things but I haven't done it and I don't know why I haven't done it. But I just wanted to call you and tell you I haven't done it and I was almost like calling myself out to say when we have our next session.
Shannon Stone:I really do want to work on the fact that I'm just not taking action and I feel like I'm wasting time here. So I've definitely been someone who didn't take action and I've been on the flip side, who can take action. Obviously, there's always places to improve and I'm not perfect all the time, but I definitely consider myself as someone who can get things done. I think, honestly, I've been that way in so many ways for my whole life. It's definitely a bit of a personality trait, but also I do know in business there have been times when I struggled to get things done. I'd buy the course, not do the course.
Shannon Stone:You know all the different things, but something's definitely shifted and I think the system here has been the core essence of it. One what is the goal? Two what do I need to do? Three when am I doing it? I've got the following through, but the rest of the frills, like the other bits of like, I just know it doesn't have to be perfect, I just have to get it done. All these other bits would help me to take action. So I think when people teach you their systems or the ways that work really well for them, it's about two parts. It's like, well, what is the system and then what are, like, the frills, or what are the things that can make it work for me, and they're the differences.
Shannon Stone:So, action step for today and this will be a learning moment in itself, but the action step I have for you and I want you to take it, because this whole episode is about taking action I want you to open Instagram or LinkedIn or Facebook, wherever you and I are connected, and if we're not connected, connect on one of them. And I want you to send me in the messages a private message, a gold star emoji. You don't have to say anything at all, but because you've listened, because you want to be someone who takes action, I want you to send me a gold star emoji and I want to tell you why. I will obviously know if you send it to me so I can clap you back for saying well done. But I think what's more important is that, if you don't do that and it's not about sending me a gold star emoji if you don't take the action, whether it was that or something else, you would be the only person who doesn't know that you didn't take the action.
Shannon Stone:And this is where I think we really dig ourselves a hole when we did. We don't follow through on the things that we should follow through the note, the things that we know to do, but no one is gonna know. You don't have a boss to tell you what to do. You don't have someone to check what you're doing 24 seven. You are the only person that knows, and so the only person that is actually missing out is you, and so the action step is just a little exercise For you to build that muscle, for you to take a simple action, but, more importantly, so that you develop that skill that you are someone that does take action and you're not quietly quitting in the background and You're not digging a hole for yourself. It's like you know when you don't do the things you need to do, but if you don't tell anyone, like it was lonely between you and yourself. So I think, if you really are willing to turn yourself into someone being of action, you will start to move away from, I guess, that whole thing as a moment, that you are not someone who doesn't follow through, and it's not a secret between you and yourself that you didn't send a gold star. So that's just my little test to you, but that is a big reasoning behind it. So I hope I see lots of gold stars coming through and I'll send you one straight back. That'll be me taking action back to you as well. So that's what I have for you today.
Shannon Stone:If you have any questions about any of this, and if you have any Podcast requests this one came in as a bit of a request definitely send them in. I'm more than happy to Personalize some or create some episodes based on your request as well. I hope you have an amazing day and we'll talk very, very soon.