www.images-magazine.com APRIL 2022 images 79 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 10 things to stop doing right now Just stop it! Read Marshall Atkinson’s advice on ‘not-do’ lists instead Do you have a ‘stop doing list’? We’ve all heard of a to-do list: I want to advocate that you create the opposite – the ‘not-do’ list. Why? Because the things on this list are the boat anchor that you are constantly dragging around behind you. Imagine how much better and faster you can become if you stop doing this stupid stuff. Stop seeking permission You don’t need anyone’s permission to start doing something. Whether it is making a simple sales call or starting a business, the answer is the same. Go. Send that email. Place that call. Create that video. Launch that YouTube channel. Build that podcast. Start that business. The power rests in your hands already. All you need to do is to put it to work. Stop putting things off Have you said any of these things? “I’ll get to that on Friday.” “We’ll start when we have some time.” “When Covid levels out, we’ll start.” “I’ll begin when I learn how to do it.” People are always looking for an excuse to kick the can down the road. Are you one of those people? Think back to this time last year. What were you going to do again? Do you still have that notebook full of goals and scribbled ideas? Why didn’t you start? There is no waiting. Only action. Stop putting things off. Just start. Take a small step. Even if it is jotting down some notes, or looking up something on the internet. Do it. Then do the next thing. Then the next. Schedule some uninterrupted time for about 30 minutes on a Tuesday to work on it some more. Before you know it, you’ve completed the project. The key to success is to start before you are ready. Remember the old saying: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is today.” Stop wasting time Some say money is your most precious commodity, but for me, it is always time. You can always make more money. Time, on the other hand, doesn’t come back. Think about the activities that you or your team do every day. How much of that is wasted time? If you don’t know, just quietly, casually observe your team working. Are they organised? Prepared? Do they have to do things over because of poor quality or mistakes? How much time is spent essentially doing ‘busy’ work instead of profitable work? And let’s make sure we mention the elephant in the room, social media. How much of your day is distracted by Facebook, Instagram or TikTok? What
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