Podcast 75: How to Revive Projects for Your Holistic Business
Jul 22, 2021
I love decluttering, I find it therapeutic and a little addictive. I enjoy the process of transforming something from feeling cluttered and overwhelming to being spacious and organised. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a wardrobe or a desk full of files, I like sorting through things and finding the forgotten gems.
Recently I was having a clear-out of my office and I discovered unfinished projects I’d started years ago, got a chunk done, but I hadn’t finished them. I’d literally shelved them and moved on.
The sad thing is, they never achieved their potential and were sitting quietly, gathering dust. I surprised myself at the interesting and helpful ideas in there.
There were usually valid reasons why the projects came to a halt and all too often I’d just got busy or life had got in the way.
At times I’d also got side-tracked by new and more exciting projects. It’s frustrating to think just how much more I would have achieved if only I had FOCUSED on one big project at a time. Even with life throwing me challenges, if I’d returned to project A before moving onto B, C and D, at least one if not two would be out there now.
Instead, I have a number of started projects but at least now I know what I have, and I can revive them if appropriate. Some of my plans for the rest of this year include ideas and elements from old projects which will provide the foundations to build on.
Is the project worth reviving?
Dig out any projects you started but never finished. Is there something you want to pick up again?
Keep your client at the centre of the decision, does it fit with who you help and the results you help them get, or have things changed?
Review them and decide if they are an absolute yes. Does the project fit with your current business and what you want to achieve?
If not, let them go and archive or delete them to get them totally off your radar.
Pick your project and make a plan
List down the projects and work out which is your priority - that becomes your focus. If you’re not sure which to start with, either go for the one that will be easiest or quickest to complete (it will give you a quick win and motivate you) or look for the one that will make the biggest difference to your business.
Keep everything else safe in a file until you’re ready for it. I have created a list for someday projects that I can review every now and then to remind me what I have so they don’t get lost again.
Then take the project and review where you got to. Work out the steps you now need to take to complete it and decide how long you need for each and book time in your diary to do them.
Accountability is the secret sauce
Work out the best way to keep yourself accountable and moving forward with your project. This will make the difference between you finishing it or it ending up back in the pile of lost opportunities.
A few ideas are, find an accountability buddy, join a mastermind group, or hire a coach to help keep you on track. I have done all of these over the last few years and I wouldn’t have published the book without the help and support of my network.
This will not only give you accountability but also have someone else to bounce ideas off. I’ve found having this support network invaluable when I’ve worked on big projects
Book recommendations
Finish – Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff
This book was a game-changer for me as it helped me identify why I often didn’t finish the projects I started. It helped me identify the ways I’d sabotage myself and I now work in a different way which has resulted in a book, new website, new branding, online courses and many other projects being completed.
The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan. This helped me recognise how to work efficiently on the projects themselves and manage my time and diary brilliantly to get things done.
If you’re struggling to complete your big projects, book a discovery call with me and find out how I can help you.
Podcast 75 show notes:
- (03:14) Is the project worth reviving?
- (04:50) Pick your project and make a plan
- (07:10) Accountability is the secret sauce
- (09:26) Book recommendations
