I took a customer survey earlier this week. The last question was totally open-ended:
“If you could ask Perry any question what would it be?”
The most common question was:
“How do I stop procrastinating and just DO the stuff I need to do???”
Let me tell you what I do.
I have an accountability buddy.
Every morning I email or text my friend with a list of the 3 super important things I’m absolutely going to get done today. In the evening I email or text him and confirm that I got them done.
Every evening he texts me with a summary of some daily habits he wants me to hold him accountable for. FYI his daily habit list is:
- Do 1 thing to get new clients every day
- Get out of the house and get some exercise
- Connect with one of his family members
- Do something creative or artistic that feeds his soul
Again, he just pings me every day to let me know how he did against his checklist.
This has been *extremely* useful for both of us. It forces me to focus on 3 BIG things because it is incredibly easy for me to get sucked into the other 300 little things that don’t matter so much instead. Focus and not procrastinate.
For him, it’s made his inner world and personal life much more satisfying. He falls into bad habits far less often. This is a seriously cool system because it’s simple and it works.
My friend, I just described a $1 million habit to you. Most people cannot appreciate the compound interest of cultivating simple disciplines over time.
When your saw is constantly being sharpened and you are constantly FOCUSING that blade on true hot spots of opportunity, you can’t help but improve and improve and improve.
Get yourself an accountability buddy and watch your productivity soar. It’s THE best way to slay the procrastination demons.
DO THIS: If you struggle with procrastination, call up one of your friends – one who values and appreciates your mission as an entrepreneur – and set up a buddy system. Do it RIGHT NOW, before you finish this email.
You’ll feel good on the inside as you hang up the phone, because you’ve picked up a $1 million habit.
Perry Marshall
Text Length: 384 words
Grade level: 7.9
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About the Author
Perry Marshall has launched two revolutions in sales and marketing. In Pay-Per-Click advertising, he pioneered best practices and wrote the world's best selling book on Google advertising. And he's driven the 80/20 Principle deeper than any other author, creating a new movement in business.
He is referenced across the Internet and by Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, INC and Forbes Magazine.
9 Comments on “If you procrastinate, these 384 words are worth your time”
Hi Perry,
I want to thank you for all the free content you’ve delivered to me. It’s priceless. You are my master. I’m your fan of coffeehousetheology.com and cosmicfingerprints.com.
I’m not a professional marketer, I don’t have an online business but I would love to start one. I wonder if some day you would design a system for someone like me. :)
Once again, thank you very much for all the free content you have giveen to me.
God always bless you Perry.
Froy
From Mexico
Glenn Livingston created the system you are looking for and there’s a link at http://www.perrymarshall.com/1404/pink-koolaid/
In my opinion, procrastination is the no. 1 evil in the life of an internet entrepreneur! It’s vital that we all try to keep it in check…
Because for most of us, time is the resource that is not only impossible to get back, but it’s also the one we can most easily part with.
Time that’s not spent in the here and now is a bit of tommorrow’s revenue that was left on the table!
Hi Perry,
I just emailed my friend and asked her to be my accountability buddy.
I think this will help me greatly with my online business efforts.
Such a simple tip, but I am going to use it and I will remember you suggested it to me, I have a sneaky feeling one day I am going to be very thankful you did.
Sally :)
My accountability plan involves only giving my friend about 3 things, that are the *major* priorities in the business right now. The most helpful aspect hasn’t been the “accountability” aspect so much as it’s been the daily focus of telling him what the 3 things are. Can’t wait to hear more from ya-
Perry
Great tip. Really like the focusing on 3 big items for the day. Sounds easy.
Perry – Any insights as to why you picked this particular person? It sounds like he needs you as much as you need him and I’m wondering if that’s a big part of it. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as long lasting – like you just get sick of the guy – if he’s only ripping on you.
Like Jillian the fat coach lady on TV. Sure it’s great she’s yelling at you when you’re 450 pounds, but what about when you’ve been 208 for the last 4 weeks and really need to get down to 195 and she’s still just yelling??? Does that get old?
I’m just now picking up the value of simple systems of accountability… and so far I’ve figured out that in spite of it’s simplicity, there are a lot of ways to screw it up.
Do you even talk to the guy or is it pretty much a self regulatory thing in truth… like just sending the email is enough?
What if you don’t accomplish it one day? What about 3 days or a week in a row? Does the guy start sticking it to you? Does the guy know (or need to know) enough about what you do to be able to stick it to you?
thanks
Nick
I picked him cuz he’s a good friend and we’ve both got some pecadillos. We have beers every few weeks.
Hmmm, I almost always do the list I give him. If I screwed up I don’t think he’d spank me too bad. I don’t spank him too bad when he screws up. The buddy system just keeps me on track. Helps me simplify.
Interesting remarks – but I think the main thing is to just do something rather than thinking about it.
Thinking and acting is easier said than done.