This year, it took me three months to figure out my focus word for the year.
It’s building.
And now that I realize that, I thought I’d share a few of notes on what building looks like and what you (and I) can do to make it a bit easier.
Whatever big goals you want to achieve or big changes you want to make, you can be sure that some degree of building will be necessary.
Building takes time. It’s hard work. And sometimes it’s a little uncomfortable.
If you don’t remember these things, then it can be easy to give up on your building efforts when they don’t bear fruit immediately. At least that’s been true for me.
1. Sometimes you don’t realize that building is what you’re doing.
If you’re setting up your LinkedIn profile or fleshing out your website, that feels like building. You’re making something new, and you have an idea for how you’ll use it in conjunction with other strategies to reach a bigger goal.
But other things feel less like building. For example, writing a blog post or an article. Or sending an email to a potential client. Those things feel more like an end unto themselves, and it’s easy to view them with the hope that they’ll produce a certain result… like a new project or more name recognition in your industry.
But these are also things you do to build. Every blog post you publish can contribute to your reputation and attract clients to you. Taken together, they can make you look much more impressive than any single post. Every email you send is a chance to deepen a connection, increase your name recognition, and grow your network. It’s rare that a single email sent to single individual will do all that. But several helpful, personable emails sent to the same person over time definitely can.
Here’s the thing… if you don’t look at actions like publishing a blog post or sending an email as building, you might not give them the effort they deserve… which can lead to building with faulty materials (less than your best work)… which means what you’re building won’t be as strong or effective.
I find it easier to do a great job every single time when I think of what I’m doing as part of building something bigger.
2. You can’t build everything at once.
This is obvious, but it’s a mistake I make regularly. Perhaps you can relate.
This one is easiest to illustrate in the context of trying to get healthier and stronger (or maintain good health and strength). At the beginning of the year, you might lay out a plan that involves new eating habits, new workout habits, a new sleep routine, new supplements, and anything else you can think of. If you try to adopt all those new habits at once, chances are, you’ll get overwhelmed, then frustrated, and then just toss in the towel.
But, when you think of it in terms of building, you might decide to spend the first month dedicated to a developing a new workout routine, month two to cooking at home more and eating out less, month three to improving your sleep quality, and so on. This approach increases your chances of success and has the added benefit of building your momentum. You see some success with the first habit, and it makes the second easier to tackle.
3. Results don’t follow your schedule.
When you’re building something, you typically have an end picture in mind. A healthier, fitter version of yourself… a thriving business with high-value clients… a new skill you’ve mastered and are getting paid well for…
Unlike building a brick-and-mortar structure, which is complete when all the pieces are in place, the kind of building we do as writers takes time to produce results. And the time frame can be different than what we expect. I find I tend to be ridiculously optimistic about the results of my building efforts. I also find that reminding myself I am building — and the process will pay off if I just stick with it — helps me to be more patient and tenacious.
So, what are you working on building? How’s it going? And what are your notes on building? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
New on the Site
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Mark Your Calendar
April 7: Change is part of how we grow and adapt to meet new demands. It’s how we learn new things and discover new opportunities. In this month’s Member Update webinar, we’ll talk about change, including techniques you can use to adapt to change more quickly and approach it with a more positive mindset. I hope you’ll join me!
Around the Web
I love these three strategies to help writers and companies prioritize the quality of content rather than just publishing it for the sake of filling space.
Have you ever wondered what goes into managing Pay-Per-Click marketing campaigns? Give this “day in the life account” a read to see what this kind of job entails.
Daily practice will make you a better writer. These kinds of writing exercises can be adapted to any kind of writing.
Need some good copy to study? Here are 21 examples of high-performing copy… with analysis.
That’s all for now. Make it a great week!
