Trading Busy For Domination

By Brad Martineau | May 9, 2014 |

Did you ever see the movie Inception? The one where Leonardo DiCaprio plays the thief that goes into peoples dreams to steal ideas.

There’s a line in that move where DiCaprio’s character discusses ideas, and how they can be “resilient, highly contagious, and almost impossible to eradicate from the brain.”

While I don’t think that is always the case, there are times that I’ve found I’ll have an idea, and it just sticks. When it happens, the idea typically starts small and kind of fuzzy, but it hangs around and I can feel my brain chewing on it in the back of my head.

You ever have that happen? Where somebody says something and it’s almost like they hit you square in the face? And then you find yourself almost in a trance-like state, going through the motions of life, but your brain is still chewing on this idea? And then you start to see it popping up everywhere?

This happened to me 2 weeks ago at Infusionsoft’s big user conference ICON14. If you were there, you remember that they had a pretty impressive line up of speakers. Simon Sinek, Casey Graham, Seth Godin, and then of course, me…. 😉

Today I want to share with you the idea that got planted in my brain at ICON14 and that I’ve been chewing on since. Interestingly enough, it actually wasn’t just one idea, but rather two ideas that seemed to completely contradict each other.

The conference kicked off with Simon Sinek. I’m assuming you’ve seen his TED talk (Start With Why). In that talk, he makes a very strong case for that fact that “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

In his presentation at ICON14, he continued that theme but through different lenses. At the core of his message was still this idea that there are “gut” connections that happen between people, and organizations, and those “gut” connections happen because of similar belief and value systems.

Seth Godin spoke on the second day, and he had a quote that really struck a chord with me. He was talking about our work, and he invited us to be willing to not settle for mediocre. The quote was:

“This is not good enough for the group of people I am trying to please.”

I love that quote. Combine it with Sinek’s message, and this idea starts to form that we should know who we serve and deliver the quality of work they deserve.

Then, just this week I got a newsletter from Shaun Buck over The Newsletter Pros detailing his story about how he just won the 2014 Ultimate Marketer of the Year award from GKIC. In his story he talks about how he had set the goal the year earlier, and then through the year as he was doing work, he and his team would stay focused by asking themselves: “Is this Ultimate Marketer of the Year worthy?”

I love the passion and drive for excellence. I also love the power that comes from getting really clear on why you’re doing what you’re doing (and I’m not talking about your kids, or your spouse, or you dream lifestyle. That’s a totally different why and really an entirely different topic).

I’m talking about really knowing who you’re serving, what they need, and then constantly asking “Is this good enough for the people I’m trying to serve?” Or as Shaun was asking, “Is this Ultimate Marketer of the Year worthy?”

So anyway, I was feeling good about all that, until about 5 minutes later, when Seth throws up a slide with this quote on it:

“Important stuff ships before it’s ready.”

Huh?

How is it that I’m going to ensure that what I do is good enough for the people I serve if I’m supposed to ship before it’s ready?

How do I produce work that is “Ultimate Marketer of the Year” worthy, if I have to send it out the door before it’s actually finished?

And my brain has been chewing on that ever since; the apparent dichotomy between “Don’t settle for work that is less than great” and “Ship it now.”

Now, I’ve done a lot since ICON already. On top of the mountain of post ICON follow up with prospects and new clients, I ran a 2-day event at SixthDivision HQ, took my boys camping, my girls had a dance competition, we hired an office manager, etc…

But even with all that, these two opposing ideas have been fighting in the back of my head. And it wasn’t until I went back into my notes from the conference, that it clicked.

I was reviewing my notes from Casey Graham’s talk on Thursday morning, and I saw this line starred, underlined, and highlighted, and the order was restored in the universe (well, my universe anyway).

DOMINATE, DON’T DABBLE

That reminded me of a great quote by Robin Sharma that I saw recently that says “‘I’m too busy’ just means ‘I can’t say no to the unimportant.'” Yeah, think about that one for a second.

That’s when it hit me. Those two ideas are not opposing each other. They are reinforcing each other.

How is it that I can “ship before it’s ready” and at the same time produce that which is “good enough for the people I’m trying to serve?”

By dominating a few things, instead of dabbling in many. By choosing to be disgusted with being “busy” and having the courage to say no to the unimportant. By allowing ourselves to focus our energy on a select few priorities, and crush them.

The winning formula is to do more of less things. Not to do less of more things.

So as you look at your business, and as you look at your life, stop to consider where you are struggling to say no to the unimportant, Stop to consider where, because you are busy, you are delivering work that is “not good enough for the people you are trying to serve.”

Maybe it’s your prospects.
Maybe it’s your customers.
Maybe it’s your partners.
Maybe it’s your employees.
Maybe it’s your spouse.
Maybe it’s your kids.
Maybe it’s your friends.

Wherever it is, it’s time for a change.

I’m going to challenge you to just choose just one of them, and make a commitment TODAY to change it.

And I want to know what you chose.

Comment below, and tell me where you are going to ditch busy so you can dominate, and how you’re going to do it.

Can’t wait to hear it.

Brad

PS: Head here to read my thoughts on how we feel compelled to be busy, and post your comments below.

Posted in Blog

33 Comments

  1. bradmartineau on May 9, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    I’ll get this kick started. I’m starting with my family. As I wrote this blog post, it became extremely apparent to me that I had let busy creep into my life and I was letting my family take the brunt of it.

    Not necessarily major things, but rather little corners that I was cutting.

    I’m starting there and here’s my plan:

    1) Starting next week, I will be leaving my computer at work.
    2) Starting immediately, I will not be checking email on my cell phone (I normally don’t do this but let it slip recently)

    That’s it. The computer and the phone are my weak links. If I don’t have those, I remove 95% of the temptation and possibility of letting busy steal from my family.

    Now it’s your turn. What are you doing?

    Brad



    • Ryan Chapman on May 12, 2014 at 5:08 pm

      I used to take work with me everywhere. But I found that leaving it at the office allows my mind time to be open to better ideas and clarity as well as more of what I’m living for!

      Periodically I’ll ask, “Is this really how I want to spend my precious few days on this planet?” It’s so easy to have your attention controlled by all the voices pulling at it.

      Love that movie too. It’s one of the few I can watch over and over again.

      Great post Brad.



      • bradmartineau on May 13, 2014 at 12:53 pm

        Yo!

        I like your question about “precious few days.” Great way to frame it.

        I REALLY like the “I’m Too Busy just means I Can’t Say No To Unimportant.” For some reason that quote is sticking and helping me see that busy-ness is a form of weakness. So now anytime I hint at getting busy, I start removing things from my schedule.

        Thanks for the comment!

        Word.

        Brad



  2. Bret Martineau on May 9, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    I run a nonprofit called Courage to Hope. Recently, I realized that I had organized my volunteers into committees and teams to post on blogs and social media, and I wasn’t doing anything to actually raise money. So here’s my plan:

    Dissolve all the committees, and give everyone one task: get money in the door.

    Being “busy” with marketing has kept me from dominating in fundraising (i.e. sales), which is what the women that my organization supports actually need.

    The more I think about this, the more I realize how big of an impact this will have on my organization. Any of my “staff” of volunteers that isn’t committed enough to bust their butt raising money needs to be canned anyway.



    • marcapitman on May 9, 2014 at 10:35 pm

      YAY! I love seeing commitments to fundraising!!



    • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 2:23 am

      Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes… 😉



  3. LaToya N. Collins-Jones on May 9, 2014 at 9:49 pm

    Funny that you sent this. As we speak I am working on my Unpack Your Brain Worksheet. I am going to start with my prospects. I just recently purchased Infusionsoft after attending ICON14 with a client.

    My plan starting it to:

    1) Complete my Opportunities Campaign
    2) Ensure that all of my current prospects are loaded into Infusionsoft and updated to current status
    3) Set weekly lead goals to fill my pipeline

    Great Post!!

    LCJ



    • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 2:22 am

      Awesome! Love that your focused and dialed in and you’re only a few weeks in. That’s the way to make it happen for sure. 😉

      Keep us posted on the progress! I want to hear how you dominate… 😉

      Brad



  4. cyclinginform on May 9, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Just about to employ a VA for my business so I can get on and focus on the important and have them take care of the day to day unimportant.



    • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 2:21 am

      Nice! We talk internally about building your team of Key Success Players™ and it often starts with a killer assistant (virtual or otherwise).

      Keep us posted on the progress!

      Brad



  5. marcapitman on May 9, 2014 at 10:38 pm

    Interesting timing, Brad.

    Yesterday when I told my wife I was going to create a new fundraising class, she suggested I review the last six months of my “to do’s” first. Brilliant! I had lots of great ideas (many around my Makeover in March.) So I’m going to dominate my sales funnels before creating a new fundraising class!



    • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 2:19 am

      Nice! That’s a smart wife… 😉

      We’ve been doing that internally as well. Forget 8 projects. Let’s pick 1, focus all our energy there, and crush it.

      Looking forward to hearing how it turns out!

      Brad



  6. Jeff Olsen on May 9, 2014 at 11:49 pm

    Brilliant. I’m committing to not let email determine my daily activity. I’ll schedule 2 or 3 specific times throughout the day (not first thing) to check it and respond, and have it closed in between so I don’t hear the enticing beeps of incoming temptations!



    • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 2:18 am

      Perfect! I’d go even further and turn off the beeps AND the inbox counts so you’re not even drawn in unless you want to be.

      I’ve found that my most successful days are when I don’t actually get to my email until 4pm.

      Good luck and keep at it.

      Brad



      • Ryan Chapman on May 12, 2014 at 5:03 pm

        Exactly my experience as well. Email is the bane of my existence. I guess that’s why I try and contribute as little of it as I can to the world 😉



  7. Jessica Erin Varley on May 10, 2014 at 1:38 am

    Thanks for the super awesome insight! I had the same feelings when I attended ICON except for me it happened when JJ was talking about being “scrappy” and how you just have to go for it, stop waiting for everything to be just right.
    I am going to stop letting my team decide how I am going to spend my time and instead, train them to ask for me during specific blocks of time that are pre-decided BY ME! Thanks again!



    • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 2:16 am

      Totally agree! JJ called it “scrappy”, Gary V calls it “hustle”, etc… I love how Seth Godin pointed out that cards were made before roads and gas stations. Those all came later.

      I read a really interesting book recently by Steven Pressfield called “Do The Work.”

      Excellent read. In fact Seth Godin mentioned it during his preso.

      I think you’d love it.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Brad



      • bradmartineau on May 10, 2014 at 3:10 am

        Ummmm, I meant to say Cars, not Cards. Cars were created before roads and gas stations. 😉



      • Robyn Kesnow on May 10, 2014 at 3:34 am

        Love that little book



  8. Raven Howard on May 10, 2014 at 2:55 am

    well i chose a few days ago to stop being “just” an implementer. i wanna push myself into uncomfortable RIGHT NOW, so in the long run i can make money while i chill with family and watch sports. 🙂 i started my trek by reaching out to my network with an idea to help get myself and others out of overwhelm in a systematic way…they loved it so now I am kind of accountable to follow through 🙂

    “I feel like saying more, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” ~ John Doe | Se7en



    • bradmartineau on May 13, 2014 at 12:51 pm

      Nice! Love it. I remember having that conversation with you at dinner at PartnerCon. Excited to see what comes!



  9. Robyn Kesnow on May 10, 2014 at 3:33 am

    Huh, great minds… I was just voicing this conundrum with my walking buddy today. Since ICON I’ve been walking an hour (or more) to clear the cobwebs and chew on the awesomeness that was mentally uploaded. Casey’s stuffs been sticking with me big time along with the big names. I’ll add to the quote list “be one level above crap.” One of my companies ‘things’ is elevating the Animal RN family experience. Still working out the measurables to the newly formed focused differentiation delivered at light speed



    • bradmartineau on May 13, 2014 at 12:50 pm

      Haha.. Love it! That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing too. Creating space for myself to be able to chew on what I’ve been learning.

      I’m still interested in hearing which tradeoffs you’re going to make. 😉

      Brad



      • Robyn Kesnow on May 14, 2014 at 1:11 pm

        We’re on it here with a 90day plan. Everything else is shelved and we’re focusing on delivering a product I’ve been ‘dabbling’ in. We cranked out the outline, created a kick ass offer and we’re going to sell the thing. People beg me for this information and I’ve been too insecure in my own value and in wanting to deliver perfection to go with it. Just sell the thing. They’re asking for it. We’re going to focus on this product for 90days. Nothing but this for 90days (thank you Casey Graham.) We’ll tweak the offer, listen to the real audience for it – not the noise and do nothing else until this baby is done and delivered unexpected professionalism by way of high touch engagement. If we hit 90days and we’re not there or on a blazing trail toward that – we’ll re-evaluate. Ready… Go!



        • bradmartineau on May 15, 2014 at 3:08 am

          Love it! Keep me updated. Definitely want to hear how it goes. If we can help let us know.

          😉



  10. Rod Shuttleworth on May 15, 2014 at 10:11 pm

    Hi Brad from Aus.

    Being Busy has soo many faces. I am currently on
    the journey of “finding peace with-in” – as the busy-ness in my head was
    driving me mad.

    About 6 months ago I failed the 10 minute test – of spending time with myself.

    Im realising the peace within has been losing the battle with being busy in my business.
    I’ve
    realised – in my life – following the achievement of large goals/
    climbing mountains – I slowly descend into the valley and then somehow
    get onto “Being Busy”.

    The trick that is played – is the descent is slow and comfortable and you feel a bit of downtime has been earned.

    For
    me then you start to review – after your review you start to Manage the
    results. Then somehow it feels good to go even further down the ladder –
    and it feels good to be the worker.
    Then – you are busy doing the wrong stuff.

    I
    learned that Zenning out – is not for me. But spending 10-20
    minutes a day – away from the world – alone with my thoughts has been a
    game changer.

    My results: the busy-ness is gone in my head, because I’ve re-aligned with my vision and purposes – clarity has returned
    The peace with-in is back – the passion to change the ……. (fill-in the blank) is back.

    Now to master Infusionsoft… thanks for your time.



    • bradmartineau on May 20, 2014 at 5:30 pm

      Rod,

      Love it! So true. That’s what I’m re-discovering. I feel like busy is like a really strong current that is constantly sucking people in and carrying them away.

      The key is to be able to wade into the current, but not get sucked away.

      Thanks for the share.

      Brad



  11. Steve Potosky on May 16, 2014 at 11:07 am

    k, trying to automate the brain to delete the busyness business (one letter changes everything) … there’s a business idea there … cure this epidemic.



    • bradmartineau on May 20, 2014 at 5:25 pm

      Haha. I hear you.

      That’s part of my personal focus right now is to rid my world of being busy. Being intentionally engaged in a purpose is one thing. Being busy is another. I’m done with busy.

      Thanks for sharing.

      Brad