My Online Business: What To Do Today…

If your entrepreneurial life isn’t what you want it to be, you might be suffering from “Intention Deficit Disorder.”

Intention Deficit Disorder occurs when you have no real clarity about WHAT result you intend to produce and (even more importantly) WHY you want to produce it.

You see, many internet entrepreneurs spend all their time searching wildly for “how to” advice, yet neglect strengthening their “want to.” And that, my friend, is a big mistake.

Because when you’ve got your WANT TO tweaked and fully torqued, you’ll always find the HOW TO.

Think about this… My daughter Ava is seven years old. She’s relatively a neat little girl. But what if she wasn’t? Let’s just say her room was always messy. It would never occur to me to send her to a seminar on “how to clean her room.” The reason is the “how to” isn’t missing… the “want to” is missing.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Knowing how to do what it is you want to get done is important. But succeeding in business requires a strong intention to succeed. That’s why you must have both the how to and the want to to succeed.

The “want to” is often the most important component of your success, especially when it’s missing. Because to succeed at anything you have to want it. But most new entrepreneurs overlook this simple fact. And when they are confronted with the fact that their actions suggest they don’t want to succeed they often get depressed and lose hope. They start believing there is something wrong with them.

But there is nothing wrong with them. All they need is to tune-up their level of desire. Anyone can do it. And everyone needs to do it from time to time. Because the desire to succeed isn’t a permanent thing. Desire and intention are living, growing, ever-changing energy sources inside you. And with practice you can learn to continuously grow them to any degree you desire.

So, if there’s a level of business success that you want but do not have, then the first place to look for it is in your deepest self.

Why do you want this business to succeed?

What good things will it do for you?

If you don’t have great answers to the above two questions, you’re better off taking the day off today, go for a long walk and come up with as many answers as you can to “Why do I want this to succeed?”  You answer should be a list of benefits that’ll accrue to you and your family by you succeeding in your business.

Once you’ve strengthened your resolve by clearly identifying all the benefits you desperately want, there’s just one more step to make today an awesome business building day. And that’s to answer this simple question…

What’s my intention today?

I’d love to know your answer to that question as it relates to your business. And you’ll benefit (more than you realize) by making a public declaration of what you’ll proactively create today. And to be clear – we’re not talking about a to-do list here. We’re talking about one or two outcomes that move you closer to business success.

To get this conversation started – I’ll share mine with you today. I’m writing this today in San Diego. I flew here to help Brian Tracy International with their online business strategy. So the outcome I’m committed to achieving today is this: To help Brian Tracy and his team (1) clarify their online objectives and then (2) help them create the best plan to achieve them online. That’s what I’m committed to achieving today. Now, it’s your turn…

So tell me… What outcomes are you committed to achieving today?



Share this article

Become a fan of Rich Schefren

Share post on facebook

Comments:
  • http://alvinyudistira.com Alvin Yudistira

    Great thanks Rich, you make me stuck, committed to achieving today, yes today, not uncertain in another next year.

    I just want.. You from you, come Indonesia when match with you, you teach us here mainly in social entrepreneurship. Next October Kelvin Hui will come here he plan to teach as he plan last year as ‘common business sense’. Last year Tony Robbins have come to Singapore. This year Tony even will
    be Live in Bali, April 2010 at srpl.net will bring DWD for the first time, I am ready for his crew as Tung said.

    Chindonesia (China India Indonesia) I think you would be considering and interesting much on, now is the time we here must accept unfair of AC-FTA, it challenging. When you agree I will tell to Tung @tungdw, as this I made for him after knowing Frank Kern teaches to Tony :)

    After got my strength from you by knowing my MO 5-3-8-3, I also keep long this:
    “We do not need to know “how” or “where” but there is one question that we should all ask whenever we start something: “What am I doing this for?” -Paulo Coelho

    Once more thank you Rich, you give me a shortcut by giving that question, make my laser focus on my goals. My highly respected to you. Thank you for everything I got I learned from you until now.

  • Jeff

    Taking the day off to answer the “Why” question.

  • http://child-sponsoring-home-biz.com Tim

    Thanks for helping me push the re-set button Todd. Sometimes we need a good smack of the obvious to get things on track, because working form home, it’s easy to wander.

    I’m committed to setting up at least one appointment with a local business with the intention of bringing them on board as a client when I meet with them.

    Secondly, to create additional online exposure for a charity-driven organization that is making a remarkable difference in the lives of some of the poorest kids in the world with a design that allows for one to do well by doing good.

    http://budurl.com/helpchildhoodhunger

  • http://www.GoalU.com Goal University

    This is exactly the type of work I do with my one on one clients and those within Goal University. You can achieve goals and accomplish things all day long but if you haven’t been selective about what you are pursuing and why, those accomplishments have little meaning in the scope of your life.

    We guide participants through a complete Goal Makeover. The first thing we do is “Begin with the End…” We look ahead 20-30 years or more into the future and decide what you want that to look like. Who is there with you, what is your health like, what does your bank account look like, what do you want your legacy to be, etc. Only then can you know where to invest your precious time and energy into today. You figure out what brings you joy and fulfillment and pursue that.

    Each year I conduct a worldwide survey on Goals. 75% of the people say that school never taught them anything about setting & achieving a goal (in 13 years from kindergarten to high school graduation). No wonder why so many people struggle. This is why we created Goal University.

    My today is focused on writing and preparing for Module 2 of Goal U which is ironically tonight. Most fun I have ever had in my life and incredibly fulfilling. Please join us if you’d like to make 2010 your best year ever. That’s a worthwile intention.

    Live Your Dreams,

    Jill Koenig

    http://www.GoalU.com

  • Pingback: Rich Shefren on IDD Must Read

  • http://agencyofmarketing.com Pete Hudson

    My outcomes for today are (1) to make major progress on internalizing a sales training workshop I’m facilitating next week and (2) to design an innovative online marketing sequence to integrate with a field seminar sales model…probably similar to what you’re helping Brian Tracy with today!?

    As always, thanks for the great stuff Rich!

    Pete

  • http://www.PhillipBraswell.com Phillip Braswell

    Your article reminds me of a quote by Yogi Berra, “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.”

    So much of any activity whether it’s sports, business, relationships etc is mental. Once we are over a couple mental hurdles, we can be off to the races to meet our goals.

    http://www.PhillipBraswell.com

  • http://www.DesignSuccessU.com Gail Doby

    How true that is. I’ve really gotten in touch with it and find it necessary to remind myself often. Thanks as always for our en pointe comments and questions.

  • http://www.chrisowenacademy.com/ Chris Owen

    Great post. I think all of us are susceptible to the knowledge is power thinking. When knowledge is nothing without action.

  • http://AffiliateMarketingHomestead.com Bruce.d.Stewart

    Thanks for the timely reminder I have to commit more and get the “Want To” and “Why Do” working correctly.
    Commit to fixing up my crappy looking blogsite http://AffiliateMarketingHomeStead.com

    PLAN OUT, Why should people go to it, what value are they going to get when they arrive and why should someone optin to down load my mind map.
    Thats me done for the day.

  • http://www.ninalewis.org Nina

    Great post! Exactly what I needed. 1. I want this business to succeed so I can dance to my own tune and step up to my power and help so many talented business owners who are striving to make a positive difference in this world.

    2. It will open up doors for me to help more people. I can have the freedom and flexibility to do what I want on my terms. I love to volunteer. So, I would continue to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity or anything that has to do with providing homes for the homeless.

  • Giesele

    My intention for today is to get SUPER CLEAR on my soul purpose. Everyday my life is unfolding and it’s so beautiful to be able to participate in this thing we call LIFE.

    I choose to live in the state of gratefulness today. Thankful for all the abundance of great men and women and the sharing of knowledge.

    Aloha & Mahalo nui loa,

  • http://www.chrisgoegan.com/about-chris-goegan/ Chris Goegan

    Great post! How true. Love how you ended it with “What outcomes are you committed to achieving today?”.

    Answering that question daily will give all the little steps that will make all the difference.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Be great eh!
    Chris.

  • http://www.TheProfitWizard.com Chris Hanlon

    Excellent point Rich!

    I have personally found my intention wax and wane with other things happening in my life. I think it is key, to realise that this is natural and to be expected, and not something to beat yourself up about.

    The point, as you said, is to know that it is happening, and to have some strategies for dealing with it.

    Thanks,
    Chris

  • http://sharedserverhosting.me Sean Breslin

    My intent today is to promote a list style post on my blog, using new methods learned but previously not applied, to evaluate the difference in results!

  • http://www.improblog.com Shari

    I certainly had IDD when I started out, then it dawned on me one day that I hadn’t made a cent online but I certainly had a head full of information. I now have my ducks in a row, my goals written down, and I have achieved so much more!

    I still get distracted occasionally, so my focus today is to stay focused on my “to do” list, which in hand will get me to my end goals heaps quicker!

    Thanks for the post.
    Cheers
    Shari

  • Lyne

    Nina -
    Huzzah, you wrote my comment and so fluently! I am starting a business, continuing the work in Career Services that was eliminated from the professional association where I previously worked.

    For me right now, the WHY and the WANT TO is really easy… the how-tos are very helpful. I know the time will come when those switch however, and Nina, you nailed the description.
    Thanks!

  • John Bowers

    I cannot even begin to tell you how much this concept of IDD resonates with how I’ve evolved over the last 3 years both personally and in business.

    Somewhere along the line (in my life) I became overly focused on all the “how to’s” instead of the “want to’s”, became overly analytical and stymied my growth in progress. For a long time I was the guy who has a million “great” ideas but couldn’t follow through with them….or I was the guy who could tell all the ways or reasons a business, strategy, or tactic would or wouldn’t work.

    As a result over the last few years I have been progressively shifting my focus more and more on Intentions.

    You are absolutely right without the “want to” the “how to” isn’t worth much. The want to is your fuel to master the “how to’s” in the first place. Without Intention you won’t have the desire to follow through with all the “how to’s” your are strategizing or learning.

    MY INTENTION: To put 4 full PRODUCTIVE hours of work into a report I’m working on called S-CUBED (A visual model/concept for understanding where your(a) target market’s attention is online (hint: it’s in the cube)

    Great concept rich!

    John Bowers,

    P.S. Love the ETR Vid! Good luck with Brian Tracy Today

  • http://www.strategicprofits.com Rich Schefren

    John, glad to hear you are shifting your focus more on Intentions…

    Your report sounds fascinating… I’d love to read it when you are finished. Send it to my assistant, Janine. Her email address is Jshea (at) strategicprofits.com

    I look forward to spending more time focusing inside the “cube”

    Rich

  • http://www.bloggingplan.info hector gomez

    Rich,
    Thank you for the Post, Just finish reading Your Business Blueprint Report,
    Not surprise your writings are always amazing. Thank you, thank you ,thank you
    1. I will do the Five Whys Exercise(all day)
    2. build a landing page for my niche Business.
    Hector gomez

  • Curt Siemers

    Rich,
    Thanks for the reminder. I am posting this late enough in the day (Wed = 1/20) to need to tell you what I am planning tomorrow to begin the process of a successful online business. My intention is to take 2 steps tomorrow to further this purpose/goal: 1) Tomorrow (Thurs 1/21) I will begin the process of putting up websites with a program I recently obtained, and 2) Tomorrow I meet with my tax advisor in the process of obtaining a tax refund that Uncle Sam owes me, part of which money I will use to buy traffic to send to these sites.

    Keep up the good work.

    Curt Siemers

  • http://www.localwebsolutions.com Rocky Tapscott

    Hey Rich,

    You nailed it. I know plenty of how-tos, but the why-tos have suffered recently as I’ve been getting bogged down in my business.

    Since joining the Founders Club, the haze is starting to clear and I’m back on track with a better business model and renewed enthusiasm, and this post really helps.

    Today I am committed to completing the first 10 videos in my 20 video lead generating sequence, and uploading them to Traffic Geyser. I think committing to something every day is the key thing I’ve been missing (I tend to get distracted), so it’s something I will have to work on until it becomes a habit.

    Thanks for a great post.

    Cheers

    Rocky

  • http://www.celinehoran.com Celine Horan

    Hi Rich,

    Today I’m committed to:

    (a) catching up on my reading i.e. Founders Letter, 2010 Achievement Planning and others;

    (b) plan a work schedule till the end of January and February and finally;

    (c) continue building a core complex for my marketplace.

    Hope all goes well with Brian Tracy today.

    Regards
    Celine Horan :-)

  • http://hpshappyhomebusiness.blogspot.com HP van Duuren

    Great Post,

    I totally agree that focussing on the WHAT
    and the WHY is the Key, The HOW usually isn’t
    that hard to figure out.

    One of the intentions that I had for today was to re-structure my email procedure, because it got a little to complicated. Now it’s lot easier to keep my Inbox clean.

    All the Best,
    HP