Self-management Strategies That Make You the Driving Force of Any New Project or Business Start-up

Matthew Pollard

Self-management Strategies That Make You the Driving Force of Any New Project or Business Start-up

Over the past ten years I have earned a reputation for obtaining rapid growth, and I’m often asked how I’ve managed to be the driving force behind so many business successes. After all, it’s one thing to be the lead on a project or business start-up, but it’s an entirely different thing to be the driving force behind it—that requires a much higher level of inspiration and skill.  Below I will share three simple tips extracted from my soon-to-be-released book on time management. With these skills at your disposal, the better question is: how could you possibly not be a driving force?

SMART Goals

Earl Nightingale once said that, “People with goals succeed because they know where they are going; it’s as simple as that.” I find many people don’t bother to create goals, and those that do make ones that are not well formed enough to aid in actual goal obtainment. This is why I use the SMART criteria for setting goals:

Specific – exactly what you want to achieve

Measurable – a quantifiable target to work towards

Achievable –something you believe you can obtain

Realistic – a target that is practical

Time-based –a timeframe for achieving it

If you would like to know more about SMART goals, Daniele Lima and I have a free Podcast that explains SMART in detail available at: https://www.danandmatt.com/dm-001-welcome-danandmatt-podcast-today-smart-goals/

I also like to use a strategy from The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson: take whatever goals you’ve formed and write them on pieces of paper—one sheet of paper per goal—then write why that goal is important to you in 250 words or less. By understanding your goals, committing to them and knowing they are truly want you want, you will be able to pick the projects or business start-ups that align with them and drive those ventures to success.

Improve Your Skills and Become the Ideas Person

When you’re constantly learning and coming up with ideas, being a driving force becomes second nature. Robert Kivosaki says, “In today’s fast-changing world, it’s not so much what you know anymore that counts, because often what you know is old. It is how fast you learn,” and I couldn’t agree more. In our fast-paced world it can be difficult to take the time to acquire knowledge; however, there are some amazing resources you can utilize to learn on the go.  

One of my favorites of these technologies is Audible. For a small fee, Audible allows me to listen to entire books while commuting. I’m someone who likes to take notes and save quotes I identify with for my own writing; Audible’s bookmark feature, which is simple and effective to use, makes this extremely easy.

Another way to listen and learn is to seek out relevant podcasts; this is a great, free method for staying up-to-date on a number of topics. I suggest you listen to as many podcasts recorded by experts as possible until you find someone with whom you identify to be your mentor. This person should discuss a wide range of topics and interview guests; you should listen to everything they release.

Finally, getAbstract is a great resource that distills business books into quick, 8-minute summaries. These summaries, which are similar to Cliff Notes, focus solely on business tomes. By constantly learning, you’ll not only stay ahead of the curve, but you’ll also be consistently inspired to come up with fresh, innovative ideas that drive your project or start-up forward.  

Figure Out Your Priorities

In his book Screw It, Let’s Do It, Richard Branson states, “Today nothing is sure, life can be one long struggle, people have to decide on priorities if they want to get anywhere.” This means prioritizing what really requires your attention: things that get you closer to your SMART goals. You should always plan out your day the night before, keeping in mind whatever tasks absolutely must be done that day and what may be moved, eliminated, delegated, or outsourced so that your priorities are clear and you can be as productive as possible. The surefire way to be recognized as the driving force on a project or business startup is to focus your time on the highest priorities. 

I hear people say time and time again that they just don’t have the time to do these things, but you must! Though they require work, these three tips are simple—if you don’t do them, rather than be a driving force, you’ll have to be satisfied watching from the sidelines as people around you achieve their goals.


About the Author

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Matthew Pollard is the Rapid Growth Guy! Characterized as a true differentiation, niche marketing, and sales systemization powerhouse. He now offers online sales, niche marketing and business seminars through MatthewPollard.comRead More