Chase 7 rabbits, catch none

I am so guilty of this. I try to do this all the time.

As an entrepreneur, a lot of times I felt like a Jack of all trades, and Master of none. I would get “Shiny Object Syndrome” and try to chase the next thing. Oftentimes, I ended up not really pursuing any single path with real certainty.

I felt very “busy,” but I wasn’t actually productive.

I think part of this is from the culture that we hear about SMBs and entrepreneurs. That we should be grinding 24/7. That if we aren’t working like crazy, we’ll fail. Or that we aren’t doing it right. (I love this post from Paul Jarvis about the subject)

I like to think of it as a pool.

If the pool is really wide, then the water is not ever very deep. And no one wants to swim in it.

Instead, if we narrow the pool, the water gets deeper. We don’t have any more or less, but we are able to do much more with what we have.

We don’t have any more or less, but we are able to do much more with what we have.

However, I understand that this isn’t always an option. Many times there are several things that need to get done. And we feel pulled in several directions.

This was one of the major causes of anxiety for me when running my coffee shop. I felt pulled in a million directions, but I wasn’t actually going anywhere.

The one thing that helped me get through it: talking it out.

I’m sure the spouses of SMBs and entrepreneurs know this all too well (thank you!).

My wife helped me collect my thoughts and make a plan. This was immensely valuable to me. With a clear plan of action, I could dive deep into the water.

But, she didn’t always have the answers. (No one does)

This is when action-oriented friends, business mentors, and older, wiser friends really helped take me to the next level.

Nowhere does it say that you need to do this on your own. As a matter of fact, if you try to, you’ll probably fail.

Get help.

Make a plan.

These days I still feel like I’m chasing a couple different rabbits, but I’m spending a lot more time planning for each of them.