How can I prioritize my strategies

Is the following statement true for you? You have a list of strategies you could use to help you create financial independence from your business, and you don’t know what to do first.

If the statement above makes sense to you, take a few minutes, and let’s see what steps our friend John Aardvark takes to figure out how he can choose what to focus on first.

John’s story

John Aardvark sat at his favorite coffee shop, fingers drumming against a cup of coffee. He glanced at the list in front of him – strategies he had researched and written down over the past few weeks to attain financial independence from his business. The list was his potential roadmap to success, but it sent him into a state of analysis paralysis.

Do you know the feeling? It’s like standing in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet without knowing where to start.

John's friend, Jeanine, slid into the chair opposite him. "John, you look like you just lost your best friend."

John sighed, handing the list to her. "Jeanine, I've got all these strategies I found that will help me reach financial independence. Every strategy I look at seems critical and something I should do. At the same time, I have no idea where I should start."

Jeanine scanned the list. "John, if I were to ask you right now, which of these strategies speaks to your gut, which one would you choose?"

John paused. "I guess, cutting down unnecessary expenses in the business. But then, there's also the idea of diversifying income streams... and investing wisely in my retirement plan!"

Jeanine smiled, understanding how difficult the decisions he was working with. "These are all solid strategies, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But remember, the goal isn't to do everything at once. It’s to start small and get some immediate successes."

A simple start appears.

She tapped on the list. "How about this? Rank these strategies based on two criteria: feasibility and impact. Feasibility - how easy it is for you to implement it now, and impact - how much difference it could make in your financial scenario. Or, as I often think, what is the low-hanging fruit that will give me the biggest result for the least amount of effort."

John took a deep breath. "So, cutting down expenses is feasible. I could do that immediately. And its impact would be pretty immediate too. But how would I know what expenses to cut? They all seem pretty important to me."

Jeanine nodded. "That is a challenge. Starting with an objective of cutting expenses is great. Then I hope you’ll work on which expenses you want to go after. You can’t do everything at once. Start small with an experiment and see what the result is."

Sipping his coffee, John started ranking the strategies based on Jeanine’s advice. As he went through each one, he realized that while diversifying income streams was crucial, it would take more time and resources. On the other hand, investing in stocks in his retirement plan required a deeper understanding and a longer-term view.

By the end of the hour, John had a clearer picture of what to do first. The list didn’t look impossible anymore. It was a roadmap with a clear starting point and subsequent milestones. He found items that he thought of as low-hanging fruit. The easy things that would get the most significant result with the least amount of effort.

Jeanine grinned. "Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Your journey is unique. It's okay to adjust and recalibrate as you go along. The point is to keep moving forward."

John smiled back. "Thanks, Jeanine. It's so easy to get lost in the amount of advice out there. But you're right; the most important thing is to start. And now, I know where."

So, if you're sitting with a list, a roadmap, remember this story. Start with what resonates, what's feasible, and what has the most immediate impact. The rest? Well, it'll fall into place as you gain confidence in what to do. 

What did John learn?

John learned a valuable lesson that day. While ambition and drive are essential in building a roadmap to financial independence, having a sense of direction is just as crucial. 

He recognized that it's easy to be overwhelmed by options, especially when each seems vital to success. But by prioritizing strategies based on feasibility and impact, he found a way to clear the clutter in his mind and focus on what truly matters. Success isn't about tackling everything at once but taking focused steps forward.

Here’s where you might want to start.

These three things are easy to do to get started:

1. Set Clear Goals: Before diving deep into strategies, you should define your objective and your goal. 
2. Seek Feedback: Getting caught up in our own heads is easy. But an outsider's perspective can often help you see what’s missing.
3. Take action: Without action, nothing happens. It’s knowing what action to take first is important. It’s why I always want you to start with small experiments. Most won’t work, but those that do, you keep and focus on. 

My invitation to you:

Too often, we look at a list of things we know are important for success. The problem with this is that there are always too many items on your list. 

That’s where the Stage 2 Decision process might help you out. I would love to send you the list, and then you can start focusing on the right thing at the right time. All you have to do is click the button below and tell me where to send our instructions.

It might take a little while to get clear on where to start. Once you do, you’ll move faster than you thought possible to achieve your outcome.

As always, thanks for spending some time with me today. Why don’t you hit return and let me know what you think about choosing the right thing to focus on first in your planning?