Yesterday evening I escorted a relative to the hospital. He had not eaten for two days and was feeling poorly.
When doctors began asking him questions about his health, he suddenly started to not cooperate, which hampered doctors in their ability to uncover his problem.
I asked him what the real problem was, and I also became the target of his animosity.
“I didn’t finish my social services paperwork.”
“I’m busy and don’t have time.”
“Why doesn’t anyone understand?”
His excuses became tiresome, and my concern made an about face.
Does this misplaced blame mirror your own words regarding the marketing dreams and goals you developed but failed to deliver? As much as you may not want to admit it, the problem is squarely on your shoulders. No one except you stopped the marketing train no matter how much you want to blame circumstances or shift the responsibility to another party.
I can talk about this situation not only because I heard every excuse under the sun but also because I recently put my own marketing campaigns on hold for several months to write an online course that required all of my attention. Like the relative, it was my decision to stop my plans. The difference is that I recognize who’s to blame, which is the first step in the road to recovery.
When you recognize the problem, it’s wise to first be happy that you realize the cause so that you can begin working on solutions to implement as you prepare to rebound.
How do you start? I’ll give you five steps from my playbook, which I’m beginning to revive for myself.
1. Perform the three easiest steps to start the process. Begin sending tweets, read a few pages of your favorite business book, or respond to a blog post. That’s easy, right?
2. Review your previous marketing tasks at the point where you left off and decide if anything on the old list is worth doing. Then clean up the list to only include the items that move your marketing train forward.
3. Go to breakfast or lunch with someone who understands your dilemma, someone who will listen, offer support, or provide solutions.
4. Find a local networking group to be in the company of new people. This can open new opportunities, heal your inner pain, and encourage a smooth recovery.
5. List, on paper, your 10 biggest personal and professional accomplishments. You’ve achieved a lot more than you realize, and seeing the list, which you post in a visible place, is a reminder of how great the future is because of everything achieved in the past.
I’m wishing my relative a speedy recovery, but the first thing he must do is realize the source of his problems. If you recognize why your marketing stopped and now are ready to revive it, you’ve turned the corner and see a bright future ahead.
How is this situation similar to what you’re going through now?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Shirley,
You hit on the exact challenge I’ve been facing lately. In spite of being very busy with many projects, I was not reaching the profit goals I had set. The reason is simple: I was not doing the marketing required.
Being busy is very deceiving. There can be a lot of flurry and flutter, but it’s of little value if it’s not the activity that keeps you and propels you along your marketing track.
Thanks for your reminder to reassess my activities and make decisions to engage in only the ones that keep my marketing in gear.
Hi Flora,
What you state is so true about marketing activity and the state of “busy.”
It’s a great synopsis that sums up the post’s lesson.
I’m hoping that each of us gets back on track doing the things that count and not just the stuff that makes time go by.
Thank you so much for this blog especially the part of the five ways to get the Marketing Plan Back on Track. I like that top site part of the blog too as it will encourage the small business entrepreneurs to do better. Your style of writing makes one want to keep on reading your blog so keep at it for am now your fan.
Evelyn Guzman
http://www.homebusinesssteps.com (If you want to visit, just click but if it doesn’t work, copy and paste it onto your browser.)
Hi Evelyn,
I’m pleased that this tip is beneficial. It’s too easy, at times, for situations to take us off course, and not so easy to get back into the swing of things, especially when you work alone.
I’m hoping that someone who’s going through this now can take one of these five steps to jump start positive movement.