Take Action Revise Later
by BobTheTeacher · Filed Under: Announcements · Business Building · Getting Started · Mindset · goal-setting
I’m publishing my first book soon, called “Take Action! Revise Later.”
This is one of the first chapters. Please read and comment below!
My own personal motto that I want to impart on you is “Take Action Revise Later” (TARL for short). You’ll find examples throughout the book, but I would like to make sure the concept is crystal clear from the beginning.
The first time you do something, it’s likely going to be hard, uncomfortable, and, shall we say, less than stellar. It’s the one you’re always going to screw up on the most. You’re likely going to be scared of looking like a fool.
Get over it!
The world needs what you’ve got, and we’re not going to be able to wait around for you to make sure it’s 100% ready.
Just think of how we’d still be using typewriters today if Bill Gates or Steve Jobs had waited to release their personal computing platforms when they were “perfect”.
In my ten years in the classroom, I mentored six student teachers. Like me when I went through the same process, they struggled to translate what they had learned in the textbooks with the reality of the classroom.
The scariest day for an intern is that day when they get to be in charge of the class for the first time. Although they wouldn’t admit it, each one had a look in their eye that said, “you know what? I’m still not quite ready.” But they had learned that in a classroom, you usually don’t have the luxury of getting 100% ready. You just have to do.
They were comforted by me giving them permission to be terrible when they started. I told them flat out – “you are going to screw up – get over that fact.” The trick is to learn from your good days and your bad days, make the adjustments, and become the teacher you want to be.
You’re going through a similar practice in business – no matter what level of experience you already have. You’re going to get better and better by actually doing what you set out to do.
As an internet marketing teacher, I often get asked by my students when will they know that their website is ready to be published online. And they’re shocked when I tell them “yesterday”. No matter how ugly it is, get it out there, and revise, revise, revise.
Get it out there. Get it done, then adjust according to the data and feedback you get from customers.
I actually learned to apply this motto to business in early 2007. I was working on my biggest project to date, an internet marketing course called SquidooSecrets.com. I had been using Seth Godin’s Squidoo.com platform to attract traffic to my websites and generate leads for my business, without paying a dime in advertising.
My success with Squidoo included having one of my pages appearing in the New York Times newspaper (April 10, 2006), and appearing at the top of the search engines for excellent keyword phrases – again, without spending money to do it.
People who saw my success wanted to know what I was doing; so I decided to create a course about it in the evenings while I was still teaching full time during the day.
In October and November, I created several video tutorials to show the steps. My mentor, who introduced me to Squidoo in the first place, interviewed me for the introductory lesson. And I turned that call into an ebook. I did a few additional audio calls with others to have real-life demonstrations of how others could replicate my system.
I then set to work on getting the website ready. November quickly passed by, as did December, then January. February was starting and Squidoo Secrets was still not released, even though it was 90% done. To me, it just wasn’t ready yet.
Luckily, I was in a mastermind with a fitness & goal setting expert, Scott Tousignant.
He asked me why it was taking me so long to release this project, when I knew that so many people could benefit from it. Three months had passed from when I created the core of the course, yet it still wasn’t out there. I told him it wasn’t ready yet, and added a few lame excuses that he completely didn’t buy (thankfully!).
After his encouragement to set a deadline for only a week later, I launched the site. Within 3 weeks, that project had generated over $25,000 in revenue. Not bad for a teacher earning about $3800/month at that point!
More importantly, the feedback I received from the initial customers gave me the exact steps to take to improve the course. I also learned that they actually appreciated having their voices heard, and seeing the improvements that came as a result.
I went on to create Squidoo Secrets 2 a year later, and it continues to be one of my most successful products ever released. If I hadn’t decided to “Take Action and Revise Later”, my life would certainly be different than it is now.
As you continue reading, I encourage you to take action, reflect, and measure the results you get. I’ll say this again and again to you, because it’s worth repeating:
The world needs what you’ve got, and we’re not going to
be able to wait around for you to make sure it’s 100% ready.
Get going!
Have a comment or a similar story of how taking action and revising later has helped you in life and business? Please feel free to post it below!
Bob Jenkins
p.s. Great news! The book was published on October 10, 2010, and it’s ready for you! You can order from Amazon directly, or pick up the Platinum edition, which includes audio & video versions of the book, as well as an autographed copy shipped to you. See TakeActionReviseLater.com for more details.
18 Responses to “Take Action Revise Later”
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| Bob Jenkins is an internet business marketing teacher, with ten years experience teaching teenagers and teachers. He is the creator of several online training courses that teach you how to get better customers and increase your profits. Specializing in social networking strategies for business and creating information products from teleseminars, Bob can help you use internet marketing tools and strategies to promote your business online. |
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Very sound advice once again Bob. It is very easy to look at what others in your market have, and think I can’t compete against that. As I don’t look as professional. What we tend to forget,is exactly what you are saying is. That people who look professional, and may have more runs on the board. Didn’t start out that way. Most started with nothing, tried and failed but kept trying until they got it right.
Thanks for the permission to screw up, but just get on with it.
Bob,
Your philosophy is exactly why you have been so successful. And it’s the same idea that allows certain people to actually make a living with their businesses while others sadly keep planning for “someday.”
I have made SO many mistakes. And some of them over and over. (Eventually I finally get it!). But the point is we have to present people what will best serve their needs that only we can uniquely offer. Your information can’t help anyone if it stays in your head or in the planning process.
Here’s one benefit of your Take Action Revise Later philosophy: re-launch! If something goes well when it’s not “perfect” imagine how cool it’ll be when you have it exactly as you want and 6 months or a year later you get to re-launch something even better?!
Gotta run– taking action on lots of cool stuff today :-)
Felicia
http://Twitter.com/FeliciaSlattery
Great advice Bob! Thank you so much for all you do and the inspiration you give people to jump in and take a chance, sometimes we all need a push.
Thanks again,
Much success to you.
Lorraine
The Write Touch 4U
http://www.thewritetouch4u.com
Your ideas above reminds me of when I was a Project Manager at AT&T and we were instructed to create tons of documentation and elaborate Project Plans and Design Documents prior to starting any project. By the time we got to taking action on the actual project we had missed the window of opportunity or the client had changed their mind on the details anyhow. Finally we decided to dispense with all that and start making what we called “Rapid Prototypes” then revising them later along with the client. Everyone was a lot happier and tons more actual products were produced. It took a long time for the other departments to catch on and most of the corporate world still operates in the old way. You’ve definately got the right idea here!
You always say the right words at the right time when I need them. Of all people you know how I am and how hard I work to make everything perfect. That has to be one of my biggest downfalls. I am really working hard to “Get Over It”! Thanks again and I am really looking forward to the rest of your book!
Joyce Jagger
The Embroidery Coach
Wonderful advice Bob!
This is a common and serious problem, especially amongst those that work at home.
Can’t wait for the rest ;)
Cheers
Damian
Perfect! I have been procrastinating on something and this will push me over the edge. I just set a short deadline and am going to get it out! Thanks Bob!
Great advice, Bob! We can always count on you to supply great content and relevant information in your blog posts and emails, and you are greatly appreciated.
One point to note on your new project, your TARL book; it sounds a lot like the “Ready, Fire, Aim” concept, and the book by the same name from Michael Masterson. In designing and promoting your book, you’ll need to set yourself apart and define your own USP regarding your twist on that philosophy. I’m sure you have one, and that your ideas are unique, but you’ll need to quickly differentiate your book from his, in order to gain an immediate following.
Hope this helps!
With Warm Regards,
Tammy
I’ve got “Take Action, Revise Later” tacked up on the bulletin board by my desk – I put it there after I heard you speak at Attract Clients Like Crazy. Looking forward to grabbing a copy of your book as soon as it’s available.
TARL certainly sounds more appealing than TARP. And TARL has been proven to work by the Teacher himself. Of course, when in business do what the businessmen (or women) do, which is constantly take action that translates into profit, hopefully sooner than later. In my country, businessmen continuously take action motivated by the accronym CKBK (Cepat Kaya Belakang Kira) which literally translated means: Rich Quick Count/Measure Later. I have no doubt we will soon embrace TARL in preference to CKBK because it is the more sensible and customer-focused way to doing business, whether on-line or off-line. Thank You Teacher for sharing your valuable experience which is certainly of benefit to the people of the world!
Hi Bob! I can’t wait to get a copy of your book. Thanks for this post – it is just the kick in the seat I needed on a Monday morning to motivate me to do something I have been putting off. I have really enjoyed working with your LAMPS program for the last 6 or so weeks. You have been blessed with an abundance of knowledge and the ability to train. Never underestimate the ability to train – lots of people do not have both parts. Thanks again!
Getting out there isn’t always easy for some of us, and this is just another reason why we need teachers like you, to push us to take action, the encouragement is simple yet it has to be acknowledged. Thanks a lot for your sound advice.
Great advice, Bob, one that really needed pounding in my head lately.
Thank you very much, for this and all the help previously given. I’ve been seriously amiss in expressing thanks, but know that every piece of advice you’ve given this noob has been helpful, and much appreciated.
Yes Bob is right and I learn that at his training SIMPLE. He gave us a deadline to give him a birthday gift by completing a project. I was a couple days late finishing and now would like to introduce it if I may. YourOwnBusinessCenter aka (YOBC)It has been a long time dream to have a website that can help others to have all the tools and trainings in one place to make multiple incomes. Stop by and join for free tell me what you think. Bob Thanks so Much YOBCDarryl
Wow, Bob… You did it again! I CAN’T WAIT for the book! I love your quote, “The world needs what you’ve got, and we’re not going to be able to wait around for you to make sure it’s 100% ready.” It really resonated with me. I’ve heard it a hundred times before, in different forms, but for some reason, this time it really stuck!
Since reading this the first time, I’ve gone into massive action mode and I’m loving it!
Thanks for all you do, all you share and who you are. :)
Take Action, Revise Later” yes for some yrs !
You are so right, and who better to tell you what needs improving than the customers. Every time I have filtered through the comments on my blog site, I get good feedback and I usually have an ‘ah ha’ moment when I realise that I should have seen what the customer saw, but was too busy with other thoughts to take it into account. Honest, unbiased advice from users of my site is the best feedback I can get, along with advice from people such as yourself, that KNOW what works and what doesn’t. If I had waited for things to be perfect, I would still be waiting. Even today, I know for a fact that I have a lot to learn and a lot more tweaking to do, but you can’t reach your destination if you don’t get on the road to somewhere! Thanks for the great advice!
What!, This is kind of neat Wonder what will be around the corner!