The Sales Experiment

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The Three Lists to Freedom

I love Chris Ducker’s exercise: “Three Lists to Freedom.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard him share on podcasts how this exercise revolutionized his life. In his words, “It’s a game changer.”

Alas, I’ve never actually sat down and done it.

Today’s Exercise: Take at least 30 Minutes and Do the Three Lists to Freedom Exercise

The exercise is simple enough, but it’s no easy. He explains it much better in the blog post linked above, but you’re here now, so here goes.

I made three columns on a sheet of paper. Label them thusly:

  • Things I hate doing
  • Things I’m not so great at doing and struggle, but try really hard anyway
  • Things I shouldn’t be doing (although I might be good at them)

I didn’t limit myself to work tasks, including everything (somewhere on the list) from updating my home budget to doing major home renovation projects.

While I’m not in a position to quit doing everything I hate right now, the list give me a punch list.  I’ve at least identified items that I can earmark for offloading.

I heard Ducker mention this exercise in the Lewis Howes podcast I referenced yesterday. And as I continued to read Seth Godin’s The Dip today, I realized how well Ducker’s exercise dovetails with Godin’s ideas about learning to quit certain things in order to be the best in the world at the most important thing(s).

We simply cannot do everything. And trying to do everything will cause us to miss out on doing the most important things as well as possible. I almost didn’t get this blog post written because I was trying to edit a picture of my three lists on PicMonkey.

As 5 minutes turned to 25 minutes, I realized I should stop my failed attempts at design and write the dang post.

Hopefully, this exercise will work its way into my life and force me to notice what I should not, under any circumstances be doing so that I can be more effective. More effective doing things like…

My Second Action Item: Develop My Potential Speaking or Teaching Opportunities

I wasn’t going to let the day end before I reached out to a possible opportunity to share what I know for my target niche.

I did it (and today I got a reply from one of the organizations I reached out to last week).

I’m excited about where this Challenge is leading me.

Today’s Reading and Listening

Episode 104 Getting Back To School With Your Selling Skills August 19,2014 – Paul Castain

In this episode, the venerable Uncle Paul encourages mindset to a (a) Can do – attitude, (b) Will do – ‘action bias’ as I like to call it and (c) Must do – a sense of urgency.

He also referenced a checklist of tools that he suggests we ask of him. I did email him for the checklist today, but in his next podcast, he says we need to ask nicely. I’ll resend my email tomorrow. I wasn’t quite Tarzan in my ask, but I was a little terse. Sorry sir.

Episode 105 Getting Back To School With Your Selling Skills Part II August 26, 2014 – Paul Castain

I was proud when Mr. Castain got to preaching about how addicted we are to content. I’ve already gone to the confessional on this issue, and am currently in recovery. This blog is all about my recovery from content addiction to content-inspired action.

The Dip by Seth Godin

In today’s reading, Godin really punched home the importance of quitting distractions in order to avoid mediocrity.

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What did you read today? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

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How do you know if it’s time to quit?

I’m not necessarily talking about quitting a job.

I’m talking about quitting activities that don’t produce results, and might never produce results. It could be a job that isn’t producing the right results, but it doesn’t have to be.

Being the Best in the World at Something

Seth Godin sets the bar high in his book The Dip. Not only does he tell us that anything worth doing will require some serious effort and will always be accompanied by resistance, but he also tells us that it’s not worth doing if you can’t be the best in the world at it.

In other words, if you can’t be the best in the world at something, you should quit.

The tricky part is defining ‘the world.’ The world doesn’t necessarily mean the whole earth. It could mean the local community or state, or a particular niche in a community or state, or a particular athletic league in that local community.

But if you’re doing it, and you don’t care to be the best in your world at it, then is it really worth doing?

If you do want to be the best, then by all means, keep at it.

We Will Always Be Asked if We Really Want to Be the Best in the World

That’s where the dip, as Godin calls it, comes in: The Dip (let’s personify it) walks up to you with a question:  “Are you sure you want to be the best in the world at this endeavor? If so, then put on your big boy (or girl) pants because it’s about to get a lot harder… and a lot more fun.”

The Dip challenges us by taking tasks from being easy to being more difficult. It’s where the naturally gifted high school athlete goes to the top 10 college football program and realizes he can’t skate by on his natural athleticism anymore. He’s going to have to work if he’s going to be the best.

The Dip forces us to commit to doing the things that being the best requires… or settle for mediocrity. Early mornings. No video games or TV. Clean eating. Making the calls.

Should You Quit if You Can’t Be the Best in the World?

Maybe. Maybe not.

While it’s true that if your goal is to be the best NBA player in the world and you’re a 5’4″ 53 year old man, then you might want to toss in the towel.  Go find a local recreation league and work on being the best in the world there.

When I first started thinking about this post on ‘quitting’, I thought it’d be about deciphering whether our work fits our skills and passions while fulfilling a need in the marketplace.

But as I’ve thought more deeply about it, I’ve come to this conclusion: It’s less about actually being the best in the world, and more about being willing to do the things that are required to be the best in the world.

You might not ever actually be the best in the world (a mushy measurement, anyway), but if you push through the dip that tries to prevent your goal, then you will be in the top 5% or 10%.

So if it’s feasible for you to be the top of your market. And if it’s something you want to do, then don’t quit. Treat your top competition as a part of the Dip’s challenge. Even if you never achieve ‘Best in the World’ status, you’ll still breathe very rare air.

Even if You Don’t Quit… You Still Should Quit

Being the best in the world might require unmatched persistence, but it also requires a practice of quitting.

You should quit everything that hinders you from being the best in the world at the endeavor you clearly defined.

You should do the following (as I should… dang it if this topic doesn’t hit home with me):

  1. Define what you want to be the best in the world at
  2. Clarify the fewest possible activities that will get you there
  3. Stop doing everything else
  4. Trim the activities down even further.
  5. Stop doing more stuff
  6. Keep going through The Dip

In the end, you quit stuff because that stuff is preventing you from doing the most important stuff. Period.

My Action Item Today: List out everything that I’m currently doing, and start axing the things that aren’t helping me become the best in the world at the thing I’ve chosen to be the best in the world at.

In case my opinion got lost in the weeds:

Quit if you don’t want to be the best in the world at something. And quit any activity if it hinders your goal of being the best.

How can you tell when you need to quit something? (Answer in the comments) 

Today’s Reading and Listening

3o minutes of daily reading or listening in honor of my commitment to the Dan Miller Challenge

The Dip by Seth Godin

This book, so far, has been my favorite Godin book. I’m not sure if I’m capturing his points exactly, but it’s definitely a game-changer for me.

How to Work From Anywhere and Create Freedom in Your Business with Chris Ducker – School of Greatness Podcast, Lewis Howes. 

Stop what you’re doing and go listen to this podcast to find the “3 Lists of Things” section of the interview. I’ve heard Chris Ducker (author of the newish book Virtual Freedom) share this exercise before.  It’s a perfect place to figure out where you need to start quitting.

(Amazon affiliate link for The Dip and Virtual Freedom)

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The Importance of Solving Hard Problems

The reason we’re here is to solve the hard problems – Seth Godin, The Dip

People often say that their jobs are soul-sucking.

Is the job really soul-sucking or is it just hard?

It can be difficult to tell, but I love Seth Godin’s reminder in his book The Dip:

“That fact that it’s [a hard, difficult job or task] difficult and unpredictable works to your advantage. Because if it wee any other way there’d be no profit in it.”

He goes on to say that without such difficulty we’d all be easily replaceable. It’s not possible for all jobs to be lucrative and easy.

The Dip is the idea that most jobs have an easy ramp up period. Things are a breeze early. After awhie, though, it’s tough

But as we progress, we start to encounter difficulty. It’s at that point of difficulty that most people quit.

That’s when the hard problems start popping up. The Dip is what separates the pros from the amateurs.

Solving hard problems isn’t only important because problems need to be solved. It’s also important because it separates those who are willing to get after it and those who just want comfort.

A great reminder: When work gets hard, it’s not because it’s sucking your soul. It’s because it requires you to have some soul and some heart. I know I need to remember that at times.

Best to you as you push through the Dip. May you make your way through to where few are able to go!

Listening and Reading Today

I read some of Seth Godin’s The Dip.

Leadership and Life’s Greatest Lessons Atop The World’s Highest Mountains with Alison Levine – Lewis Howes, School of Greatness Podcast

Alison is one of a hand full of women who has completed the Explorers Grand Slam.  I recommend you listen to the podcast. You’ll learn a lot about pressing through the Dip.

I’ve not read Alison Levine’s book, but I’m guessing her On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership is a powerful and inspiring take on leadership.

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