Okay, perhaps you haven’t noticed this but there’s too much information out there these days. I mean check out something online, anything, let’s just say ‘juniper’ and the info jumps out at you – juniper berries, a juniper shrub, firewall, certification, and a park. All you wanted was a bush, really, and the best way to plant it. Now you’re confused. There MUST be an effective way to organize yourself, your ideas and your goals; that or end up as a tangled mess.
Once upon a time people were encouraged to write journals to keep their thoughts in order. Children were presented with leather bound diaries by hopeful parents. Every night little girls would take their baths and sit up in bed in curlers, sharpened pencils in hand ready to write ‘Dear Diary… my mother taught me how to crochet a scarf today.’ But you can’t do that now, I mean you can crochet a scarf if you’re so inclined and you’ll find out how to do it online, all fifty-seven ways. But you don’t write diaries any more. It’s too nerdish and we’re a bit more social now. These are, you know, the days of Facebook and Twitter and Reddit and stuff like that. Just this morning I heard, they’ve come up with a toothbrush that is linked to a smart phone. Really, I’m not making this up. After 2.5 minutes of solid brushing, the brush goes and tells on you to your dental hygienist about your dental decay. So no, you don’t write a diary any more, you blog and let as many people as possible know that you have cavities; because they’re going to find out anyway and a host of other reasons. Blogging is the modern dear diary, the way you organize and improve in today’s world. And this is how you do it.
Image credit: Lynda.com
Decide.
One fine morning you wake up and decide you want to do something… say you want to sell your grandmother. Think about it, make up your mind. Done? What do you do next?
Collect data.
You get all the information you can on the subject. How old is she? Teeth all there? Knee/hip replacements? If she has titanium implants she’ll be worth more, and so on. As you find out this information you share it on your blog. How did you get it? Who did you speak to? Who else in the family is helping you sell her? Why do you hate your grandmother? You have an audience so share your information.
Organize your data and your thoughts.
You need to be very clear why you’re doing this, and how, and what you want at the end of the exercise. Writing it out will help. Write about the time you first realized how you felt. Write about how your feelings changed or did not change. Write about what you plan to do with the money. Keep your goals in sight. Keep your readers in the loop.
Improve yourself.
There’s no point in doing things by halves. Catch yourself if you find yourself doing this. This is about self improvement. For example, you can’t sell your grandmother in several small installments. She may not last that long. It has to be fifty percent up front and fifty percent when the deal is signed. Be firm. Learn to control your emotions. Put this down, keep your audience informed.
Track your progress.
It’s a competitive market out there with other grandmothers for sale. You win some, you lose some, but you need to know either way. You blog it. You log it. You track it. Make sure your readers see that graph climb. And if the graph doesn’t grow, keep tabs on it as it goes down, and find out why it’s plunging. It’ll prevent you from making the same mistake twice. UN-fog yourself: Explain your thoughts to yourself and to your audience. Make it clear that you want to sell her, not keep her, lease her out, or loan her to a museum.
Know the market.
Listen to what your readers say. Do they want her? Do they think your price is right? Should you offer two for the price of one?
Blog.
Keep a short, simple, informative, and interesting blog. Get an audience; keep your audience; and at the end of the day: hit your goals. ‘Bye Gran.
Featured photo credit: Creative Collaboration via cdn2.business2community.com
