There is a reason that I was so apprehensive about doing another 1WC. As you will see from the post below, the results from my first go around were mixed. I have identified some of the problems with my first model and will talk about them in my blog post on Sunday, after my first day of the new challenge.

This was originally posted on September 10, 2018.

Things do not always play out according to plan.

In my previous post I had laid out plans for a one week challenge to get all of my goals back on track. It was ambitious, and as I found out, it was too ambitious for my current lifestyle. As someone who is trying to build my own business and brand, I often look toward the work of others in order to find inspiration. I personally like Sean Ogle and his great website, Location Rebel, because Sean is someone who has “been there and done it” when it comes to building his own business and he has many valuable lessons to share.

Though it is good to find inspiration where you can, there is also something that I’ve never taken into account, or if I have it is only in an auxillery sense. This key lesson changed my whole perspective on what I was able to accomplish and how to feel about it. It was simple, yet had eluded me this whole time:

Everyone’s life is different.

Seems like a “Duh” moment, right? But for many of us, we set our metrics to measure up to folks that are living a completely different life. It is unrealistic for me to hope to achieve the same things as Sean, or others, achieve. There are many things that factor into this including personality, life situation, and goals. I have two daughters, along with my partner Angelica and a new kitten. These are factors that not all folks have to deal with, and factors that require the proper amount of time and care.

Now, I’m not saying this as an excuse of any sort, I defiantly am guilty of not always using my time wisely, and not working when I should. That being the case, it also did allow me to realize that I am not always going to be able to dedicate available free time on working and that’s okay. So, without further ado I will present the results of my one week challenge(1WC) for good or ill, and talk about what I learned.

Successes

Original Goal: Build a business 2 business copywriting website utilizing WordPress

Result: Built a copywriting page on my current website

It always feels better to talk about ways we succeed, even though we always learn in just as much in failure. My original plan involved creating a simple copywriting authors page utilizing WordPress. This was allow me to gain experience utilizing this platform, as opposed to WIX, due to the fact that almost 30% of websites are created with WordPress. The logic was sound, but when I started looking for hosting, I ran into problem.

WordPress is the platform, but you still need a host when using it. I thought I would be able to pay a low monthly fee to use Bluehost, but it turns out the you need to pay a year up front to utilize the service. Only after that can you pay the monthly fee. That put a definite crimp in my plans as I’m currently broke.

So, I improvised and create a brand new copywriting page on my current website. I was conscious of the fact that I’m appealing to clients who want to get down to brass tacks and see what my copy looks like. The design is sparse and to the point, with simple block colors. I am pretty happy with the results, and this fit the amount of time I had to dedicate to working.

Original Goal: Create a comprehensive business plan

Result: Created a detailed, one month plan for all aspects of my business

Ever business needs a plan. That is just simple logic. Shooting from the hip and just hoping for the best usually results in a failed business, or at the very least a stagnant one. With this being the case and a fact that has resided in the back of my head for some time, I was excited to create a plan. Here is what I came up with:

I realize that this is not what I had originally planned on, but it is a step in the right direction. Having this firmly in place to follow will then allow me to create a more far reaching plan.

Bonus: Released an Article

Though this was not in my original plan as far as goals went, I was also motivated enough to put out an article that I had been sitting on titled “Democratic-Socialist is the New Green“. 

Worked on, but not fully

Original Goal: Edit book on a daily basis

Result: Edited book 4 days out of 10

Not a great ratio, but better than before when I was dedicating no time at all to editing. It is just so damn hard to get into the habit of writing on a daily basis, at least for me. What really stinks about having a hard time with this, is that I’m putting off the one writing project I have that is fully written and capable of making me a steady income. I did schedule time in my plan above, and I intend to stick to it.

Failures

Original Goal: Create work spaces in both my home and garage

When I took on this challenge, one of my main goals was to create work spaces in my home to use for writing and another in my garage to use for Comic Jones. Needless to say, though I did get the desk inside my home ready, I made just the smallest dent in my garage to create the proper place to work on Comic Jones. My garage is currently a disaster zone, but I know it is possible to have a viable work area here because I was doing it at one point. This is still a goal that is on my radar, but with a new kitten and school starting, it was just too much of a stretch to get this done.

Original Goal: Get Comic Jones back up and running

Without completing the setup of my work area in the garage, this goal was doomed to fail. When you set up a string of goals that are intertwined, you are also adding complexities to your task. Comic Jones is my way of starting to generate income today, or at least seeing guaranteed results after a week. Writing can do the same, but just like a kid getting into a swimming pool, I am reluctant to take the plunge. I know this is a problem that all writers end up facing as they begin to build their own business.

Though I would’ve like to complete this task, failing in it did teach me the limitations that I have with time, and how much I can put towards completing tasks. It also set me up for my next one week challenge, or as I’m going to start calling them; 1WC. I also realized that I have a long way to go before I start waking up when I want to, and need to work on focusing.

In the end, this was a learning experience, as I knew it would be. I did come away with something important that I can capitalize on and that’s the 1WC, which I think can become a really sound way for folks to start on the path towards accomplishing their goals. By committing to work on these things, it did drive me do something when before I was doing nothing. There really is no way to achieve what you want without hard work, so I am glad that it got me motivated to get to it. My next blog will cover the results of my next 1WC: Setting up your desk/work area for success.

Until then, keep your eyes on the prize,

Peter Carriveau