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I recently read an article on the 4 keys that are crucial to being a successful copy writer. However, as I read, I could also see how these steps can be applied to ANY business, and two of them I feel can be applied to your life over all.
So let’s start with the first key that I feel can be applied not only copy writing, but business and your life as well.
1.Monkey see, monkey do!
This key is critical. If you have ever heard the saying, we are the company we keep, you should understand this concept. Put simply, model successful people. Whether in your personal life or business, there are always people that you look up to, usually family and friends, and on occasion the people you work with.
For myself I have several copywriters that I look up to and admire that I try to model my copy after. Perhaps you have someone in particular that you look up to as well. That’s great but you should remember that family and friends are not always the best role models and even colleagues are not always the best role models.
The best role models are successful people who have a proven track record that you can see for yourself. I’m not talking about the people who put up smoke and mirrors playing at being successful, while in reality their lives are falling apart! Kind of like the starlets in Hollywood who get caught up in the glitz and glamour. They appear to be successful and have it all, but in reality many of their lives are out of control and they live on a roller coaster of ups and downs.
Obviously you don’t want THAT! So, find authentic people who are successful in the areas you aspire to be successful in, and model their behaviors, thoughts, and actions. Whether in business, copy writing, or learning to surf, do what they do. Don’t try to add your own flavor, don’t try to tweak their system, unless you are already wildly successful yourself and can afford to potentially fail. Their methods have already been proven and need no tweaking. Do this, and it will without a doubt propel you to greater heights of success. Monkey see, monkey do.
2.Whoa Doggy, slow down that train! Get some control! Of time that is…
Seriously, this is critical, and probably one of the hardest of the four keys to success you will ever undertake. Time management. Priorities. Setting productivity goals and EXCEEDING them, not just meeting them!
If you ever wonder how all those successful people at there find the time to do what they do… it’s just that simple. They have mastered their time, and now they are in control, rather than having time control them!
For myself, I know that my biggest time suckers are emails, Twitter, forums, and my addiction to my nightly TV shows. So, the first step to success is realizing you have a problem in these areas, and then taking action to fix it!
My solution for these problems are my DVR box to record my shows. Then I only watch them late at night, when I know I am too tired to work anyway, just before bedtime. Sort of my unwinding ritual.
Email, I am compulsive about, so I am still trying to get a handle on that, and only check it at certain points of the day. I only respond to emails that are important right away, such as client quotes, and everything else I save for later in the evening. Most of the junk just gets filtered and deleted.
Forums I limit my time on by only visiting once or twice a week. And then when I do visit, I set a time limit on how long I will be on them, and try to make my time on them productive, either by learning new information, or building relationships with the other forum members.
Twitter I am on just about every day, at various parts of the day. However, I set a timer for myself, and only give myself 10 or 15 minutes at a time to respond to people, and do RT’s, etc. AND I turn of the sound, because otherwise, every time I hear the Seesmic notifier of a new @reply, I feel compelled to check it.
So, as you can see, I struggle with the same time sucks as everyone else, and I am a killer procrastinator to boot. BUT my goals are to be successful in my business, and that means I am going to constantly learn, and do whatever it takes to get there. And the first step in doing that is mastering time and wielding it effectively.
And for the two final keys, head on over to part 2 of the 4 Keys to Copy Writing and Business Success.
In the mean time… how about you? Have role models you look up to? Solutions for mastering your time you’d like to share with the rest of us? Please leave your thoughts in the comment box below. Don’t be shy!
Warm regards,
