Sorry neat freaks. You are NOT going to like what I am about to share.
Sometimes your #1 job as an entrepreneur is to create mess. Big mess. HUGE MESS. The “Holy shit what have I done now?” kind of mess that kicks your ass into gear and gets things going, creates momentum and opportunity in one big whoosh.
Allow me to explain…
Believe it or not, I am secretly a neat freak. Meaning I admire neatness in others, but lack the will power or skills to truly surround myself with neatness. As a child (when I had oodles of time on my hands), I was abnormally neat. A freak among by shmooey peers.
Rest assured. I recovered. FULLY (and then some).
Now I’m a chaos creator. A prime mover and tree shaker. I see my #1 job as an entrepreneur to get things going. I create movement for follow-up and follow-through. I shake the tree until stuff starts to fall (sometimes ON me). It’s how I create momentum and accountability in one action.
5 Secrets to Creating Chaos Momentum in your Business
#1: Plant seeds – LOTS of them because you never know which ones will yield fruit and which ones will rot in the ground (because that’s what seeds do)! Planting seeds should be a daily habit. Share ideas, ask other people for help, reach out, build relationships, mix it up.
#2: Create deadlines – Not those lame self-promises you never actually keep, “I PROMISE to get this done by Friday…really.” No, I mean forced deadlines – customers lining up for a BIG surprise, peers expecting deliverables, stuff that has to be done or else.
#3: Energize – Put energy behind it. Energize your partnerships, energize your activities, energize your mindset. Use your enthusiasm and raw energy to momentum and opportunity (the chaos part comes in when everything happens at once).
#4: Move fast – Momentum creates mess. You can’t be moving quickly and getting stuff done without a bit of it. Just remember that imperfectly done is better than perfectly started and carry on.
#5: Just do – Stop worrying about the how and just focus on the what. Say “YES!” to possibility and worry about the details later. Trust me, the how always shows up when you say yes to the what (with a little chaos thrown in).
Note: the Chaos Theory of business management often leads to a huge up swell of results that can both kick your ass into gear and overwhelm you. It’s important to surround yourself with a talented team and build follow up systems into your activities.
How do you create momentum in your business? Share your work-at-home business tips in the comments below!
8 Comments
Love your mess baby!
xo ~ Alli
Mess is all about creating movement, kicking ourselves into gear and getting stuff done!
I didn’t know it had a name but I LOVE it! “Chaos Momentum” rocks!
It does now! Nice to find a fellow lover of chaos!
My fav is the Just do. I see friends almost paralyzed by looking and studying a change from every angle. I think I don’t plant enough seeds, concerned that I might get overwhelmed with what comes up. I run hot and cold with that one.
Nice article Carla. Cherry
Planting seeds is key and it’s important to realize that yes, sometimes they may all spring up at once and that’s okay. The seeds you don’t plant will never grow.
Great article Carla.. I needed someone to give me permission to feel like a mess and a tazmanian devil in my business! Thanks!
I love it! Tasmanian Devilness is sometimes VERY necessary! It shakes things up, keeps people (you included) on their toes and gets things going. I once had a client (company) who called me in a panic because the VP changed all their web copy and it was grossly inaccurate! It sure got updated in a quick hurry!