Small Decisions Create Business Momentum

How do you plan a conference? How do you leave freelancing? How do you launch and build a successful app?

There isn’t one answer to each of these questions, but rather thousands of little decisions.

You’ve come to the place you are now in your career as an outcome of many small decisions. These hundreds of decisions might have seemed insignificant at the time, but in reality, they build up and create forward progress. There’s never one big decision you make that “does it.” There’s no marketing plan that makes your company rise to the top, no single feature that that guarantees success.

If you plan for and look for that big decision, you’ll always overlook the little things.

Small Action Steps

Whenever we start a new project or have something we’re taking a fresh look at, I like to break the task into small pieces. For instance, you’re not looking to plan the whole conference–you’re looking to get the ball rolling.

Example: Planning an event.

• Buy a domain.
• Pick three possible months to host the event.
• Put up a splash page, and get 100 email addresses.
• Find ten strategic connectors in that city (if you need local attendees).
• Email them and ask their thoughts.
• Find three venues, call them, and ask about high and low season. Ask for a referral for a caterer, coffee, party space, and hotels.
• Email ten possible sponsors, and tell them you’re looking for a coffee sponsor.

Now that the ball is rolling, the project will either grow wings or sink. Side note: If you can’t get 100 email addresses from a splash page, you need to rethink your conference concept or abandon the idea.

Example: Writing an article.

• Create a Google document.
• Add ten possible titles.
• Create an outline.

If you can’t write an outline for an article, then you’ll never be able to write the whole article.

Momentum will solidify the idea. Whereas looking at the whole project’s execution will overwhelm you and put you into analysis paralysis.

You don’t train for the New York Marathon by going out and running 26 miles. You start by purchasing running shoes today and jog a mile tomorrow.