How to manage thoughts and get stuff done?

So my problem is I have TOO many ideas. I seem to have a new "great" idea for a website everyday and can't stay focused on any certain project. For those of you that run multiple sites, how to you manage this? How do you stay focused on one project at a time? I have a hard time ever completing a single project because I'll get going, than bam, i start up with another idea.

Just was hoping to get some insight on how to stay focused on 1 project til it at least gets launched

 

Get some A.D.D. medication.

LOL

 

Thats not a good answer...

get some speed its almost the same...but better!!

 

Know that it is almost certain you will fail on each and every project unless you stay focused on one and see it through.

That should be enough to keep you focused - if you truly want to suceed!

Pete

 

This is what I do,
Write down the idea in a paper in the format
Gist <~~ Your Idea in one line!
Aim <~~ Number of visitors/sales/sign ups you intend!
Period <~~ The time in which you intend to achieve your Aim!
Your Work <~~ What you intend to do for the site!
Marketing <~~ What you plan to do to market your site!
Budget <~~ Domain/Hosting/Design/SEO/Link Building all included!
Matrix <~~ I invented this, it stands for reality, mostly it just is one "zero" chipped off your aim, so for example you intended to have a 1000 sales/uniques or sign ups, the matrix often is only 100!

Now your work is to improve your matrix, and you will have a rocking website pretty soon!
Don't be Jack of all trades and a master of none!
That is, don't make a 100 sites that make 1$ each, make one site that makes a 100$ so that you are able to devote much of your time to it!
Hope it helps!
Abhishek

 

I'm not so sure that is bad or unusual, especially when you are starting out. Most great ideas turn out to not be so great when you explore them more deeply. However, you always learn things as you go along. At some point things will "click" and then you can focus.

Take a look at www.memwg.com and read his ideas for minisites. These would be something you could put up really fast before you loose interest. Even if they earn anything it still gives you practice building sites.

Throw up wordpress and make a few posts about what you are thinking about doing. Come back evry few days/months, read what you wrote, and make another post. In a few months your site(s) will probably be indexed and if you choose to develop them farther you will have a head start.

 

Actually, the ADD comment wasn't that far off-base. I was actually just reading an article on the correlation between entrepreneurs and often-undiagnosed ADD. You hear about the negative aspects all the time, but that distraction and being able to bounce around is actually a trait of some of the most successful business owners out there, so don't fret about it. Not saying you have ADD... just that you're really not going through anything too unusual, and it doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Web entrepreneurs and freelancers seem to have the hardest time with the constant flow of ideas, because it's so cheap and easy to start a new project, unlike a brick and mortar business. I'm guilty of it myself. Here's a look at what I deal with every day:

1. I run my PR firm, dealing with any client projects (writing press releases, media advisories, etc., managing book publicity campaigns, managing radio campaigns, being on the phone w/ the media, etc.)

2. I manage a group of Technology writers for Suite101 (editing articles, training them, answering questions, conducting reviews, maintaining the general section areas, improving seo on old content, etc.).

3. I run a music webzine to appeal to the music publicity end of my business, and manage a few writers through that site.

4. I manage an indie music blog.

5. I blog every other week for a music marketing firm in NYC.

6. I do freelance writing, taking on articles for very large clients who often have short deadlines.

7. I manage 3 websites (still building one of them) for AllInfoAbout.com.

8. I'm writing a book on marketing that an agent requested I try, and I'm researching a book on the German displacement after WWII (personal project).

9. I've got at least 6 or 7 more sites in development from planning to design to creating content right now.

It can seem like you'll never get everything done. What I find that works for me is to write everything down. I don't like PDAs or keeping calendars on my computer. I've actually got 3 wall calendars plus at least three written planners (to separate my business from freelance work and personal projects). Then I have a "master calendar" (huge) on my wall that I put any hard deadlines onto. I schedule everything from client work to writing to housework to working out. Scheduling takes some time, and you need to find a system that works the best for you. But you'll get quicker at it, and spending an hour or two each week on planning will save you a lot more time throughout the week. On top of that, I write a to-do list daily. Repeat clients come first, then new clients, then business writing for my own sites, then my webzine, then my blog, then my personal projects. So you have to try to prioritize. It's not always easy. Eventually though you'll plow through each idea you have, get something functioning, and see if it's worth maintaining. Just be patient.

Jenn

 

I have always had the same "problem".
Nowadays I have an "Idea Book", where I write down the ideas, and then I start develop them one by one. I have about 10 websites running at a time now, and more to come. It is manageable, but I outsource most things though.

//Andreas

 

An idea book is a great idea. I use one to list the hundreds of articles I slowly work through for my sites, but haven't focused on that for the more general business plans. I'll have to try that. I'm a list-junkie.

Jenn

 

LOL! Well I am not sure if speed is better...its hard to get things done in jail, but I guess you would have a lot of time on your hands.

 

I have tonnes of ideas for websites that I could create, but I know I need to stick to the one I'm making at the moment so I don't get side tracked and just leave it at a dead end, so what I do is just get really enthusiastic BETA testers (the project I'm working on now is an RPG, my first web project I've started from scratch) who get really excited when they're talking to me about it, then I get excited and that keeps me hooked on coding that project xD

 

Some great ideas here:
1. Abhishek, I almost completely agree with you, although I would rather have 5 sites that make $20 each than one that makes $100. I would not want to rely on a single website (or source) for all my income, no matter how high it might be. 'cos if is stops working for me, I am left with no backup plan.
2. An idea book is a great idea. I usually email myself! That's right. Even when I am at work, I sometimes get an idea and I just drop my home email address a quick email with the idea. I leave my emails in my Inbox until they are actioned. Once actioned, they are either filed or deleted. So, emails keep coming in and getting filed and I am usually left with around 20 off emails in my Inbox at any given point of time. I can then have a look at the emails and decide which project I wish to take care of first. I do the same for work as well, sending the odd email from home to work. This way, I ensure that I am only working for my boss at work and only working for myself at home. But, at the same time I do not miss out on any potential ideas for either part of my work.
3. A wall planner is a good idea, but if you usually have longer term projects; I would recommend getting a whiteboard instead. Whiteboards can do wonders in organising your life. You can split the whiteboard into different areas for urgent, short term and long term. Or, just use blue markers for long term and red for urgent projects. It can also help you draw little diagrams clarifying exactly what you have in mind in case you can't action the project right away.
4. Finally, try and put your calendars, planners, whiteboards or whatever you use close to your desk (Easily accessible) BUT put them in an area behind you or on the side. You should not be able to see the planner while working on your computer. Consantly seeing a list of pending projects can be both distracting as well as discouraging.

Hope this helps!
dfsweb

 

I'm in the same boat as you. I've started making 3 websites in the past week. You just need to manage your time around other things, and just basically work, eat, sleep until what you want gets done.

 

Or just work and eat. Sometimes sleep becomes an afterthought. Sometimes I've got so much going on that I keep working until I fall asleep at my desk. But yeah, managing your time can be tricky sometimes, but you'll probably be enormously more productive once you find a system that works. I don't think there's one system that would work for everyone though. Just experiment a bit until you find one that's right for you.

Jenn

 

I fidn it really hard to force myself to be on task. If I don't make a concious effort to get things done I'll flip back and forth between muliple concepts while not accomplishing anything.

I keep a book to log my ideas as well as my day to day progress. I also try to devote my day to differnt sections of work as to make sure I do what i need to do. Having a schedule ensures that I actually get work done.

 

I know exactly you what you mean, had thesame thing myself. I even got a headache eventually, cause I had like a few projects running and got more idea's every minute!

Nowadays I have a small notebook with me, and as soon as I got an idea I write it out and then when I'm home I type it out and put it in a big map. I got like ALOT of papers in there ( almost going for my second map, just a few more weeks ).

This saves me a headache and time, cause instead of working on thinking out the other idea's I just try to put the idea's I get in my mind to my current project and see how I can improve it!

 

Exactly. I too write my ideas down (I use blank sheets usually), many of them are good, but unrealizable at the moment. Each idea needs many things to turn into reality. So, I a kind of filter my thoughts like this and the good ones (rather said realizable @ the moment) remain in my head and I actually work with them.

I toss quite few paper sheets like this once in a while... the "wrong" ones.

Hm, when I review it actually now, I dont have that much "big" ideas, its rather layouts and "smallprints" on the "bigger" ideas. However I wish I even wouldnt use the sheets...

 

"Just do it." Dont hesitate.

 

I find that it helps for me to just write down the ideas when I am sitting at my desk and try to expand on them when I'm not at my desk. When I am sitting at my desk I work on the project at hand only. It seems to work, and I find myself thinking about other ideas when I am driving, in the shower, etc. I just write them down and revisit it later. Half of the time after I revisit a "great idea" I find reasons why it just wouldn't work, thus getting rid of the opportunity to waste time trying to develop it. Works for me.... your mileage may vary.

 

Write all the ideas down. Carry a voice recorder to take notes when you are out. And prioitize - What are your goals? What needs to be achieved first..