Shipping is a lot of fun (and scary)

In my last post in 2010 I published a list of what I had shipped in 2010. Do you have such a list of 2010? Publishing that list was not easy, it shows what you have accomplished and therefor also what you have missed.

Producing a list what you want to ship is a lot easier. These are promises to yourself what you are going to do. Plans.

I know planning is good, because it will help you to accomplish the tasks on the list. On the other hand it is just a plan. A lot can happen, a lot of things can happen why you really can not make the plan. And the only thing that really counts is shipping. Doing.

What may help is publishing the plan in public, like on your blog or so. This way you have a commitment to your followers.
Did you make a plan for 2011? I know you did. Want to share it?
Lizard
OK, I will go first.
Let me share the thing that I am already working on.
This is my blogging schedule:

  • Monday: 1 post ernohannink.nl (Dutch)
  • Tuesday: 1 post ernohannink.com (English), 1 post onlinesucces.nl
  • Wednesday: 1 post ernohannink.nl (Dutch), 1 guest post English
  • Thursday: 1 post ernohannink.com (English), 1 guest post English
  • Friday: 1 post ernohannink.nl (Dutch), book writing
  • Saturday: soccer time
  • Sunday: 1 post ernohannink.nl (Dutch), 1 post ernohannink.com (English)

This is way more planned than last year. And by having this list here, for you to see, it will be more difficult for me to deviate.

Why is shipping so scary?
Plans in your head or on paper, are just that, plans. Actions that sound great. Results that look fantastic. You can already picture the success.
But what if?
What if, people don’t like the result? They liked the plan, but the result that can be different.
What if, people laugh?
What if… it fails?

Resistance
That is the lizard brain inside your head talking to you. The lizard brain (the amygdala) that knows only some basic reactions because it is the oldest part in our brain. The part that was there first way back in time.

The lizard is a physical part of your brain, the pre-historic lump near the brain stem that is responsible for fear and rage and reproductive drive.

it is fear, sex, hunger, etc. Especially fear.
In Linchip, Seth calls it resistance. You have to mindfully push through the resistance. Pretend everything you are writing is a draft.
When you have reached the deadline, Ship even when it is not done. Because it will never be done.

You can find Seth’s book here: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to Drive Your Career and Create a Remarkable Future (aff)

So, you will help me to get my shipping done. Let me now help you.
Publish the task that you want to accomplish in 2011 and include the deadline in the comments or your blog and add a trackback. This way the readers of this article and comments will help you to ship.

This post is not done, but I will publish it anyway, because it is in my schedule and I started writing about it. It is not done. Wait, it needs more…. Let me read it again…

Publish.

By Erno Hannink

Sparring and accountability partner for entrepreneurs who create sustainable positive impact. Explores decision-making. Shares his insights on this in, articles, books (Dutch), podcast, newsletters, and tools. Has a life mission to reduce social and ecological inequality. Father of two children, husband of M., runs, referee for the national soccer league, and uses stoicism for calm. Lives in the Netherlands. Speaks Dutch, English, and German.