I’m Chris Ellis and I’m a self-empowerment coach. I help struggling adults, get unstuck and take charge of their lives.
If you’re following up on a podcast you heard on this subject, click here to jump to the refresher section. Otherwise, keep reading.
Right now, millions of us are stuck at home, waiting for life to get back to normal. We’re looking for hope over the horizon. The beginning to the end of Covid-19.
I’m here today to say, “Times will get better.”
However, times won’t get better for everyone all at once. Some of us will transition fine but others won’t be so lucky.
Tens of millions of people have been left unemployed and many of them have lost their jobs permanently. Many small businesses won’t have survived the recession. Other bigger companies have downsized and will not be able to hire back all the people they’ve let go.
Post quarantine isn’t going to be this wonderland where everything just goes back to normal. It’s gonna be a rough ride for millions of you. You’ll need all the help you can get.
That’s why today I’m going to give you a step by step plan to prepare for your new normal. A simple 3-part method of Pivoting, Prepping, and Producing so you can not only survive the transition into your new “normal”… but PROSPER!
Our Goal
Before we start I want to make it clear this article isn’t about helping you be more productive. The steps I provide aren’t meant to help you finally write a book, learn a new hobby or start that business you’ve been meaning to launch.
If that’s something you need guidance with, I’d suggest we talk one-on-one via a discovery call. You can book a discovery call by clicking here.
So, again this isn’t about finally achieving something off of your to-do list.
This Pivot, Prep, Produce (PPP) strategy is to help you identify the main problem(s) of your life pre-Covid. We’re going to then create an action plan to resolve them, so you’re not bringing unnecessary baggage into this new phase of your life.
Let’s get started.
Pivot, Prep and Produce: Step by Step
Step 1: Pivot:
The first step of prospering post-quarantine is that you need to set quality standards for a life that truly works for you.
This involves 1) figuring out what your most consistent and annoying everyday problem is and 2) being completely “unrealistic” about the ideal solution.
Let’s talk about the first part of pivoting. Sit down with a sheet of paper and ask yourself, “What are some things about my life that consistently steal my joy?” Once you create that list, rank them on a scale from highest dissatisfaction to lowest.
Pick the highest pain point and then you’ll ask the following, “What would be the ideal solution in this area of my life?”. Or you can ask, “Ideally, what would this area of my life look like?”
Important: Do not limit yourself! I want you to sincerely describe the “perfect” solution, regardless of whether or not you think it’s achievable or even realistic. It’s important to be honest about what you want your life to be in the areas that don’t work.
Step 2: Prep
Next, you’re going to do the initial legwork to create the ideal outcome in the problem areas of your life. You’ll do that by Googling.
Yes… you read that right.
Google, Youtube, Siri, etc. are my secret weapons to resolving just about any problem quickly. Simply because they connect me to solutions I wouldn’t have known existed. The same will happen for you, provided you know how to use Google properly. The trick is, “Talk to Google like you’d talk to a genie in a bottle.”
That’s the trick.
If you ask Google for a magical solution, you’ll normally get it.
I suggest you use the following keywords in your search:
- “Easy ways to…”
- “Simple ways to…”
- “Quick ways to…”
- “… for dummies”
- “… for free”
Examples:
- Creating intimacy in marriage for dummies
- Easy ways to negotiate a raise at my job
- Find a therapist for free
- Simple ways to get rid of chronic back pain
The combination of creating an “unrealistic goal” and “treating Google like a genie” will provide you step by step solutions you never even thought were available to you. You just need to be very honest about what your perfect solution is. Hence, take “Step 1” of the PPP method very seriously.
Important: Try to stay away from articles giving “tips” or “recommendations”. Instead, look for step by step guides to creating your ideal solution.
Step 3: Produce
The final step in the PPP method is to attack your dreams daily. There’s no complicated strategy here.
All you do is take the step by step guide you found from Google and you make that your to-do list for the foreseeable future. Try completing 1-2 steps of this list every week until your problem is solved. You should be able to create major shifts in problem areas of your life within a month or two.
Tip: Don’t let yourself get stuck on one step. With most to-do lists you don’t have to do all the steps in order. If you’re stuck on one step, jump to another important task on the list. Remember, it’s more important to keep moving forward, than to do all the steps in order.
Let’s Review
PPP Strategy
- Step 1 – Pivot: Set quality standards for a life that works for you.
- Step 2 – Prep: Google step by step strategies for creating the outcomes you want.
- Step 3 – Produce: Attack 1-2 major steps of your to-do list weekly.
Wrapping Things Up
Again, on average you should be able to experience a major breakthrough in one problem area of your life within a month or two. And remember, you don’t have to stop there. You can use the PPP strategy for the other problem areas of your life.
When you use the strategy of Pivot, Prep and Produce, I guarantee you’ll be in a position to prosper beyond your wildest expectations — even in the harsh landscape that is post-quarantine.
Next Steps and Continued Support
I’ve done my best in this article to make sure the instructions for the PPP strategy are super clear and easy to follow. But, my years of life coaching has taught me that no strategy can prepare a person for every kind of problem.
Some of you will use this strategy and breeze through every step. That’s great. Some of you will have additional questions or get stuck when executing one of the steps. That’s okay too.
If you get stuck anywhere, have questions about how to implement the strategy or you need additional pointers… CONTACT ME!!!!!
Click below and set up a one-on-one 40-minute strategy call.
Use the discount code “prosper” to get 40% off.
Book Strategy Session
I’m sooooo serious when I say contact me if you need help. Do not hit a roadblock, throw up your hands and go, “Welp, I tried.”
Post-quarantine life will be too difficult for you to afford to just give up. This definitely is NOT the season for giving up on yourself, putting up with the same bullshit, and setting low standards. The penalties for that will be too high.
So click on this link right now and bookmark the page. That way you can easily get help if you need it.
Beyond that, make sure you click here and subscribe to our mailing list if you haven’t already done so. Once you start seeing the results of the PPP method, I’d love to work with you to help you achieve your long term goals for your life.
Okay, let’s get to work and hopefully I’ll talk to you again soon.
Chris Ellis,
Friendly Neighborhood Life Coach