Do you often get distracted by “Shiny Object Syndrome”? Are you continually buying new products and courses because of the promise of bigger, better things? Do you find it hard to finish anything because you are constantly pursuing the next big thing?

Many entrepreneurs are idea people and risk-takers by nature. In order to be a success as a business owner, you have to be someone that is open to change and is continually looking to grow and prosper. In today’s economy, it is a proven fact that if you are not continually looking to grow your business it is not likely to survive.

Today there are so many opportunities for entrepreneurs and so many products that are available to purchase that promise to help you create income on the internet, grow your client base, attract new clients, expand your business and so on and so on that it can easily become overwhelming. I hear it over and over again with my clients that they need help with a new product or idea and many times halfway through the project they want to start another (most often times completely different) idea or project. I tell each of them the same thing … you won’t make money if you keep stopping projects before the payday. Seeing projects all the way through from concept to completion before moving on to the next idea is the ONLY way you can make money, grow and prosper.

The funny thing is that all of these products, through their marketing, forget to tell you one simple fact … it isn’t just going to magically happen, it is going to take work. When I am able to assist my clients to get them from CONCEPT all the way through to COMPLETION and they can start reaping the benefits of their ideas it is amazing how exciting that can be for them.

So how can you make sure that those info-products you have purchased for your business and the teleseminars you have attended don’t become a waste of time … it’s quite simple actually if you follow these four simple rules.

RULE #1 – You need an action plan

Writing down something such as “I am going to increase my business profits by 100% this year” doesn’t make it so. Telling yourself “you are going to write an e-book so you can create passive revenues this year,” doesn’t magically make the book appear. The only way to make it happen is if you put a plan in place to make it happen. I guarantee it is much easier to make the e-book happen when you break it down into an actionable plan; step 1 – research, step 2 – outline, step 3 – preliminary writing, step 4 – editing and embellishing, step 4 – proofreading and formatting, step 5 – setting up sales systems, step 5 – marketing. When you create the plan and break it out, each step is much less daunting and scary than simply having a goal written down “write an e-book”. “Research” seems like a doable task.

RULE #2 – You need to take action on your plan

Creating a plan is only the first step. I see it time and time again in my business; my clients come to me with papers upon papers of scribbled plans that they have never implemented. Many times they confess that their shelves are riddled with dust collecting info-products they started, but once it became work they quickly gave up. Develop a system that ensures you take a forward step on your plan each and every day. Setting aside time in your schedule will provide you with the best reason to take action and before you know it you will be complete.

RULE #3 – Create some accountability

The biggest hurdle to seeing projects through to completion is not setting deadlines for completion and then having someone hold you accountable to those deadlines. I remember when I wrote my first e-book, my business coach made me write out each step of my plan (as stated in Rule #1 above) and then assign a deadline to each of those steps. When a deadline was looming she would remind me that I promised to complete a certain task by that date. This gave me just the push I needed. If you are a self-motivator than just setting deadlines should do the trick, but if you are not a self-motivator ask someone to hold you accountable – your “accountability partner” can be a fellow business owner, a coach, a friend or even your spouse. Whomever you choose to hold you accountable make sure that they are someone that you know will give you both the push AND the encouragement you need to see your project through to completion.

RULE #4 – Don’t be afraid to get help

Owning a business does not mean you have to be in business on your own. Don’t ever be afraid to get help. No one need ever know that a ghostwriter wrote your book, a marketing strategist assisted with the creation and implementation of your marketing plan or a business coach gave you that one idea that made your product even better. Don’t ever, ever feel alone … asking for help is perhaps the best thing you can do to ensure your concepts and ideas become a reality.

So the next time before you are taken in by the “next big idea” take a look at what you already have on your plate, what products you are allowing to collect dust and take just one small step towards completing something you have already started.