Take Inventory

I’m a big fan of lists. Not only do they help me keep track of things, but in the process of getting things “out of my head” and onto a list, I remember them better and generate ideas I otherwise would have missed. One particular list that many entrepreneurs overlook is the “inventory” or “resources” list.

There are many benefits to taking a little time to take stock of what you have. Three in particular are encouragement, gratitude, and solutions.

Encouragement

After you have started to list your resources, you will likely find that you have more than you thought. Don’t take anything for granted. Your mobile phone, your laptop, your journal, your desk chair… whatever you have, write it down. I think you will be encouraged by how much you have at your disposal. This also helps shift your mindset to abundance (what you have) instead of scarcity (what you lack). That mindset is crucial for success.

Gratitude

Your inventory list will also provide many things for which to be grateful. Gratitude is another component of a powerful mindset. The shift in focus from “me” to God (or whatever Higher Power you believe in) helps provide the proper perspective about the world and our role in it. Plus, gratitude forces our mind into a positivity mode that will serve us well the rest of the day.

Solutions

By compiling a list of resources, you will have a starting point for solutions to problems when they arise. Rather than researching a new app/software or hunting for a product on Amazon, try to use what you already have. “Max out” the utility of your current resources before replacing them. This in turn will maximize your time and money. For example, there are many online platforms designed for sales and marketing efforts (funnels, lead gen, crm, challenges, etc.) When I look at these, my first question is this: “Can I do that on my website?” I have a WordPress site, I know how to use it, there are many free plugins, and even the paid plugins are almost always significantly less expensive than the stand-alone, 3rd party platforms. If I can accomplish the same thing on my site, even if it’s not quite as sophisticated, the amount of time I save (by not learning a new system) and money I save (sometimes hundreds of dollars per month) is invaluable.

Create your resource list, and review it often. You just might be surprised how easily we forget (take for granted) what we have.

By the way, I’m also a big fan of OneNote. It is great for making lists, taking notes, and organizing (but more importantly, FINDING) information that you collect. It’s free, versatile, multi-platform, and robust. If you don’t have a note app already, try it for listing your resources.