Basics

Hi, 

This week is going to be another shorty. 

I started a new job this week, and have been trying to get back in the rhythm of writing, but today I just won’t have a chance to tease out a full idea. 

Here is a micro-thought that I do have to tide you over to next week (the 30th Birthday Special). 

In this new job, I am basically starting with a semi-blank slate as far as eCommerce systems go. I am not just concerned with how to help lift sales now, but also to create a stable foundation to build off of. 

The basic wisdom of being great at something is to master the basics. If you become the best in the world at the basics, you are probably the best in the world at your craft. 

The part of this advice that is lacking is that it can oftentimes take complex systems to hold up the basics for your given craft. If you need to do something 100 times a day in order to be great, you will need an equally great system to help you actually do the 100 reps at a sufficient quality to actually get better. 

The building of that system is work. It’s hard work. 

The issue I run into and I am sure a lot of you struggle with is when to dedicate time to the basics and when to dedicate time to system building. 

If you have the answer for that, let me know. 

I will give some really pertinent examples: 

In sales you need to make a lot of calls, send emails, and have meaningful conversations, but you also need a script, product knowledge, and business acumen. The time building the latter takes from the time to do the former. 

In eCommerce you need to (among other things) make creative assets, talk to your customers, and monitor your website, but you also have to identify the problem your product solves, explore new sales channels, and build new products. 

In running you need to run a lot of miles, do your strength work, and eat healthy, but you also have to grocery shop, carve out time to run the actual miles, and do continued research on how you want to build your training plan. 

Success in your field is from mastering the basics, Success in the basics is from mastering the systems that enable you to do the basics.