Yes… I did have way to much fun trying to say that title a lot! 😁
Templates & Toolkits are RIIPEE this Cyber Monday! (and probably afterwards too)… but sometimes they aren't as helpful as you might think!
In this episode I talk about why!
Episode Link: {{d-episode-link}}
Share with Others: {{d-show-listen-link}}
{{where-to-find-me}}
{{snippet-1}}
Transcript
The tantalizing trap of templates and toolkits.
Jonathan Stewart:Yes.
Jonathan Stewart:I really wanted to say that out loud.
Jonathan Stewart:Productivity and systems templates have a problem.
Jonathan Stewart:They are often marketed because that's what you're supposed to do as
Jonathan Stewart:the one stop shop that'll solve your productivity and system problems.
Jonathan Stewart:The sad thing is they very rarely do.
Jonathan Stewart:And they're often misused by the users thinking that
Jonathan Stewart:it's going to fix everything.
Jonathan Stewart:It is the black Friday weekend cyber Monday.
Jonathan Stewart:And chances are a lot of digital products are on sale with templates
Jonathan Stewart:that are promising you to get you more productive, more organized,
Jonathan Stewart:and more efficient in your business.
Jonathan Stewart:The sad reality of that after experience with many clients is it's
Jonathan Stewart:unlikely to do any of those things.
Jonathan Stewart:In fact, I dare to say that the templates that are on offer are
Jonathan Stewart:probably chopped up versions of the original creators systems that they
Jonathan Stewart:probably won't even use themselves.
Jonathan Stewart:And that is where my problem with templates start.
Jonathan Stewart:When you create a template or a pre done system as i've done in the past, I'd have
Jonathan Stewart:to chop pieces out to make it closer to what a typical business owner would need.
Jonathan Stewart:And that's the exact problem it's generalized.
Jonathan Stewart:And so it fits.
Jonathan Stewart:Nobody.
Jonathan Stewart:It's sad because of the templates or tool kits and solutions aren't necessarily
Jonathan Stewart:terrible and awful per se, more misguided, misunderstood and sometimes yes.
Jonathan Stewart:missold.
Jonathan Stewart:Now, I'm not saying don't buy tantalizing, templated toolkits.
Jonathan Stewart:I love that.
Jonathan Stewart:At all go for it.
Jonathan Stewart:But here's my.
Jonathan Stewart:Caveat and consideration for you.
Jonathan Stewart:Don't use it as is.
Jonathan Stewart:Don't just use it as the template exists because it's highly unlikely
Jonathan Stewart:to work for you because it doesn't have all of the context that you do.
Jonathan Stewart:Don't try to force yourself and shove yourself into the
Jonathan Stewart:process that another person uses.
Jonathan Stewart:Take a look at it from a higher view.
Jonathan Stewart:Let me explain.
Jonathan Stewart:Look at how it's put together, what constraint has it added, that might
Jonathan Stewart:actually be really helpful for you.
Jonathan Stewart:A good example of this is many notion templates constrain the view
Jonathan Stewart:by creating dashboards that are filtered to see only certain things.
Jonathan Stewart:What do you want from this system?
Jonathan Stewart:What things did you see that you want?
Jonathan Stewart:For example with these dashboards would less information suit your system better?
Jonathan Stewart:What.
Jonathan Stewart:Would it help you?
Jonathan Stewart:And if so, how will it help you?
Jonathan Stewart:Then take a peak at what you have, what already exists in the things
Jonathan Stewart:that you have created or bought in the past and perhaps have abandoned
Jonathan Stewart:due to it not quite working for you or perhaps you completely forgot about it.
Jonathan Stewart:Can you use the constraint that you found that you have liked in this recent
Jonathan Stewart:product with what you previously used?
Jonathan Stewart:For example, the new template you bought has things broken down and put into
Jonathan Stewart:different places that can support you all of these things allow you to adapt
Jonathan Stewart:a system so that it really does fit you.
Jonathan Stewart:Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel and force yourself to work
Jonathan Stewart:into something that someone else has created, but often isn't even the same
Jonathan Stewart:as what they use on a day-to-day basis.
Jonathan Stewart:We are bombarded by hundreds of templates and toolkits
Jonathan Stewart:promising solutions that fit you.
Jonathan Stewart:However often they're solutions that are lacking the key component that fits you.
Jonathan Stewart:You.
Jonathan Stewart:Instead of starting from a template that doesn't have you in mind, start from you!
Jonathan Stewart:Don't want to go it alone or want help tweaking a template to fit you.
Jonathan Stewart:Reach out to me at simplicity-specialist.com