When it comes to doing something on your own to make money, I have heard people say, “Just get in the game and try something.” While this is good advice and something that has worked great for me, this concept deserves clarification.
For example, let’s say you hate your job and have a grand dream to build a big technology company. You figure it will take 5 years to scale. Your mortgage is due on Friday. Not a great plan for the moment.
It is true that there are good and not so good times to try things.
So, before we invest 5 years of our life into one single plan not knowing whether it will succeed or fail, is there another way?
Yes, there is.
It is called SSP - Scary, Simple Projects.
Scary, Simple Projects
Scary – These projects are the ones you want to do but don’t want to do at the same time. They are scary and thrilling all in one breath. That is why you are afraid to do them. If they don’t work, it could be embarrassing or maybe you will lose some money, but they also won’t cost you 5 years of your life.
Simple – They are easy to start and scalable. You can start them today or tomorrow or next week or month. They don’t take years to finish. They are simple and don’t have a lot of steps or moving parts.
Projects – They have a start time and a deadline.
The beauty of SSP is you are pushing yourself to new levels while getting your feet wet. You are getting out there and doing something. This creates more momentum which, in turn, has all kinds of wonderful effects on your psyche.
Two personal examples
1. This blog
It was scary for us to start. It was simple to assemble. We had a clear plan: post every day for 1 year. We had a clear deadline, 1 year.
2. Our book (available here on the site next week!)
It was scary to write a book. It was simple. We laid out a basic outline and wrote from our own experiences. We had a clear starting point: December 15, and a deadline: January 15.
We didn’t allow for extra time to think and wade in fear or doubt or self-analyzation.
We have used the SSP approach often. It has paid off huge. We get to experiment, try different things, and see what happens. No time lost, no huge investments made.
Oh, and don’t talk about it before you do it. Just do it and then talk about it. Trust me, it’s easier! 
Question: Have you ever done something with an approach similar to SSP? How did it go?
