Last week the BBC News website had a story about Leslie Binns, a British ex-serviceman.

The 48-year-old finally climbed Mount Everest after two failed attempts.

He said it was the most challenging thing “physically and mentally” that he had ever done.

I’m not surprised.

The physical part is obvious – I mean, anyone can see how climbing that mountain, with barely any air to breathe at the top, would be a challenge.

But it’s the psychological side of it that impresses me the most.

Imagine standing at the foot of the world’s tallest mountain and thinking, “I have to get to the top of THAT!”

It would be almost overwhelming, the sheer scale of the goal. And to then push through that fear to reach that goal is remarkable.

You might have a similar feeling about creating your first course.

In these early stages, it might appear to be such a massive undertaking that you find it difficult to conceive of yourself actually getting it done.

Could you really have your very own online course, making you a passive income worth potentially thousands of pounds every month?

It’s like standing at the foot of the mountain, staring up at a cloud that hides a distant peak, so very far away…

It almost seems unattainable.

But think about what a climber does…

First, they plan the ascent…

Then they take every little step as it comes… going from stage to stage… focussing only on the next goal.

They don’t spend the whole ascent worrying about the top!

Well, the same goes for course creation.

Even I get a queasy feeling when I start on a new project, thinking about how big the challenge is, and how much needs to be done.

If not dealt with properly, this fear can paralyze you.

You come up with excuses to abandon the project before you even get started.

“I can’t do that”… “it’s too difficult”… “now’s not the right time”… “I’m too busy”… “I’ve not got the stamina”…

Believe me, this is such a common problem for first-time course creators.

But there is a way to overcome it…

The secret of the ‘Kaizen’ method

Kaizen is a Japanese success strategy described as ‘continual improvement’.

Rather than trying to achieve everything all at once, the idea is that you break down a big challenge into tiny, achievable steps.

Instead of focussing on the whole challenge of creating a course, you focus purely on the first small step…

Then the next small step…

Then the next small step…

Like a mountain climber, you progress slowly but surely towards that big goal.

Another example might be a novelist with the daunting goal of writing 80,000 words.

Instead of focussing on that huge goal, they might use the Kaizen technique by simply aiming for 500 words a day.

That seems far more achievable, doesn’t it?

And here’s why it works so well…

In his book, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, Robert Maurer explains how the human brain is hotwired to “fight-or-flight” when confronted by a big challenge.

If you ask too much of yourself too soon, it can send you into a panic. You will feel an overpowering urge to run away and hide.

This is why so many people procrastinate or come up with excuses as to why we can’t get going on a course.

But Kaizen can help get you past that fear.

It encourages you to make tiny, almost effortless steps in the direction of your goal.

By keeping these steps small and manageable, your brain doesn’t kick in with its fear response.

So here’s how to apply the technique…

How to Use Kaizen to Create a Course

The first thing to do is make a proper plan – which I can help you with this free download: The Ultimate Planning Guide

Break the course creation process down into big steps… then break those big steps into smaller steps… and then break those small steps into specific tasks (for students of my Course Creation Academy – just work through the steps I show you!)

Ask yourself: “What’s the smallest specific task I can do which will take me towards my goal today?”

Then just carry out that ONE small task!

Do it, tick it off the list, then switch off your computer and go do something nice for yourself.

An example might be…

• You create a work schedule
• You watch one of my training videos
• You spend half an hour analysing your strengths
• You decide upon a course topic

It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you DO something, not tomorrow but TODAY.

Even if you only spend 10, 20, 30 minutes on that task, then switch off your computer, that’s ok.

Every time you do this, you’ll make steady progress towards your goal. And you’ll feel a jolt of satisfaction that you’re actually heading somewhere.

Try it today!

After all, there’s no time like the present!

Spend the next 10 minutes asking yourself “What’s the smallest step I can take towards my course creation goal today?”

Don’t just start on something randomly – really think about it and make sure it’s the smallest step possible.

Do it, then tick it off the list.

After that, you can move on to the next small step.

If you can do this every day, then slowly, but surely, you will get to your ultimate goal. You’ll be amazed at how these small tasks begin to stack up.

The more you get done, the more confident you’ll become, and the easier it will be to take even bigger steps.

But the secret is to start now.

Don’t put it off ‘til tomorrow, and don’t make excuses.

By taking only one small step, you have nothing to fear!

If you’d like help in setting course goals and breaking them down into steps lookout for a brand new free training I’ve created for you. I’ll be in touch about it on Monday.

Until then enjoy the rest of the bank holiday 🙂