SSA #051: Output Over Outcome

Before we move into 2024, I have one final lesson for 2023 that I'd like to share with you to reflect on over the holiday season...

A concept I've come across in recent months is Output over Outcome. I've found this an incredibly useful concept to apply to all areas of my life.

In today's edition of The Saturday Self-Published Author though, I'll show you how I'm using Output over Outcome with Facebook Ads, specifically.

Control What You Can Control

Seeing all the big numbers out there with authors earning 5 or 6 figures per year, or even per month, can be incredibly motivating, sure, but it can also be debilitating at times, too.

So, rather than focusing on what you can't control, the outcome (e.g. earning six-figures), instead focus on what you can control; your output.

Speaking specifically on Facebook Ads, here's what you can control:

– Budget (daily spend)

– Idea Generation

– Creating images/videos

– Writing Headlines

– Writing Primary Text

– Reviewing your own Ads

– Researching other Ads

– Launching new Ads to test

– Analyzing the results of your Ads

Everything listed above, and more, is 100% in your control. No matter the results, you are focusing on your output.

You Still Need A Desired Outcome

Jumping into your car with zero clue on where you're headed, will more than likely lead you somewhere you don't want to be.

Having a destination in mind will undoubtedly make for a much smoother and more enjoyable journey.

The same is true with your author business.

I'm sure you've dreamt of where you want your author business to be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years from today.

And that's a good thing; this email is not here to stop you from dreaming and having big, hairy, audacious goals.

Quite the opposite.

You need these goals, and these destinations to know what actions you need to take on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

You need an outcome that you're striving towards.

This will help you have full clarity on the output you need to focus on.

Commit and Take Action

The last thing you want to be doing is climbing a ladder, only to find out in 5 years time, that your ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall.

So with an outcome in mind, you can fully commit to the output that needs to be done in order to work towards that outcome.

Let's look at a few examples for Facebook Ads:

– Test 2 new Facebook Ads per week

– Write out 5 potential headlines per day

– Write out 1 piece of Primary Text per day

– Spend 15 minutes researching other Facebook Ads each day

– Analyze ONE of my Facebook Ads each day for 15 minutes

As you can see, these outputs are very specific, but none of them will guarantee you'll achieve your desired outcome.

What they will guarantee though, is that you'll be greatly increasing your chances of achieving your desired outcome.

Once you commit and take action, although results won't always come instantly, with every action you take, every insight and learning you take on board, this time next year, you will be in a very different place to today.

And that just leaves me to say...

Thank you so much for reading these newsletters throughout 2023; they have been an absolute joy and pleasure to write, and the feedback from you has blown me away.

2024 is just around the corner, so it's time to recharge, unwind and spend quality time with my family. And I encourage you to do the same. Your future self will thank you for it.

Oftentimes, the best way to move forward is to take a step back, clear your mind, refresh, and reflect.

And with that, have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends.

See you in 2024.

To Your Success
– Matt