2 a.m. problems

When I was building courses full-time, I often taught the concept of the “2 a.m. problem”.

The 2 a.m. problem is a persistent worry or issue that keeps you awake in the middle of the night. It’s that idea that goes round and round in your head and won’t let you switch off.

I didn’t come up with the concept, that was my boss, and I’ve seen different variations of it in different places.

But looking back now, I find it ironic that I was creating lessons about the 2 a.m. problem.

Because I hadn’t experienced it for myself.

However, when I started my own business I gained a much deeper appreciation of the 2 a.m. problem.

At least once a week I would find myself lying awake, my mind whirring with questions…

• How would I cover my living expenses this month?
• Where was my next client coming from?
• Did I have the right focus for my business?

And the one good thing about those kinds of powerful and persistent problems is that they make you take action.

You’ll spend time researching them. You’ll follow people who seem to have answers. You’ll spend money on products that promise solutions.

So it’s critical that you understand the problems that keep your target audience awake.

Once you have a list of those problems, lots of other things become much easier:

• You’ll know what to talk about on social media to get people’s attention
• You’ll know what to write about on your blog so that people will read and share
• You’ll know how to focus your course and present it in a way that people want to buy it

So if you don’t have list of common problems for your target audience, write one soon.

They don’t all need to be 2 a.m. problems but you should have a few that are.

Tip: These are not problems you guess your audience has, or concerns you think they should have, but problems they’re already thinking about.

If you’re not sure what should be on your list, go and do some research. Hang out in some relevant groups online and see what people are asking. Jump on a Zoom call with with a few different people who fit your target audience.

What are the problems your tribe is desperate to solve?

Make that list.

See you soon,

Glen