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#55 How to get hard stuff done

post excerpt goes here

  • How to tell if you have a business, or just a job
  • How to start (and finish) the RIGHT tasks
  • 6 tools to get hard stuff done every day

This post isn’t live yet and it is scheduled for January 23, 2025

Here is what you’ll learn:

  • How to tell if you have a business, or just a job
  • How to start (and finish) the RIGHT tasks
  • 6 tools to get hard stuff done every day

#55 How to get hard stuff done

  • How to tell if you have a business, or just a job
  • How to start (and finish) the RIGHT tasks
  • 6 tools to get hard stuff done every day
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💡 Key Insights for solopreneurs

If you want to become someone who “sticks in” gets stuff done practice these tools.

  1. Time blocking
  2. Building momentum
  3. Chunking
  4. Bonuses
  5. Gamify
  6. Distraction

🛎️ Daily reminder for solopreneurs

Productivity isn’t about getting tings done,
it’s getting the right things done

💥 How to take action in the next 5 mins

Practice each of these x6 tools until they become habit

😍 Something I'm grateful for this week
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Nicholas Robb

Founder, Design Hero
Author of Life by Design

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Nicholas Robb, Founder of Design Hero, solopreneur and author of Life by Design

More issues of Life by Design about Productivity

Sep 05, 2024

#44 The only x3 ways to make more money as a freelancer

  • Leverage, Productivity, Systems
Jul 11, 2024

#36 4 strategies I use to make success feel effortless

  • Productivity
May 23, 2024

#29 Stoicism for Solopreneurs

  • Burnout, Mindset, Productivity
Apr 04, 2024

#22 Boundary-setting emails to streamline your solo business

  • Productivity
Mar 28, 2024

#21 How to overcome procrastination on important tasks

  • Productivity, Systems
Mar 21, 2024

#20 Complete management system for a one person business

  • Productivity, Systems
How to 10x your life & work through focus
Feb 15, 2024

#15 How to 10x your life & work through focus

  • Boundaries, Mindset, Productivity

FAQs from solopreneurs about Productivity

I’d liked more examples of deep work because I don’t quite know how to differentiate yet (I’ll check out your article to see if I got more understanding)

I know coding and designing and systemising is deep work, but as a solopreneur that has to be do everything I’m not sure if working on my CRM or content creation would be shallow or deep(Edited)

thanks so
Deep work is not about the task itself,
Deep work is more about a pattern of working that is extremely focussed and proofed against distraction.

The tasks that go into the deep work block are your choice.
It should be your most important work that grows the business.

Shallow work is the opposite:
stuff that drains you, that maintains the business.

Here’s a few resources which might help you with that:

Goals to actions framework for freelancers

Deep-dive on building focus as a freelancer

examples of deep work from the past few days

  • Condense Lifestyle design workshop
  • Write Life by Design #45
  • bug testing and feedback for Emerdentist
  • rewrite welcome sequence for Life by Design
  • Build reminder system for networking and outreach
  • call back Hot enquiries

examples of shallow work from past few days:

  • work through emails (daily)
  • catch up with team
  • minor website changes for client
  • deal with support tickets
  • book Subaru in for MOT

I go on and on about consistency being key.
I’m pretty consistent about it 🥁😂

But the gurus are right about x1 thing:
Consistency IS key to growing a solo business…
IF you want to do it without burnout.

like most of us,
I’m easily distracted.

My daily world is full of shiny objects, hacks, distractions.

If you want to grow a 6 figure freelance business there’s a lot of stuff to do.

But the more you add to your plate,
the less you’ll get done and
The worse you’ll about it

The only strategy that works for me?

I’m easily distracted.
The only strategy that works for me?

↘️ Take a big project,
↘️ Break it into steps,
↘️ Turn steps into habits you can repeat daily
↘️ Put it into your daily schedule
↘️ Do daily, weekly and monthly reviews to make sure I’m on track

This keeps me working on the important things everyday,
Instead of whatever cr💩p comes up in my inbox

___

If you feel like you need to get better at consistency,
On Life by Design #26 I share x5 consistency systems for freelancers,
that helped me double my revenue every year for ten years..

The key is to let go of the idea of getting everything done.

Draw an actual line on your list.

Everything below doesn’t get done.

Plan weekly.
Triage daily.

Read my full guide to how I manage my todo list without overwhelm.

I used to be obsessed with productivity hacks.
Then I read 4000 weeks, you read it?
I’d also read The 80/20 principle

Here’s a 5 second summary of time management that goes beyond “productivity hacks”

The better you get at your job, the more things you’ll have to do.
You think by being more productive you’ll be able to complete tasks quicker and clear your plate.
But here’s the secret:

Tasks lead to tasks.
The more productive you are, the busier you get.
There will never be enough time to do all of them.

You need learn to focus,
and do only the 20% of stuff that makes a difference.
And get ok with letting the rest slide.

It’s easier said than done though hahaha
As a completionist myself, this is hard.
Welcome to the joys of solopreneurship.

Get in.
Do the important work.
Get out.

I’m a terrible overthinker.

Sometimes it’s a superpower, which helps you brainstorm ideas

But often it’s a crutch which has you cycling through the same problem over and over with no progress.

  1. If it doesn’t need actioned now, write it down in a braindump list. Your mind is designed to hold onto unfinished tasks. braindumping reduces mental overwhelm
  2. If it’s a relevant problem, then try to work through it.
  3. Pick a habitual task that requires a little thought with movement like mowing the grass or walking the dog
  4. Process the problem while you do that
  5. If mind wanders bring it back gently to the problem
  6. Write down any insights that occur for clarity. Writing helps your process and define your thoughts.
  7. Notice when you’re “stuck in a loop” covering the same thoights over and over. Jot it down and move to the next stage of the problem.
  8. At the end tidy up your notes into an action list with microsteps that you can do now or later.
  9. Store it in your second brain or personal knowledge system for Solopreneurs that you can access later, and let go of for now .

frantic freelancer → systematic solopreneur

Subscribe for x3 systems you can use right now
to grow a profitable solo business
on a 3 day week

Nicholas Robb, Founder of Design Hero, solopreneur and author of Life by Design

Life by Design

systems for solopreneurs

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