10 Traits of Sustainably Productive Solo Entrepreneurs
We All Dream of Getting a Lot of Things Done, Without Stressing, Pushing Ourselves Too Hard, and Burning Out. Being Sustainably Productive Fulfills That Dream and Here Are the Traits of People Who Pull It Off.
1. They have clear priorities and know exactly what to work on next.
To stay sustainably productive, it is necessary to prioritize the most important tasks in one’s business and work on those before anything else. Sustainably productive people know precisely what to work on and why. They know how much brain space, energy, and time it takes to battle the same “So, what am I going to do today” questions every day.
2. They stay focused during work sessions. No side-tasks, no notifications, phone tucked away.
Sustainably productive people know the importance of maximizing their time, without being a “I got to get all the thing done”-type. They fence off external and internal distractions when they work, to focus on the task at hand. They know multitasking is a lie. Talking from experience, working in flow with a clear goal in mind and no distractions will take your work to another level, both in quality and quantity. Sustainably productive people spend most of their workday in focus mode.
3. They are mindful of distractions
Spending unplanned time on social media doom scrolling or googling random stuff will make your day feel like it fell into a sinkhole… Where did it go? The internet will quickly take up hours of your workday if you are not mindful. Sustainably productive people, therefore, are mindful of these pitfalls. It is not that they never spend time googling or scrolling on social media — but they are careful of where, when, and for how long. If I decide to scroll social media, I always set a time limit. Sometimes set a 15 min. timer, other times I pair it with another activity, like eating lunch. As soon as I am done eating, I close the apps.
4. They do not get caught up in the next fad in business
Sustainably productive people know the importance of staying the course and not changing directions on a whim. It is so easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest business fad like anyone else. “Blogging is THE way to a successful business”, and “Make AI do all of your marketing for you” are 2 examples. The sustainably productive know that there are many ways to succeed, and they choose to follow their own way. Getting compelled by trends will only make your road to success longer. They base their business decisions on practical experience rather than theoretical fear.
5. They honor their mind, body, and soul.
Being productive is one thing, being productive sustainably is another. If your mind, body, and soul aren’t taken into account on a daily basis you are going to burn out. Sustainably productive people check in and listen. They take a day off, when they need it, both when they are sick or when they need a mental health day. A lot of sustainably productive people also work a lot less than most, working 4–6 hours per day is proficient enough for most people to get all the important stuff in their business done, and leave the no-so-important on a back burner. I didn´t do much yesterday, I had a bad day. And I do not feel guilty about it.
6. They adapt when things change or aren’t working.
When a system or strategy stops working for them, they start a different one. They do not spend time and energy trying to get the other one to work again. Quick, but mindful changes.
7. They put the right amount of pressure on themselves.
They have realistic expectations for themselves and work diligently on keeping them. However, they are quick to forgive themselves when things don’t go as planned. They move on quickly when they fail to get the stuff done, they expected. I Procrastinated, oh well, tomorrow will be better. They make sure tomorrow is going to be better by analyzing what happened and adjusting, thereby not letting it happen again. Yesterday was not a great day for me. When I woke up, I usually start writing first thing. Yesterday I just couldn’t get myself to begin. I analyzed and realized that I had packed too much into the day and had set up a rigid schedule. I know that does not work well for my personality, but sometimes I fall into the trap of doing it anyway. So today, I loosened up my plans, and getting into writing was a breeze.
8. They have tailored their systems for productivity and getting things done to match them perfectly.
We are humans, not machines. Sustainably productive people know that, so they work with themselves instead of against. They do not squeeze themselves into a mold, they create their own. There are thousands of great tools and hack for increasing productivity on the internet, but sustainably productive people do not take any tool/hack and expect it to work for them. They use the ones that fit best and tailor them to fit them perfectly. I, a productivity nerd, have tried dozens of task management systems. A lot of them worked for a while, often less than a few weeks. Now I have a few systems in a rotation that works well for me. I switch between the systems depending on the mood of the week or the nature of the work I am doing. Most productivity experts recommend sticking to one system long term. However, I get bored, so I switch them up whenever one stops being beneficial. That is how to make a mold instead of squeezing into one.
9. They say no…
A sustainably productive person has a realistic picture of how much time and energy is available to them and says no to everything that goes outside of it.
Priorities first, other stuff later…
10. They track and measure their productivity and mental state.
Sustainably productive people know the ins- and outs of their output and their mindset. They track how much they get done, and how they feel while (and after) doing it. They know getting stuff done isn’t sustainable if they aren’t enjoying themselves most of the time. They use a spreadsheet and jot down a few words, or they journal it. They regularly review the data and adapt to increase productivity and well-being. They do not let either of them up to chance. Improvement and changes are based on data
That’s it! 10 traits of sustainably productive solo entrepreneurs. If your goal is to become sustainably productive, you might want to ask yourself how many of them you embody and how to can incorporate a few more traits.
