How Entrepreneurs Increase Profit and Scale Faster with the Art of Ruthless Elimination

Life is different for entrepreneurs. We don’t get paid for just showing up.

We can spend a whole week working hard, head down, diligently pursuing an endless list of tasks, only to find ourselves more behind, overwhelmed, and in the hole than when we started.

Now, as an entrepreneur, you know we don’t do this on purpose. If you’re like me, you hate spending time away from hobbies, friends, and family without having anything to show for it.

So why does this happen so often? As a psychologist and productivity coach for entrepreneurs, I’ve noticed one culprit that sneaks in…

How to Get More Done in Less Time by Giving Distractions a Place to Live

Do you ever get to the end of your day and wonder where the time went?

That’s a normal experience for entrepreneurs, but then again, it’s also normal to go out of business within the first two years. You can do better than that.

Let’s fight back against the waves of distraction that try to wash away your progress every time you start making any headway. We’ll begin by using the power of foresight to build a barrier against the tides of distraction.

Start by thinking about your personal time as an asset you want to carefully invest. Some things…

For most of my working life, I lived by the principle I’d absorbed as a child, one I heard often both at home and at school: If you want to succeed, then put in more time. Long after my co-workers had gone home, I’d still be toiling away at my desk, convinced I was proving my value.

But when I eventually became a psychologist and started looking into the work habits of hundreds of entrepreneurs, I noticed something strange: The most successful people seemed to spend the fewest hours working. They’d spend a lot of time thinking about business strategies…

How to Beat Subconscious Sabotage with “Disciplined Pleasure”

Who is more productive, a person who works eight hours every day, or a person who works six hours every day?

If you’ve been studying productivity for long, you already know this is a trick question. We’ve been conditioned to equate “busy” and “productive.” When in reality, productivity is about getting things done. It’s not about working long hours.

Here’s a better question. “How can I finish eight hours of work in six hours?”

The “trick” to pulling that off may be easier than you think, and a lot more enjoyable than you might imagine.

The Surprising Truth About Productivity

Humans love novelty. As a…

The secret to scaling your business fast.

“Bootstrapping” is noble in concept but more expensive than you think.

I’ve bootstrapped a business enough times to understand the benefits and the allure of building something without spending much cash. Unfortunately, the bootstrapping method is slow. It typically goes like this:

1. Learn and practice new tasks yourself.
2. Create a set of standard operating procedures so you can…
3. Eventually hire someone else to run those procedures for you.
4. Take on the next growing edge of the business and repeat steps one through three.

It’s how most people grow a business. You do each job yourself (initially doing five jobs at…

Learn the one habit that serves as an anchor for all other productivity habits

No one cares how busy you are or how long you work. They only care about the results you’re able to produce.

That’s the reality for entrepreneurs.

Despite this, many entrepreneurs spend their whole day rushing. Or worse, we spend the whole day feeling scattered and overwhelmed. That’s not a good formula for success. In fact, the more hectic your workday feels, the less likely you are to succeed as an entrepreneur. Why?

As a psychologist and productivity coach for entrepreneurs, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty. It’s not the hard workers who succeed in business. Rather…

The Truth About Water and Productivity

Would you get more done if you drank a bit more water?

A few years ago, I was reading a funny and informative book by Mary Roach called Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War. It’s a book about the scientists who work behind the scenes to support the US military.

In one interview, the author was put on a treadmill so the research scientist could demonstrate his work. They monitored her exertion and subsequent rehydration. Later, they informed her that she is what they call a “reluctant drinker.”

Apparently, some of us have a natural instinct to avoid drinking much water. We just don’t feel very thirsty. …

The Key To Self-Mastery May Be Easier Than You Think

I’ve been reading a book called Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg.

It’s interesting because it teaches you how to accomplish big changes in your life you’d be very proud of, but without the struggle and strain that would typically be required for success.

The secret behind his method is starting very small so the habit feels easy. And once that small step becomes a habit, you just grow it a tiny bit.

You keep doing that until one day you look back and realize you’ve built a habit that serves you well and yet…