How to keep productivity high while keeping multiple bets open as an entrepreneur

I know two types of entrepreneurs.
The type that is laser-focused on their vision.
And the type that tries to push multiple things forward in parallel, hoping that at least one of them will succeed.

I'm the latter!
To me, a laser-sharp focus is exhausting.

Instead, I'm running a SaaS, writing and selling E-Books, doing YouTube, a bit of dropshipping and investment, and more...

Now, this may sound like a lot - but it’s actually totally doable to do all of this in parallel, consistently, week after week, without burning out from it.

Let me give you 5 tips I use to stay highly productive and making sure I get shit done.

ℹ️ See the detailed explanation of these 5 tips on YouTube.

Tip 1: Stay healthy and get proper sleep.

I know... Super boring advice.
Yet - I see many entrepreneurs who sacrifice sleep - supposedly "just for a period of time".

Admittedly, I even gave this advice myself in an article I wrote last year:
"See if you can cut 30 minutes - 1 hour of sleep pr. night on average."

I will have to take my own advice back. Please don't do this.
Even if you won't suffer health implications, it's still super bad for productivity.
Motivation and focus will hurt instantly from getting too little sleep.

Similarly, make sure your body and mind feel well.
Get some exercise, do stretches - and - if you're working on the computer a lot, make sure to acquire proper ergonomic equipment.

I use these 3:

Ultimate Hacking Keyboard:

https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/

This keyboard is absolutely fantastic!

Aeris 3Dee Ergonomic Office Chair:

https://en.aeris.de/products/aeris-3dee-wollmischung-select-schwarz

Aeris Swopper Office Stool:

https://en.aeris.de/products/aeris-swopper-wollmischung-select-schwarz

I alternate between these two chairs and standing up at my desk throughout the day. I can highly recommend it.

Tip 2: Plan ahead and use timeboxing.

Every Sunday, I plan my week ahead.
I create checklists, get all the necessary links and resources ready, and try to plan as much as I can.
Having a checklist ready to execute on dramatically increases my productivity during the week.

Then I use timeboxing.
It is as they say... If you give yourself 3 days to solve a task, it'll take you 3 days.
If you give yourself 3 hours, it'll take you 3 hours.

Make time restrictions for yourself. Commit to getting the task done in the given time - when the time is up, you move on to the next slot. No pushing it!

It really works well!

Tip 3: Create systems and small frameworks.

Obviously, automate whenever it makes sense - I love using Zapier, IFTTT, Airtable and similar services.

Then there are certain things you can’t automate directly, but if it's a recurring task, you can definitely create a system or a process for it.
Try to notice if there are certain things you do recurringly, but not often enough that the ritual is always fresh in memory.
This is a perfect case of creating a system for yourself.

It's basically an ordered checklist of things you need to go through in each round or iteration of that particular task.

The next level of that is creating small frameworks for yourself.
When things become more complex, you need a more comprehensive set of rules and guidelines to navigate within.

One of my examples is “Flights”.
At the startup I’m running, we created a new agile framework to handle the hectic teamwork of a tech startup, simply because we hated Scrum.

The greatest takeaway from creating systems and frameworks, is that it allows you to batch-execute tasks without it being a complete mess.

Tip 4: Setting the right goals

To me, a goal is a desired outcome.
It’s a measurable result that I'm are aiming to achieve.

I know some people have very strong feelings about this, and they point out how a goal should be within your control.

And I disagree with that - I don't believe they have to.
In fact, if you're limiting your achievements to ones that are within the boundary of certainty... you're just not gonna achieve a whole lot.

A goal is something we're aiming for. It doesn't need to come with guarantees.
The parts that are within your control - I call these commitments.

So to me, it's perfectly good to have a goal that says:
"I want to have 100K YouTube subscribers by the end of the year" (which is beyond your full control).

And a commitment that says:
"And I'll do this by publishing a video every week" (which is within your control).

What is super important, on the other hand, is that you never judge yourself by your ability to achieve or not achieve your goal.
You only judge yourself by your level of commitment.

To me, this is the key to achieving high while still being totally fair to yourself.

Tip 5: Cut the wrong people.

This final tip is the one productivity hack that beats all of these other tips.

In fact, this tip goes beyond productivity.
It can end up being the single factor that determines if you’ll make it or break it.

The tip is simply: Surround yourself with the right people.
And as a consequence, this always means cutting out the wrong ones.

If you have people in your life who drag you down - who are either negative, toxic, or don't really want to see you succeed - people who contribute with nothing and people where you don’t have a chance to contribute with anything good for them - then cut them.

A net-negative relationship (in both directions) is simply not worth saving.
It's super sad if it's your old childhood friend, a family member - or even your partner or spouse.

But I can wholeheartedly say - that cutting these people and replacing them with net-positive people who actually add to your life, people where you get the joy of adding to their lives, and who want to see you succeed - is the hardest but most impactful investment you can do for yourself!

Check out my latest YouTube video.
I break these 5 tips down in much more detail here, including some actionable advice on how to start and retain these habits.

🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XPh9557T8k

I hope you got something out of this post and that it can help you become more productive.

Stay safe out there in this crazy world 🧡