The №1 Lesson From Essentialism Every Entrepreneur Must Learn First

Even if, like me, you don’t want to hear it.

I’m 2,5 years into keeping a small business afloat. Not just afloat, but generating enough profit to split our cost of living in half with my partner.

I’ve been on the verge of giving up (or at least toying with being in serious doubt) many times. At one point I’ve briefly been back on the job market looking to go back to working for someone else. The audacity!

It was during one of those times that I found a pristine copy of Essentialism in my local Oxfam bookshop. Thanks Universe, and whoever donated the book, I want to buy you dinner.

I did not betray my business baby. I started to re-grow it with new focus.

If you’re in any way struggling to keep going, this one key lesson from Essentialism might just be what you need to hear. It’s worth a shot if it’s the last thing you try. The potential results might be giant.

Build exactly what you’re trying to escape

I’m one of those people who couldn’t leave their 9–5 fast enough. As soon as my side hustles started looking steady, I was out the door. 10 years of corporate life, bye bye, I was so over it.

At my leaving drinks, a colleague from classified advertising said:

“Congrats, but I couldn’t do it. I need discipline”.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I called bullshit. Discipline was exactly what I was escaping from. I hated it. I’m getting my life back, I thought. Freedom.

You see where this is going.

Of course he was right.

Yes you can make things happen without discipline. You can start things, build things, with determination and passion. But without discipline, you’re just showing up for yourself randomly. It’s dependant on too many influencing factors, too many decisions, how you feel. Overtime, that will always backfire.

Self-design your own discipline

Where my work friend fell slightly short, was thinking you need someone else to provide the discipline for you.

You don’t. And that’s where discipline meets freedom halfway.

Here’s how to design your own discipline according to essentialism:

To start with, narrow things down to just the bare essentials. Name just one, single top priority everything you do is going to feed into. Below that, list a maximum of 3 secondary focuses. But think about those super carefully, the more existentially crucial they feel the better, and the less of them the better.

Next, spend an equal amount of time thinking about your day, your productivity, and energy.

Freedom manifests itself here — design your schedule to meet your own energy levels. Be a night owl. Write from bed. Spend half of your day at home and the other half hotdesking. Also, don’t forget about what you want. Invite flexibility where you need it.

I need options in the morning. I narrowed myself to two. I either go to the park first thing to gulp the morning air, or I write, depending what mindset I’m waking up to.

Plan until the day looks like your ideal day on paper, with options where you need them.

Then, get super strict.

Stick to it. No matter what. Show up for yourself, freed by discipline.

The hard no

Your needs, and high energy times, and wants will change overtime. Revisit your schedule on a bi-weekly basis. Part of this process is the other superpower your focus will benefit from in a major way:

The hard no.

Everything that isn’t a clear hell yes, becomes a hard no. There’s no in between.

Just for now. Just while you’re adapting to your maximum focus schedule and growing your outcomes.

Once you are settled in it, and you are creating steady growth, steady output, and feel easier within your designed discipline, then you can start considering some of those in betweens.

But be strict with them too. You don’t want them to mutate into dreary distraction monsters.

You’re not giving up on freedom

Despite everything we know as entrepreneurs now, freedom is probably the leading reason why most people decide to build businesses and work for themselves.

But you need a disciplined pursuit of freedom.

And self-designed discipline is a totally different kind of discipline.

By carefully crafting it, and working as hard as you can to stick to it, including the things you want to get from your day, like an hour for reading or time to be a good plant parent, you are creating a life that works for you.

You are creating self-efficiency, independence, and happiness.

More useful stuff published (now weekly) on my Substack: Building Momentum, Solo