The Eight Fundamental Lessons from Consistently High-Performing Entrepreneurs

After talking to close to a hundred pretty successful online entrepreneurs and working closely with some of them during this year, this is what I found:

Nearly all of them show up and get stuff done consistently, instead of only being productive in short, random spikes.

They are executors, who have let go of the need to be motivated to take action.

And most importantly, they do that in any area of their life, not just in business.

How did they get there?

These are the eight principles that I’ve seen working again and again and recommend to my clients and all online entrepreneurs:

1. "Do Something”-principle:

When you feel you are not motivated, take tiny steps. Just do something, anything really, to get into motion and to build up momentum

Focus on the very start of a large project, make it easy to get going, have tiny wins and soon you find yourself taking on the big tasks.

???? Take charge of your momentum.

2. "Good enough”:

Most entrepreneurs give themselves ONE THING, that they consistently get done first thing. Once that important and high-leverage thing is done, the day would already be good enough.

They let go of the trap to stuff a hundred things into their days and then only occasionally get them done, while on other days not doing anything.

???? Consistent “good enough” execution > perfectionism.

3. Implement Habits and Routines:

Motivation and disciplining yourself are not reliable. As entrepreneurs, we need routines and habits that automate taking action and make progress inevitable. Taking action whenever we don’t feel like it, because it’s a habit, is the key to consistency.

Implement them for your business - workday structures, business habits, leadgen processes etc - and any other area of your life (gym, predecide on food, meditation etc). These things compound and make you sustainably productive.

???? No consistent results without habits and systems.

4. Design your Environment:

This is what most entrepreneurs forget. Don’t rely on your willpower to stick to your habits. Design your immediate environment in such a way that it is foolproof to stick to your habits.

This includes removing distractions, implementing triggers that remind you of your habits and start your productive routine on autopilot as well as rewards and workflows. Your environment has to work for you, not against you. This is how you free up willpower for the tasks that matter.

???? Environment > willpower.

5. Prioritize health:

All long-term successful online entrepreneurs I talked to took exceptional care of their health. Those who didn’t, we’re running below their full potential.

The ones who did, took care of their nutrition, went to the gym or did sports consistently and optimized their sleep and recovery. They got sick less, were able to focus better, were more confident, had more energy and simply crushed it more.

???? No sustainable success without taking care of your health

6. Nurture relationships:

Keeping solid relationships as an online entrepreneur is more challenging than we think. Friends, family, loved ones are sometimes sacrificed for more work hours and grind.

Business can always be rebuilt, more money always be made. But some relationships cannot be repaired once neglected. You don’t want to be the guy successful in your business but lonely and depressed.

It cannot be stressed enough what a solid support system of strong relationships can do for your mental wellbeing and stress management.

???? Take care of your relationships for support and connection

7. Deep Mindset Work

Often talked about but mostly not being done consistently. Yet, probably the most powerful thing to do as an online entrepreneur.

Limiting beliefs about success, money and your potential, self-doubt, not feeling good enough, imposter syndrome, feeling guilty of not working enough, trying to prove something to someone, not having success defined for yourself…

These are the fundamental reasons why you have these ups and downs in your life and business, why you self-sabotage your success. Doing this deep inner work and going to the root cause of these limiting beliefs and implementing better mindsets is the foundation for everything.

This single step alone will bring your performance in your business and baseline feeling of life satisfaction to a whole new dimension.

???? Face your demons. Mindset is essential.

8. ”Why do you do what you do?”

When you lose focus and track of your priorities, get perspective on why you are doing what you are doing.

What is the bigger reason behind all of it? Where do you see yourself in the future? What is your ideal lifestyle? How do you want to be remembered? What is the kind of person you want to become? What values are driving you?

You can start with a very simple mindset routine where you visualize your future before you start your work. Just start with something and refine along the way. Let that bright vision drive your actions in the now.

???? Have a meaningful vision to strive for.

Bonus:

9. Remember that you are mortal

My favorite Stoic exercise. Get a sense of urgency by reminding yourself that you will die at some point and that it might happen sooner than you think.

Let this thought make you reconsider how you spend your time, every moment really. Use it as fuel for right action towards your vision, right now.

???? Life’s short, don’t waste it.

...

This is it.

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t manage to live up to these steps all the time and get off track.

Implement them one step at a time. Get back on track and trust the process. Over time these systems and the small steps you take consistently will compound.

“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory, than the current results that you’re getting. Once you have the right systems in place, time works for you, not against you.” - James Clear

Have a great week!

Kilian

PS: Which of those lessons are you working on? Which one would you add? ??