Best strategy to get things done (you hate)

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This morning I had an interesting conversation about getting things done you don’t like to do. The conversation made me realize something interesting:

It’s not the actually task, but your thoughts about the task that are the problem

When you are 100% present, nothing is boring. Take cleaning as an example. When you start cleaning and you are completely present when you wash the floor or wipe the table, then it’s actually not boring. It’s boring before you start cleaning, because it’s when you think about cleaning, not while you’re at it. It’s the same with all the tasks that we postpone; Continue reading →

How optimism leads to action

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Most people tell me that I am too optimistic. I agree, but the madness has its advantages.

Optimism is useful DNA because it leads to action and you accomplish things quicker by being optimistic.

Imagine you give the same boring project to a pessimist, a realist, and an optimist. They all have to write to 50 pages on a subject none of them are interested in. Continue reading →

Advantages of having no goals

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I used to have a lot of goals attached to every part of my life that I wanted to improve. I still have goals, but I have discovered great advantages of having no goals.

Right now I am working out 3-5 times a week, for example. I do some crossfit workouts, some strength training and running. And for the first time I haven’t had a goal like ‘I have to do 3 crossfit WOD’s, 2 strength sessions, and run twice a week’. I just go with the flow. Sometimes I feel like doing crossfit, sometimes strength, sometimes run. It’s pure freedom. Continue reading →

My sacred hour

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I have struggled with a project for months now, and I just can’t get it done. So I thought about what I could do, without too much effort, to get this done.

I found the answer was by doing very little each day in the morning before everything else. I call this time My Sacred Hour now. It works so well, that I will do my best to make this a habit when the project is finished.

I am surprised  by how much I can get done with 30-45 minutes of focused time in the morning. My mind is clutter-free as I have just slept and haven’t gotten any input yet. I found that for this to work, it’s absolutely vital that I don’t do anything that can give me inputs. Output first, always.

The idea of having A Sacred Hour every morning excites me. I want to devote these minutes to something that has big impact on my life. Here are some ideas to My Sacred Hour when the project is done:

  • Starting a ‘minimalist business‘ selling only one product online
  • Writing a small book about something I am excited about
  • Reading non-fiction books to spike my learning
  • Learning Indonesian or Spanish
For me, it’s important that it doesn’t conflict with my ‘normal work’. It should be something completely different, something that draws me in another direction.

7 things that makes me happy

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I write this to remind myself what makes me happy. This list is 100% sure to change as I learn but here is how it looks now, in random order.

  1. Physical activity. Crossfit, running, strength training, walking.
  2. Reading. I love reading a good book, mostly non-fiction.
  3. Writing. For me, writing is a way to get my thoughts more structured. It’s a great source of learning for me as it helps me reflect.
  4. Music. Listening to good music can really affect my mood in a good way. The right music can make me work faster and help me focus. Good music means the difference between a good night out and a bad night out.
  5. Solitude. Time alone is a must for me. It helps me reflect and ‘see things from the outside’.
  6. Traveling. This should probably have been the first one. Traveling is an addiction to me. I think it’s the constant flow of new experiences. It makes me feel alive.
  7. Minimalism. This is kind of a broad one. But it makes me happy to focus my priorities by spending less, traveling with less, and having less things. I am not the perfect minimalist, but every time a take a ‘minimalistic step’, it feels right, and makes me happy.

A profitable business in a month

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Since I was teenager I have been involved in starting small businesses. Most of them has just been hobbies, others have become more than hobbies. When I think about things I have to do, the same question always pops up: How can I do this fast and effective? At many times, it’s stressing to think this way, but also fun. It forces you to think outside the box.

I hear all the time that starting a business and making it profitable, takes at least two years. It might be the average, but who wants to be average?

So I had this idea/challenge: is it possible to start an online business and make it profitable in one month? One person, one business, one month. I am naturally limited by other things, so I need a time limitation as well. 48 hours. In other words, is it possible to build a profitable online business in one month without working more than 1,5 hour per day?

I haven’t thought about how to do it yet, but here are some thoughts:

  • Use time limitations for every task (e.g. you have 1 hour to fix this, no more)
  • Choose a focus. What is the number one thing that will make this successful?
  • Start with the things that has a long processing time (payment gateway, merchant account, etc.).
  • Don’t get caught up in design of the website or logo. Get someone to do it, or set a clear deadline.

Here is my random list of typical things needed when starting an online business:

  • Logo
  • Website
  • Name
  • Domain name
  • Bank account
  • TAX id no (cvr in Denmark)
  • Business plan
  • A product
  • Money
  • Payment gateway
  • Merchant account (permission to process credit cards)