The other day I walked downstairs at like 9:30am. I had just woken up and taken a shower, and was just showing my face in our house for the first time that day.
The entire house was in a state of commotion.
Our nanny was in the living room putting cute hairstyles on the girls.
There were 3 or 4 house cleaners running around the house making everything look shiny clean.
The backyard was being landscaped by a crew of guys, and they were putting in a new swing set for the kids.
As I walked into the my office, I noticed the floor was vacuumed, and my water bottle was full and sitting on my desk.
I looked at my phone and I had some messages from my team saying that they had already closed a new client that morning, created an agenda for my morning meeting, and built a new pitch deck for our sales efforts.
The first thought that creeped into my mind was, "Man, I am LAZY! How would I even be able to operate without all these people helping me? My life would fall apart!"
And even though that’s probably true, I quickly shifted my mindset.
I reminded myself that I intentionally made the decision to employ all of these people to do these things so that I could focus on doing what I'm best at. So that I have more time to be a creator, be inspired by creative space, and ultimately grow faster.
The lazy entrepreneur.
I am a lazy entrepreneur. I'll never deny it. Because I love it.
From the very beginning of being an entrepreneur, I can always remember strategizing how to get the maximum amount of work done with a minimal amount of effort.
From a young age, I always had a hard time getting things done (sorry Mom and Dad for procrastinating school projects until the last minute, and for leaving dishes collecting in the sink for weeks at a time…)
The thing is, I'm the type of person that would rather give a little bit of effort over time than exert a lot of effort all at once.
But I know not everybody is like that.
For example, when Becca is unloading stuff from the back of the car after a Target run, she will usually try to get every single item into the house in one trip. No joke, she'll be hanging bags off her arms and balancing fruit on her head, and she’ll practically throw her back out to make sure she doesn't have to take a second trip.
Me? I take one item at a time and as many trips as it takes.
You can see this in my businesses too. I mostly opt for building evergreen systems that just run over time and only need to be tweaked occasionally, rather than doing big launches and events all at once.
What can I say? I'm lazy. But it works.
Why you should be lazy too.
For entrepreneurs and creators, being lazy can actually be hugely beneficial.
For one, when you're not constantly strapped with things to do, it allows you to find creative space where you can come up with better ideas, make better decisions, and ultimately grow faster.
Secondly, lazy entrepreneurs don't want to do all the work, so they hire a team of creators who love to do the things that they don't like to do, and everyone makes progress faster together.
And lastly, being lazy means working smarter, not harder, and being more efficient with your time and resources.
How to be lazy, and get more done.
Let's jump into each one of these things so that you can see how to be a lazy entrepreneur that gets even more done.
1 Gain creative space
When your brain is constantly at work trying to get stuff done, it never gains the space it needs to truly be creative. And that's a problem.
Your creative brain is a powerhouse tool for your business. It will lead you to coming up with more innovative ideas and making better decisions.
When you're a lazy entrepreneur, you give yourself lots of time to be away from work. And that means more creative space for your brain to do the visionary work. So when it's time to go back into hustle mode, you have a clear vision of where you're going and how to get there.
We are creative beings. Don't starve yourself of the space you need to dream and be creative.
2 Hire a team of creators
Every creator has a craft, or a combination of skills and passions that you are uniquely good at and love to do.
When you're a lazy entrepreneur, you only want to do those things. Anything else feels like trudging through a river of molasses.
So lazy entrepreneurs hire a team of creators. Each creator knows what their craft is and is given full autonomy to do that thing the best they can.
When you build a team this way, everyone is happier and more fulfilled with their work, and your business grows so much faster.
Plus, you get to be lazy because you only ever work on things that don't feel like work at all.
3 Work Smarter, Not Harder
When you're lazy, you don't want to spend energy on things that won't get you results. So you don't.
That's called being smart.
Everyone knows that the most successful entrepreneurs aren't the ones who work the hardest. If that's all it took, then any sleep deprived human being could be successful.
If you want to see huge success, you'll find it from making a few smart, calculated moves, rather than burning the candle at both ends trying to do everything.
Choose the tasks that are going to actually move the needle in your business. And then for everything else, just delete it from you to do list.
Because you're lazy.
The lazy lifestyle
Being lazy doesn't mean sitting around wasting away your life doing nothing.
It means being intentional about what you spend your time and your energy on, focusing on the things that light you up, letting other people do the things that light them up, and giving yourself time to create and innovate.
It's about higher quality, not higher quantity.
This mentality will not only help you grow faster (against all odds!), but it will allow you to have a fulfilling, joyful life focused on your personal purpose.
So reply to this email and let me know... are you a lazy entrepreneur? How have you set up your life and your business so that you can be more lazy? I read every response.
