7 Habits to Quit for Business Success: Insights from a Serial Entrepreneur

The Power of Strategic Quitting in Business

In the world of entrepreneurship, we often hear about what we should start doing to achieve success. However, the real key to unlocking business growth lies in what we choose to stop doing. As a serial entrepreneur who has built three 8-figure businesses, I've discovered that strategic elimination is far more powerful than constant addition.

This article will delve into the seven critical habits that entrepreneurs need to quit to accelerate their business growth. These insights are not just theory - they're battle-tested strategies that have helped me scale multiple companies while actually doing less work.

1. Quit Saying Yes to Everything

One of the most common pitfalls for new entrepreneurs is the tendency to say yes to every opportunity that comes their way. However, this approach can quickly lead to overwhelm and diluted focus.

The Opportunity Cost of Saying Yes

Every time you say yes to something, you're implicitly saying no to something else. This opportunity cost can be significant, especially when you're just starting out and resources are limited.

In my own experience, I learned this lesson the hard way. When I started my first agency, we took on 33 clients at low rates just to get started. It wasn't until my mentor forced me to fire 15 of the most demanding and least profitable clients that we saw a real breakthrough.

The Surprising Results of Saying No

Initially, our revenue dropped, and I panicked. But something unexpected happened - our profit increased by 30% almost immediately. Within three months, we were earning more from the remaining 12 clients than we had ever earned from the original 33.

The Opportunity Filter Framework

To help you make better decisions about which opportunities to pursue, I've developed what I call the Opportunity Filter Framework:

1. Evaluate each new opportunity by asking: "What must I say no to if I say yes to this?"
2. Rank opportunities by ROI per hour, not just total value.
3. Say no to anything that doesn't align with your top three priorities.
4. Create a not-to-do list and review it weekly.

Remember, when you say yes to others, make sure you're not saying no to yourself.

2. Quit the DIY Syndrome

Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of trying to do everything themselves. This "do-it-yourself" mentality can severely limit your business's growth potential.

The Shocking Reality of Time Allocation

Four years into running my agency, I was working 70-hour weeks, handling everything from client presentations to bookkeeping. It wasn't until I hired a business coach who had me track every task I did for a week that I realized the extent of the problem.

The results were eye-opening: I was spending 60% of my time on tasks that anyone could do for $25 an hour, while neglecting the $5,000 an hour strategic work that only I could do.

The Power of Delegation

After creating a delegation matrix and forcing myself to hand off everything below a certain value threshold, our revenue exploded, and I found myself working 15 fewer hours per week.

The $10, $100, and $1,000 Per Hour Task Audit

To achieve similar results in your business, try this task audit:

1. Track every task you do for a week.
2. Categorize each task as:
   • $10/hour: Admin tasks
   • $100/hour: Execution tasks
   • $1,000/hour: Strategic tasks
3. Delegate or eliminate all $10/hour tasks immediately.
4. Create systems to gradually delegate $100/hour tasks.
5. Focus your best time on $1,000/hour activities.

It's worth noting that top entrepreneurs spend 80% of their time on high-leverage activities, while average entrepreneurs spend 80% of their time on admin tasks.

3. Quit Reactive Work

Even with perfect delegation, there's another time-killer that can sabotage your productivity: reactive work.

The Tyranny of the Inbox

As my business grew, I found myself constantly interrupted by emails, Slack messages, and impromptu meetings. I was busy for 12 hours a day but accomplishing very little actual work.

The Radical Decision to Quit Being Available

I made a bold choice to stop being available by default. This meant:

• Turning off all notifications
• Blocking out 3-hour deep work sessions
• Checking email only twice daily at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM

The Remarkable Results

The results were astounding. The company's growth doubled while my work hours decreased by about 30%.

Creating Unbreakable Systems for Focus

To regain your focus and boost productivity, implement these strategies:

1. Turn off all notifications on your devices.
2. Schedule specific times for checking email (11:00 AM and 3:00 PM work well).
3. Block three-hour uninterrupted deep work sessions in your calendar.
4. Create an urgent contact protocol for true emergencies.
5. Batch similar tasks together (meetings, calls, admin work).

Research shows that the average professional loses 2 hours daily to interruptions and context switching. By implementing these strategies, you can reclaim 10+ hours per week.

Moreover, it's not just about the quantity of time saved, but the quality of focus. One hour of uninterrupted flow state can be worth an entire day of interrupted work.

4. Quit Perfectionism

While reclaiming your time is powerful, there's a hidden mental barrier that prevents most entrepreneurs from finishing anything: perfectionism.

The Paralysis of Perfection

When I first started creating content, I would spend days crafting the "perfect" piece. Most of these never saw the light of day.

The "Ship It" Policy

I implemented a radical "ship it" policy: when something reached 80% quality, it went out. The results were remarkable:

• Content production increased by five times
• Audience response improved dramatically
• We received valuable feedback on what content resonated and what topics needed more depth

Interestingly, a "perfect" LinkedIn post that took three hours often received the same engagement as a "good" one that took 30 minutes.

The 80/20 Launch Framework

To execute at speed and overcome perfectionism, use this framework:

1. Define "good enough" before starting any project.
2. Set hard deadlines that feel uncomfortably short.
3. Use the single revision rule: one round of revisions, then ship.
4. Collect real-world feedback to improve the next iteration.
5. Celebrate getting it done more than achieving perfection.

This shift in mindset allowed us to grow to 3 million followers in just 2 years.

5. Quit People Pleasing

Even when you're focused on shipping and avoiding perfectionism, there's a social behavior that can kill progress: people pleasing.

The Pitfalls of Always Saying Yes

Early in my career, I said yes to almost every client request. I worked weekends, answered calls at all hours, and bent over backward to accommodate everyone. I thought this would make clients happy, but it actually decreased their respect and our profitability.

The Power of Boundaries

The turning point came when I declined a major request from our biggest client. Instead of losing them, we gained their respect. By setting clear boundaries, we became more profitable and had a much better working relationship.

Creating a Personal Policy Document

To set proper boundaries, create a personal policy document that includes:

1. Your non-negotiable working hours
2. Clear response time expectations
3. Standardized processes for requests
4. Upfront communication of boundaries
5. Phrases like "I don't work that way" or "That's not our business model" instead of "I can't do that right now"

Remember: Confidence isn't about wondering if they'll like you; it's knowing you'll be fine if they don't.

6. Quit Constant Availability

Even with perfect boundaries, there's one more habit that keeps entrepreneurs from doing their best work: constant availability.

The Hidden Cost of Always Being On

While building my company, I noticed our best strategic ideas always came during rare moments of complete disconnection - on flights, walks, or holidays.

The Airplane Mode Experiment

I decided to run an experiment: I put my phone on airplane mode for three hours each day and focused solely on our biggest strategic challenges. The results were mind-blowing. After just a month, I came up with two new initiatives that helped grow our revenue by 30%.

Creating Your Airplane Mode Protocol

To implement this strategy in your own life:

1. Schedule airplane mode sessions at least twice a week.
2. Create an emergency bypass system for true urgencies.
3. Train your team and clients that delayed responses don't mean neglect.
4. Batch communications into specific blocks.
5. Make yourself completely unavailable for at least one day a week for deep work.

Research indicates that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus after an interruption. By implementing these strategies, you're giving yourself the gift of uninterrupted focus.

7. Quit Following Conventional Wisdom

The final and perhaps most important thing to quit is blindly following conventional wisdom. True breakthroughs often come from challenging assumptions.

The Power of Contrarian Thinking

When I launched my creator business, everyone said I needed to be posting on multiple social media channels. Instead, I chose to focus exclusively on LinkedIn, which was relatively new for content creators at the time.

The Results of Going All-In

By posting high-quality content every day on a single platform, I built one of the fastest-growing audiences in the world within a year. This allowed me to release a high-ticket product without burning out, unlike many creators who spread themselves thin across multiple platforms.

Creating Your Contrarian Advantage

To develop your own contrarian advantage:

1. List the top 10 standard pieces of advice in your industry.
2. Question the core assumptions behind each rule.
3. Test the opposite approach in small, low-risk experiments.
4. Double down on what works for you, regardless of convention.
5. Create your own playbook based on results, not rules.

Remember the words of David Ogilvy: "Only dead fish go with the flow."

Conclusion: The Power of Strategic Elimination

Success in business isn't about doing more; it's about strategic elimination. I've used these seven quitting strategies to build three multi-million dollar businesses while working fewer hours than most entrepreneurs.

The difference between overwhelm and achievement isn't adding more to your plate - it's removing the right things. By quitting these seven habits, you can create space for the high-leverage activities that truly drive business growth.

Remember, true entrepreneurial success comes from challenging assumptions, setting boundaries, and focusing on what truly matters. It's not about constant hustle, but about working smarter and more strategically.

As you implement these strategies, keep in mind that change doesn't happen overnight. Start by choosing one or two areas to focus on, and gradually incorporate the others as you see results.

Your journey to building a successful business doesn't have to be marked by burnout and constant stress. By strategically quitting these counterproductive habits, you can achieve more while doing less, creating a sustainable path to long-term success.

So, what will you quit first? The path to your next breakthrough might just start with stopping something you're doing right now. Trust the process, stay focused on your goals, and remember - you've got this.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQV4pYFKly0