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- Issue No. 136: How the "two-day rule" can make your daily work-life much easier
Issue No. 136: How the "two-day rule" can make your daily work-life much easier
Will AI Agents Open The Door To Single-Person Unicorn Creators?
Jenae Spry
December 06, 2024
Productivity Express
Issue No. 136
The Best in Evidenced-Based Productivity
for Small Business Owners, Freelancers & Founders
Helping You Work Smarter and Live More
The Rundown
The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity
The social media world is splintering, and it'll pave the way for a new breed of influencer (and business owner!)
How the "two-day rule" can make your daily work-life much easier
Craft 3 is shockingly close to my ideal productivity app
Will AI Agents Open The Door To Single-Person Unicorn Creators?
Add this book to your reading list
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🔥Quote/Prompt
The best work is not what is most difficult for you; it is what you do best.
Use the quote as a writing or thinking prompt to finish your week strong.
A bit from mine:
(posted in our Doer Entrepreneurs Free Community — off social media)
I have a "love hate" relationship with this quote.
Sometimes we are good (even great) at multiple things but it doesn't mean that we love all those things. Hell, we might even be great at something that we hate or lose interest in.
Now on to the part I love about this!
As business owners, one of the best pieces of productivity advice I can give is […]
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📈 Performance
What does curiosity have to do with performance and business? Well, what was interesting about this article is that curiosity is hugely related to dopamine. And curiosity also plays a huge roll in motivation. Both of these are very important for us to master to get the most out of ourselves and our brains.
The relationship between uncertainty and curiosity follows an inverted U-shaped curve: too little uncertainty doesn't engage us, while too much can overwhelm us. This helps explain why we're often most curious about topics where we already have some foundational knowledge.
Key Insights:
Moderate uncertainty is the sweet spot for engagement. So when you understand about 40-60% of a new interesting business concept, that's when you're most motivated to learn more.
Early morning exploration primes your brain for better learning all day (NOT social scrolling!). This means starting your day reading about a new business strategy makes you more receptive to learning opportunities throughout the day.
Regular exposure to new ideas maintains cognitive flexibility. Try dedicating 30 minutes daily to learning something outside your expertise to help prevent mental stagnation.
Read the full article for a complete breakdown of how curiosity affects your brain, practical techniques to maintain cognitive engagement, and science-backed strategies for lifelong learning.
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⚙️ Optimization
You probably read that and thought “but I’m not an influencer, I just want people to buy my product/service” — except, that also makes you an influencer. Or, at least, needing to think like one if you’re using social media for your business. There’s good news for you as a solopreneur or small business. The social media landscape is fragmenting into smaller, more focused communities where expertise and authenticity matter more than follower counts.
"They actually want experts," Wittman said. "They want it to be fun, and they want it to be creative. They don't want just some crazy infomercial."
Key Insights:
The rise of expertise-driven content means small business owners can compete by focusing on their niche knowledge. (Example: A bookkeeper sharing detailed tax tips can build more engagement than a generalist with millions of followers.)
Alternative platforms like VSCO and Reddit are gaining traction by prioritizing community over ads. (Example: VSCO's paid tier removes all ads for just $2.50/month, letting creators focus on genuine connection.)
Long-form content is making a comeback as audiences seek deeper engagement. So if you’ve been depressed about the takeover of TikTok and similar short-form content taking over, this is great news for you!
Read the full article for detailed insights on emerging platforms, strategies for building authentic communities, and expert predictions about the future of social media marketing.
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⏲️ Time Management
You’ve got your solid routines, and then a client calls with a crisis or massive project or your go-to software tool decides this is the time to go down — and those solid routines and habits are suddenly history! We have all been there. When 💩 hits the fan so to speak, this is a really simple but powerful approach that might be exactly what you need to stay consistent with the routines that matter most for your personal & business growth.
"The two-day rule is so successful because it accepts that humans will occasionally fall short. We will have those everyday moments of private failure when we can't be bothered or our willpower stays in bed. It's also about balance. There are very few things in life we 'should' do all of the time or every day. A rest day or a cheat day is important. But the two-day rule is brilliant because it doesn't let you off the hook."
Key Insights:
Build sustainable business habits by never skipping important tasks two days in a row. That means if you missed your morning planning session today, don’t panic, but it's non-negotiable tomorrow.
Apply this to professional relationships by responding to important emails within 48 hours. Setting a two-day maximum response time for client communications builds trust and reliability.
Use the rule to maintain work-life boundaries by ensuring you never go two days without a "glimmer" moment of joy. Take 15 minutes to appreciate your progress, even during intense project deadlines. Everyone has 15 minutes!
Read the full article for detailed examples of implementing the two-day rule, expert insights on habit formation, and strategies for balancing determination with self-compassion.
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💻 Tools & Technology
If you've been hopping between different tools trying to find the perfect system for managing your business tasks and ideas, this one is worth a look. After a major pivot back to simplicity, Craft 3 has evolved into something that might finally bridge the gap between note-taking and task management for how your brain works. Always remember, don’t try to make your brain fit a tool, try to find a tool that fits your brain.
"This new Craft is the best app I've tried for managing both big projects and day-to-day life. It's still missing a few features, particularly on the to-do list front, but it is both beautifully designed and very powerful, and it just works the way my brain does."
Key Insights:
Quick capture is essential for busy business owners. You don’t need to be fumbling with multiple clicks. Craft has a quick-add window that lets you instantly jot down ideas and decide later where they belong.
Unified tools reduce mental overhead instead of having things spread out. This one has calendar events, tasks, and notes in one place.
Simpler is often better for productivity. Craft uses basic task checkboxes without complex priority systems.
And this isn’t sponsored, but I love a good simple tool and while I still love ClickUp, if that isn’t your jam, read the full article to check out Craft 3's features, pricing model, and planned future updates, including new ways to organize information around people rather than just dates and tasks. And one more time, see if it clicks for your brain, don’t force your brain into anything!
🤖 AI
Independent professionals and freelancers are probably the most worried about AI taking their jobs, but those that are worried are ignoring this REALLY huge benefit. If you have ever felt there aren't enough hours in the day, AI agents might be about to change that game entirely. We're moving beyond basic AI tools into a world where autonomous agents could handle entire departments of work on your behalf. The quote below discussed the creator economy but no matter your industry you should care because think about it, creators are often the face of their business so if your business requires YOU to run it too, then this is REALLY important. (Should I add another “REALLY”? 😂Seriously..pay attention here!)
"At the moment, careers in the creator economy are resource-constrained, so at a certain level, creators will need someone to run their finances or handle any potential partnerships. With AI agents doing some of the more labour-intensive back-end work, we want creators only to be limited by the wildness of their ideas."
Key Insights:
Administrative tasks are the biggest barrier to solo success. You know, the stuff you don’t get paid to do but is necessary for running your business — customer service, invoicing, etc.
AI agents are becoming sophisticated enough to handle complex workflows autonomously. For example, an AI could manage your entire sales pipeline, from lead generation to meeting scheduling.
The future may favor domain experts over engineers. Industry specialists can now build custom AI agents without coding knowledge, using platforms like Relevance AI. According to Relevance AI’s founder, “The best [AI] agents won’t be made by career engineers in hackathons, they will be made by experts in that specific field” — people like, you know, YOU!
Read the full article for detailed examples of how creators are using AI agents, insights from successful implementers, and expert predictions about the future of solo entrepreneurship.
👀 Read, Watch, Listen
This week’s awesome books, YouTube videos, newsletters, etc. to add to your list!
This book by Leil Lowndes is a comprehensive guide to mastering interpersonal communication. Through 92 practical techniques with memorable names, it teaches readers how to make strong first impressions, excel at small talk, use body language effectively, and build rapport in social, romantic, and professional settings. The techniques cover everything from party navigation to phone communication, all designed to help readers develop that magnetic quality that makes people instantly likeable and successful. It's an updated version of "Talking the Winner's Way" based on proven research.
🎉 Celebration Corner
Every week Doers Inner Circle members do a weekly review & get help when they need it — check out the progress they made this week!
Made progress with my [business] creation project
Managed to triage mails and send important inquiry
Had very nice feedback from 1 "client"
Thought of possible pricing policy for my [business] services
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I hope you found this valuable!
Wishing you much productivity!
- Jenae :)
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