Newsletter: Why Successful Business Owners Are Embracing Limits

Published 17 August 2024 by

Martin Hamilton

I often reflect on what freedom is and how to keep it.

Freedom motivated me to pursue my work on the internet. However, too much freedom can sometimes be more of a problem than an asset.

Excessive freedom can lead to complexity and become overwhelming, especially when building an audience or a business. Embracing constraints can be beneficial for creativity, productivity, and profitability.

While constraints may seem like the antithesis of freedom, they often prove to be useful and productive. Sometimes, less is more.

Today, let’s explore how you can leverage constraints to grow your audience and build your business.

The Problem With Too Many Choices

Have you ever dined at The Cheesecake Factory? Their menu boasts 250 items. While it might seem like they offer something for everyone, the abundance of choices can make deciding on a meal a daunting task.

This is a classic example of the Paradox of Choice, which explains that an overwhelming number of options can make decision-making difficult.

I frequently observe this “choice problem” among Creators and One-person Business Owners.

Raise your hand if you have too many ideas but not enough time to implement them? 🙋‍♀️

They have an abundance of ideas, often layered under main ideas, making the possibilities seem endless and overwhelming. It’s like an inverted pyramid.

This issue leads to scattered focus, half-finished products, and content that tries to appeal to everyone but resonates with no one. Ultimately, it hinders action.

For One-person Business Owners, too much freedom can be a curse. It’s time to start thinking about your freedoms within some constraints.

The Power of Constraints

Constraints compel us to think and act creatively within set limitations. When we are forced to operate within constraints, we are more likely to make decisions, focus, and produce better results more efficiently.

Here are some examples of productive constraints:

X’s 280-character limit: X has revolutionized communication with its character limit, making brevity an art form that resonates globally.
Basecamp’s lean approach: Basecamp intentionally keeps its team small, ensuring that every employee works on what truly matters.
ConvertKit’s Creator Challenge: ConvertKit has a 30-day challenge which pushes creators to launch a product within a month, forcing quick decision-making and action.

How to Apply Constraints in Your Work

Seeing the power of constraints is one thing; applying them to build your audience and business is another.

Here are some constraints that have worked well for me:

Building a product: Set a strict deadline for a course or eBook.
Marketing yourself: Focus on one social channel for a month. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn about a platform when you concentrate on it. If you’re new to content creation, start with X. It’s the safest and easiest platform to begin with.
Content Creation: Use the 1-3-5 method. Create one pillar piece of content, identify three main ideas within it, and turn each idea into five micro-content pieces. Stick to this method for 30 days.
Time Management: Try the Pomodoro Technique—work in 25-minute sprints followed by 5-minute breaks. If this doesn’t work, experiment with other time management techniques until you find one that suits you.
Decision Making: When faced with a difficult choice, limit your options to three. This accelerates decision-making and often leads to equally good or better outcomes.

Embracing Constraints in Your Business

Start small. Choose one aspect of your audience growth strategy or business and introduce a constraint for a week. This could be as simple as limiting your work hours, budget, social platform, or the features you plan to add to your product. Observe how this change impacts your thinking and results.

Everyday I’m like “how can I work less, and make more”?

Using these techniques will change your perspective on everything.

You might be surprised by the creative solutions you come up with when you can’t rely on more time, money, or features to solve a problem.

Remember, constraints aren’t about creating limitations for the sake of it. They’re about focusing your efforts and creativity to achieve better results with less waste.

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