🪓 I broke my own rule (and I’d do it again)

I strongly believe it is better to create rules than to simply complete tasks. I have multiple rules I try and live and do business by. However, today I broke one of my rules. And for good reason.

One rule I try to live by states that I don’t miss twice; If I miss on a habit I do by darndest to make sure it doesn’t happen twice in a row. Another rule is that I should always respond to current clients first.

This is the second time in a row that I’m late sending WSW out. I missed twice in a row. But, I was right to miss it twice in a row in the circumstances.

As I mentioned last edition, I’ve been ill. I’ve also shifted my positioning. I’ve gone from “work less” to “build a calm business”, and it has really paid off. I’ve had a big influx of leads over the last week or so, and I’ve closed multiple deals.

I’ve been unexpectedly busier - more than I anticipated - at a time where I had reduced capacity. The onboarding period is always the busiest, lots of new clients mean lots of boundary setting and moving mindsets. While I stuck to my core principle that my health is my first foundation - I prioritise recovery over business - demand has driven my work time to be ruthlessly focused.

Even-over statements have helped me a lot with focusing on the work that matters.

In the example of this email, and the rule I broke that I’d break again, I chose to miss twice in order to properly service my currently clients and ready-to-buy leads.

This newsletter is designed for five things:

1. To improve retention of current clients.

2. To provide a soft entry point into my “ecosystem”.

3. To sharpen my mind and make me a better coach by writing to teach.

4. To give back. I write about things I wish people had told me when I first started many years ago, I strive to be the help I wish I'd had.

5. To convert mid-funnel leads into buyers.

   
   

I am sending this late as I chose to prioritise serving current customers/buyers even over contacting a larger amount of potential buyers. As the old saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

So yes, I’m late. But no, I don’t regret it.

Which rules do you live by?

Are you losing deals by always chasing potential rather than closing current opportunities? What are you going to do about it?

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-may-21-2025

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