I need more stress

Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m coasting.

I’m making progress in my solopreneur business, but I know I have one or two extra gears I could shift into to accelerate things.

The problem? There’s no urgency.

When I look back at my fastest periods of growth, there was always some stress pushing me:

• No income → Forced me to hustle and find opportunities.

• High-stakes project at work → Pressure to deliver with many eyeballs on me.

• Client expectations → Kept me accountable and working at my highest level.

Right now, I don’t have those external pressures.

Can I manufacture my own stress to push myself harder?

Stress gets a bad reputation, but not all stress is bad.

There’s a sweet spot—a level of challenge that pushes us but doesn’t break us. It’s called eustress (positive stress), and it’s what keeps athletes training hard, entrepreneurs scaling their businesses, and creatives pushing boundaries.

Here’s how I’m trying to manufacture my own stress:

1. Public accountability → Share progress and deadlines to an audience.

2. Commitments with external parties → I’m on the hunt for a reciprocal accountability buddy. If you’re interested, ping me!

3. Take on challenges → Challenge myself to complete something I feel will take longer within 30 days. It makes the deadline non-negotiable.

4. Pleasure upon completion → No gaming, reading or watching sports unless I’m done with the deadlines I had set.

I’m experimenting with some of these now, testing which ones spark that extra gear I know I have inside me.

Today’s Prompts

1 - What is my current comfort zone, and what would it take to step beyond it?

2 - If I continue at my current pace for the next year, where will I be? Am I happy with that?

3 - What self-imposed constraints or challenges can I set to increase my drive?

4 - Who in my life naturally challenges me? How can I engage with them more?

5 - How can I simulate ‘wartime conditions’ in my business to drive urgency?

6 - If someone else were coaching me, what challenges would they set for me?

Get the most out of your journalling:

• Choose one prompt: Focus on just one prompt each day to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

• Be brutally honest: Reflect openly and honestly. This is your safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings.

• Take your time: Sometimes it takes a few days to clarify your thinking. Here’s permission for you to take your time to unravel a prompt and not take on any new ones during that time.

• Journal your way: Whether you prefer writing, audio recording, or video, choose the method that suits you best.

• Don't stress about streaks: If you miss a day, don't worry. You can always revisit a previous prompt.

I’d love your feedback

What was your favourite prompt of the day? Is there any specific challenge you want prompts for? How can I improve the content of the newsletter? Reply this mail and let me know!