I Spent 32 Days In Bali As A Solopreneur To Scale My One-Person Business. Here’s What Happened.

The results were surprising...

Author’s Own Image: Who else wears nose strips?

On August 11th, I left Singapore for Bali on a mission.

I wanted to rapidly scale my one-person business.

Here’s what happened next.

Monk mode works.

I went to Bali with a clear intention:

Scale.

I cut everything else that was a distraction.

During my entire 32 days, I didn’t:

• Party.

• Sleep late.

• See any tourist attractions.

I barely went left the road where my accommodation was located.

Extreme? Yes.

But it was very effective.

I was able to:

• Double my monthly recurring revenue from 9k to 18k (AUD).

• Sell out of my DFY and DWY offers.

• Gain clarity on my positioning.

This was the first time I truly went monk mode.

While intense, I loved the feeling.

The progress I was able to make on a day-to-day basis was satisfying. I could push myself to the edge of my abilities and see how I would respond.

Don’t get me wrong.

Working this way is tough. Every day felt uncomfortable, but it showed me how far I could push myself.

I realized I could go much further than I initially thought.

Consistency beats intensity

I had the same routine 99% of the time.

• Wake up at 6:00am

• Hydrate, morning sunlight, and read.

• Morning writing session.

• Afternoon client work.

• Gym in the evening.

• Sleep at the same time.

I even ate the same thing most days.

I took weekends slower but generally had the same structure.

This consistency helped reduce the decisions I’d make on a daily basis.

Some days, I’d make 10%. Other days, it felt like 1%.

But every day counted.

After a week, I could see the compound effect taking place.

I see too many go too hard, too quickly.

They have a burst of motivation but then quickly quit and stop trying.

That’s the wrong way to go about it,

Pick an intensity you can sustain for the long term.

Environment is everything

I was surrounded by other entrepreneurs.

They:

• Inspired me.

• Supported me.

• Encouraged me.

In this environment, success became a default.

It becomes harder to fail than it did to succeed.

I got access to a community of people working just as hard or harder than me. I felt like I wasn’t weird or abnormal for the goals I wanted to achieve.

Too many people fail before they even get started.

• They surround themselves with people who don’t support them.

• They isolate themselves in an environment with no help.

As a solopreneur, building a one-person is already difficult.

Show me your environment, and I’ll predict your outcomes.

Things will go wrong.

From,

• Fraud claims on my Strip account.

• Getting a severe case of food poisoning.

• Misunderstanding my Visa requirements and paying $350 to fix it.

It’s inevitable you’ll face setbacks.

Some large. Some small.

While I tried to create the most productive environment, life will sometimes throw you a curve ball. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t get frustrated. Embrace them.

They make for great stories and test your resilience and systems.

Whenever something bad would happen, I’d be grateful.

I’d either learn something new, or I developed an additional layer of resilience.

Sometimes, I’d get both.

But either way, I win.

It’s not what happens. It’s your mindset towards it.

Rest

I’m exhausted.

After returning to Singapore, I realized how hard I’d pushed myself.

So, I’m taking the next few weeks slower.

I’ll spend time:

• Eating Durian.

• Celebrating my grandma’s 90th birthday.

• Exploring Vietnam with my brother and mum.

Then, I’ll prepare for my next 4-week sprint while living in Vietnam.

I know I can’t work at this intensity for a prolonged period of time. I’d burn myself out.

I’ve found my optimal cycle is sprint, rest, and then sprint again.

Rest is fundamental in my growth. During lower periods, I’ve got more time and head space to think strategically, rather than tactically. I can work ‘on’ the business and not just ‘in’ it.

I want to do business forever. It’s a game I never want to leave.

Optimize for a marathon of sprints.

So, what’s next?

I went with a very clear intention for my business: Scale.

I can proudly sit here and say that I did that in Bali.

What’s my next set of 4-week sprint goals in Vietnam?

You’ll have to wait and see ;)

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👉 I’ve previously sold a one-person business and I’m in the process of scaling another one to $20k per month. If you want my one-person business growth system, I’ve created a FREE email course for you to get started.