230. Moving From Plans to Action in the Solopreneur Success Cycle

After spending so much time laying the groundwork in the planning phase, it’s finally time to take action. In this episode, Carly and Joe step into the doing phase of the Solopreneur Success Cycle, where strategies move from paper to practice. They share how to run your business with intention, capture issues before they slip through the cracks, and decide what deserves your immediate attention versus what can wait. From simple fixes to documenting big-picture improvements, this is the phase where solopreneurs turn ideas into execution and momentum into results.

Important Questions From The Episode:

Why is it important to document issues instead of just fixing them right away?

Because not every problem is urgent. Writing issues down helps you pause, evaluate the impact, and decide whether it needs immediate attention or can wait until you’re in the improvement phase. It also preserves the insights you have in the moment or ideas you might forget months later when you finally revisit the problem.

What framework can solopreneurs use to prioritize what to work on?

The Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool. It helps you separate tasks into four categories: urgent and important, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, and neither urgent nor important. Doing this allows solopreneurs to focus on what truly drives the business forward rather than just reacting to whatever feels pressing in the moment.

How can writing things down reduce stress for solopreneurs?

Carrying everything in your head creates mental clutter and even sleepless nights. By getting issues, tasks, and ideas out of your brain and into a trusted system, whether that’s a notebook, worksheet, or an app, you free up mental space. You’ll rest easier knowing nothing important will slip through the cracks.

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Episode Transcript

Carly Ries (00:00):
Well, we've officially graduated from the
planning phase of the slopreneursuccess cycle, and it's time to
move into the doing phase. Inthis episode, we break down what
it really looks like to run yourbusiness day to day, how to
capture issues before they slipyour mind, and why documenting
problems and possible solutionswill save you countless hours
and stress later. From applyingthe Eisenhower matrix to

(00:22):
avoiding knee jerk reactions tothe simple system that helps you
sleep better at night, thisconversation is packed with
practical ways to keep yourbusiness moving forward while
building smarter for the future.You're listening to The Aspiring
Solopreneur, the podcast foranyone on the solo business
journey, whether you're justtoying with the idea, taking

(00:42):
your first bold step, or havebeen running your own show for
years and want to keep growing,refining, and thriving. I'm
Carly Ries, and along with mycohost, Joe Rando, we're your
guides through the crazy butawesome world of being company
of one.
As part of LifeStarr, a digitalhub dedicated to all things
solopreneurship, we help peopledesign businesses that align

(01:03):
with their life's ambitions sothey can work to live, not live
to work. If you're looking forrich quick scheme, this is not
the place for you. But if youwant real world insights from
industry experts, lessons fromthe successes and stumbles of
fellow solopreneurs, andpractical strategies for
building and sustaining abusiness you love, you're in the
right spot. Because flying soloin business doesn't mean you're

(01:24):
alone. No matter where you arein your journey, we've got your
back.

(02:31):
Joe, it's so funny. We've beendoing a series on the
solopreneur success cycle, and Idon't even know what number
we're on at this point becausethere was so much in the
planning phase. But guess what?We have graduated from the
planning phase. Today isofficially the day that we're
moving on to the doing phase ofthe Solopreneur Success Cycle.
Which it feels like a long timecoming, but everything you do in

(02:54):
the planning phase is necessaryfor the actual doing phase. And
Joe, I mean, there's so much wecan discuss even in the doing
phase, but it's kinda justputting all the pieces together
from your planning and actuallyimplementing them.

Joe Rando (03:08):
Well, this is really, at this point, about, running
your business. You've put it alltogether. You're running it.
Maybe you started it.
Hey. Your business has beenrunning for three years, but
there's still something you canget out of this phase because
this is really all about as yourun your business. You know, one
of the things we've all seen isthat you notice something that's

(03:29):
not the way it should be. And Idon't know about you. I don't
know about the listeners, butfor me, I go, I remember that.
And, yeah, no. I don't rememberthat. I don't. there are so many
things that happen. So one ofthe things that I have come to
believe is that when somethingisn't quite the way you'd like
it to be, sometimes you go,yeah, let's just fix it now. you

(03:51):
know, it's gonna take me half anhour or ten minutes or I got a
day to devote to it.
Great. But sometimes it's like,this is a big deal. I don't know
even how I'm gonna do itexactly. You wanna write that
down. You wanna note it.
You want to have a place whereyou put these things, these
problems, and, brainstormsolutions at the time because
sometimes you get insights thatyou won't be able to recall

(04:12):
months later when you'reactually gonna tackle this.

Carly Ries (04:14):
Even if you think you will.

Joe Rando (04:17):
You will think you will. Absolutely. Yeah. You will
think it. You will be wrong.
I shouldn't say it. Some peoplehave amazing memories, and,
yeah, they can just do this. Butfor most of us yeah. Write it
down. I have actually a documentworksheet I've put together for
tracking this kind of stuff thatit's gonna be linked in the

(04:39):
book, in Solopreneur Businessfor Dummies.
So, anyway, the idea there isjust keeping track will make a
big difference. And the idea is,to think through this idea of
what is the issue. Write downthe issue because you noticed

(04:59):
it.
Right? Something went wrong.What is the impact of that
issue? what's it doing that'scausing things to be bad?
That helps you kinda gauge theseverity. How should I carve
time now? Can I wait until thenext time I decide to make some
changes to the business? Youknow, a best guess of what's
causing it because you mighthave insights now that you're

(05:20):
not gonna have in three months.And like I said, the possible
solutions, you really wannawrite those down because you
have some insights in the momentthat might be hard to get back
later.
How confident are you of thesesolution ideas? You know, is
this just a wing and a prayer,or I know this is what I need to
do? How much work do you thinkit's gonna be? And what's the

(05:42):
plan? What's the next step?
Am I gonna do it now? Am I gonnaput it off until I do my change
phase? You know, my improvephase of the solopreneur success
cycle could be months away. Andjust make a decision around
that. So, that's really the waythat you wanna address this in
my opinion.
And this is the way we addressit in the book.

Carly Ries (06:04):
Well, and I think some people might think, oh,
that sounds tedious to writedown all those things. But what
I would say is, one, you'llthank yourself in the long run
even though in that moment,it'll seem like a to do you just
need to check off. But also,it'll allow you to take a step
back and think through itbecause I think when you see
something going wrong, your kneejerk reaction is to fix it

(06:25):
immediately. But that might takeyou away from other more
pressing things like we talkedabout the Eisenhower matrix
Throughout the book.
We also talk about it in ourshow a lot of just like, Joe,
remind me of the four things.

Joe Rando (06:39):
It's important, not important, and then urgent and
not urgent. And you spend mostof your time in the important
urgent things. Right?
and this is really where a lotof these changes, some of these
changes are important andurgent, and you just need to do
them now or something bad willhappen. But some of them are
important, but not urgent. youknow, the world's not gonna end,

(07:02):
but these are where you reallyimprove your business. Right? So
this is where you're saying,here's something I can do that's
gonna make my business betterthat isn't because it's broken.
It's because it's an improvementor some something that's not
ideal right now. And, maybe it'sjust a manual thing you're doing
overnight.
Like, every day I spend, fortyfive minutes doing this manual

(07:23):
thing, and, boy, I would love tobuy that time back. Well, you
don't have to buy that time backright now. Everything's working.
But this is where you sit downand you create this document and
outline the issues and why youwant to fix this or make a
change. And then you can takethat time later to carve out to
make that particular change orat least explore making that

(07:44):
change and maybe buy back thatforty five minutes.

Carly Ries (07:48):
Yeah. I mean, what I just love about documenting all
of this is that we can go a milea minute, like I talk. We can go
a mile a minute, and it allowsyou to slow down if you document
it. If nothing else, just topause and not just have any knee
jerk reactions, I think thisprocess is really important.
And like Joe said, we dive intoit more in the book.

Joe Rando (08:08):
Yeah. I mean, one of the things I'll tell you, I
spent a good chunk of my adultlife waking up in the middle of
the night, remembering somethingthat I forgot because I tried to
carry it all in my head. Andthis was, especially with to dos
and tasks and things like thatthat I would have forgotten to
do something or wanted to makesure I didn't forget to do

(08:29):
something, and I would writethose things down. And one of
the things that I ended up doingwas, implementing the getting
things done process that we'vetalked about before, David
Allen's process. But, also, Ibuilt out, as part of LifeStarr,
an app, that's also beingreleased with the book that lets
you get all that stuff out ofyour brain and into a system.

(08:50):
And yeah, I sleep so much betternow. I don't wake up anymore.
And the same thing with this. Ifyou get this stuff written down,
documented, and you don't thenwake up going, oh, I gotta
remember to do that or whatever.if you've got this document,
you've got this book, I don'tknow, three ring notebook or, u
a Moleskin, notebook or whateverwhere you're writing this stuff

(09:11):
down, then you're not worriedabout it. You know it's there.
It's safe, and it's just out ofyour brain, and makes for a
better life.

Carly Ries (09:17):
Absolutely. Well, again, this is learning from
your business. So, Joe, we haveso much more to dive into for
this current phase for the nextphase of the solopreneur success
cycle. So be sure to tune in tothat listeners next time. And
thank you so much for tuning intoday.
As always, leave that five starreview. Share this episode with
a friend. Subscribe on yourfavorite podcast platform,

(09:38):
including YouTube. And we'll seeyou next time on The Aspiring
Solopreneur. You may be goingsolo in business, but that
doesn't mean you're alone.
In fact, millions of people arein your shoes, running a one
person business and figuring itout as they go. So why not
connect with them and learn fromeach other's successes and
failures? At LifeStarr, we'recreating a one person business

(09:59):
community where you can go tomeet and get advice from other
solopreneurs. Be sure to join inon the conversations at
community.lifestarr.com.