Execution is everything.

But not if you are working on the wrong thing.

A few weeks back, I wrote about how we took That Clean Life from $0 to an 8-figure exit. I looked back to summarize what I believe are the key steps we took to build That Clean Life with the hope of inspiring your own entrepreneurial journey.

One key to success I reflected on was persevering through setbacks, mistakes, and failures, one of which was a two-year stint (two years) sprinting on a hamster wheel, going faster and faster but remaining stuck in the same place.

Yep, I’m talking about zero growth. A founder’s worst nightmare.

As founders, we're constantly juggling multiple priorities, making decisions on the fly, and hustling to bring our vision to life. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of execution without taking a step back to ensure that we're actually moving in the right direction.

Here’s what I learned from being in this purgatory for way too long:

Execution isn’t everything if you aren’t working on the right thing.

“You’ll often hear people say, ‘execution is everything,’ but that’s not quite right. In fact, it’s often quite wrong. When it comes to project work, and specifically software development, executing something the wrong way can destroy morale, grind teams down, erode trust, crunch gears, and wreck the machinery of long-term progress. So yeah, it’s ‘done,’ but at what cost?”

Jason Fried

So, how do you get out of the rut?

How do you course correct, and stop executing on the wrong things to focus on the right things?

Here’s how to jump off that hamster wheel ASAP.

Get clear on where you are going.

Define your vision and goals. What is your long-term vision for your business? What do you want to achieve? What impact do you want to make?

Break your vision down into specific, measurable goals that align with your values and priorities. Identify the KPIs that will indicate success. These goals will act as the roadmap for your execution efforts, providing clarity and direction.

Team alignment.

Ensure your team understands the vision, the goals, and what success looks like so that everyone is aligned and working towards the same objectives.

When your team understands the destination, it’s easier to stay on course and execute on the right things. A culture of alignment is truly everything here. Open communication, collaboration, and shared accountability are key.

Ruthless prioritization.

Focus on what matters most - that is, prioritizing activities based on their alignment with their potential impact on your business.

Want to grow? Focus only on activities that will lead to growth and ignore the rest.

Say no to distractions and stay focused. If you find yourself saying, “This is a distraction” a lot, then you are doing it right.

Measure, re-evaluate, and adjust.

Measure your progress with weekly reviews. Continue to come back to your vision and goals regularly to ensure you are staying on the right path. Pivot if needed.

Magic happens when your execution is aligned with your strategy. This is the fun part, where running your business feels like that downward part of a rollercoaster, where you have your hands in the air. It’s exhilarating. No doubt the time will come back around when you are back on that dreaded incline, and it will be hard, but that is a part of this journey we are on as entrepreneurs.

We all fall off track.

This journey isn’t linear.

The key is to persevere through the hard times in a smart way.

It’s not about starting up; it’s about staying up.

Here's to hustling smarter, not just harder. To executing on the right things and building businesses that make us laugh as much as they make us sweat.

That’s what I’m here for. It’s a fun game to play.