Most solopreneurs I know aren’t stuck because they lack ideas (we’re overflowing with them) or effort (we work harder than most folks we know).
We get stuck because we’re carrying too many projects without being clear about the relationship we have with each one.
See if this sounds familiar. Something feels off, but it’s hard to name. You’re making progress in several places at once, yet nothing feels settled. One project keeps whispering that you should probably stop. Another nags at you for not going all in. And somewhere in the background, an inner voice asks: Is any of this actually adding up?
When things feel like this, the usual questions don’t help. “What should I do next?” just creates more motion. “What should I focus on?” assumes you already know what deserves focus.
The more useful question is simpler:
What is this work asking of me right now?
That question shifts the frame. It moves you away from planning and toward orientation.
Over time, I’ve noticed that most of the work we carry can be understood by naming the state it’s in. Not stage, which implies a progression. Just different conditions a project can legitimately be in at a given moment.
One quick clarification, because it matters:
Stages ask: Where should I be in this project’s lifecycle?
States ask: What is this work asking of me right now?
This framework is about states. It’s about naming how a piece of work is responding to your energy and attention today.
Here’s what those states look like:
🔵 LEAN IN
This is work that is actively asking for more energy, attention, and commitment.
Leaning in makes sense when focus simplifies your world rather than complicating it. When the questions get sharper instead of louder. When the discomfort you feel comes from growth, not friction.
This is also where guilt about “not going all in” actually belongs. Not everywhere. Just here.
🟢 SUSTAIN
Some work doesn’t need escalation. It needs steadiness.
Sustain is about keeping a smooth line. Showing up consistently. Letting something continue to do its job without trying to turn it into something bigger or more impressive.
This state is often overlooked, which is why so many projects get pushed too hard. Not everything benefits from intensity.
Some things compound precisely because they’re allowed to stay stable.
🟣 COMPLETE
Completion is not the same thing as quitting.
This is work that has finished its task. You’ve learned what it had to teach you. New effort adds polish or repetition, but not depth. A clean ending would feel respectful, not abrupt.
Completing something well is a form of clarity. It honors the work that was done instead of stretching it past its natural life.
🟡 MOVE ON
This is work that no longer earns the energy it requires.
Moving on is not about erasing the past or disowning the effort. It’s about releasing the obligation to keep carrying something simply because you once committed to it.
When you move on, space opens up. Sometimes it’s for new work, but often it’s for clearer thinking.
The real strain doesn’t come from any of these states on their own. It comes from the mismatch. For example, treating work as something to push when it needs steadiness, or carrying it past the point where it’s done.
✅ If you want a quick self-check, try this:
Write down three projects you’re currently carrying.
Place each one in the state that fits best right now: Lean In, Sustain, Complete, or Move On.
Keep in mind, states can change and they often loop. That’s why this isn’t about moving forward (like a stage), it’s about seeing clearly in this moment.
No planning or fixing. Just placement.
Most clarity arrives before decisions do. Once you can name the state honestly, the next step tends to reveal itself.
Lately, I’ve been sitting with this question of what deserves energy (and what doesn’t) in my own work. Not to rush a decision, but to see it clearly.
Clarity like this doesn’t demand immediate action. It simply changes how you hold the work, and where you place your attention next.
This week I continued to dive into the newsletter archives and rediscovered some links and ideas that deserve more daylight. Here are three that are still fun and valuable to explore.
🧠 Still forgetting what you read? Try this 4-pen trick.
Shane Parrish uses a blank sheet of paper and four pen colors (blue, black, green, and red) to turn passive reading into active thinking. His mindmap method surfaces what you don’t understand before you begin, and visually reveals what actually stuck after you finish. If you’ve ever closed a book and wondered where the insight went, this approach is worth a look. It can 10x your ROI on what you read.
✏️ The quiet branding move behind every yellow pencil
Yellow pencils feel inevitable now, but that wasn’t always the case. In the late 1800s, pencil makers used a bright yellow lacquer as a subtle signal of luxury. Over time, that signal stuck. This short history shows how one small choice became a lasting brand cue, and why the best branding often begins before anyone calls it that.
💻 See what 300 newsletter creators leave in (and leave out)
Grow My Newsletter is a landing page library built by Louis Nicholls, the founder of SparkLoop. Browse real landing pages and discover what creators emphasize, what they omit, and how they frame value when space is tight. The more you scroll, the sharper your eye gets. Get inspiration and “steal” from the best.
Until next week: Stay small. Play big.
Terri
P.S. When you’re ready for more, here are a few resources from the Solo Business School:
Want to send a question or comment? Please do — I read (and respond to) my email.
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Authority By Design is a registered trademark, and Content Velocity and Working Solo are trademarks, of Make International LLC. Issue #098.
