I’ll be honest—I’m that classic generalist with a runaway ego.
My brain screams, “Work on everything!” while reality whispers, “Pick one or two projects and do them well.” I love all my ideas—lead magnets, AI wrappers, directories, communities, YouTube videos, newsletters… you name it, I want to build it.
But trying to sprint on every front at once just shatters my focus and leaves me feeling like I’ve barely scratched the surface on anything. Sound familiar?
Here’s how I’m turning that contradiction into a playbook that lets me enjoy my varied passions and actually ship deep work.
1. Admit the Paradox
I thrive on variety. Jumping from one project to the next feels exhilarating—until I realize I’ve toggled between six different dashboards and accomplished nothing meaningful.
The first step was owning that tension: yes, I’m a generalist, and yes, I need focus to do my best work.
2. Batch by Theme
Rather than trying to juggle everything daily, I now dedicate each weekday to a specific theme. For example:
- Mondays & Tuesdays → Lead magnets & landing pages
- Wednesdays → AI wrapper experiments
- Thursdays → Directory and data work
- Fridays → Community building, YouTube scripts, and newsletter prep
This way I keep related tasks in the same mental “folder,” drastically cutting down context-switching.
3. Sprint on 1–2 Projects Only
Each week, I choose my top two priorities—say, finishing that AI-powered directory overhaul and scripting three YouTube videos.
Everything else stays on the “nice to have” list. By Friday, those two projects have real momentum, and I actually deliver results instead of juggling half-finished drafts.
4. Time-Box My Passions
I still crave variety—so I block out one-hour “passion slots” for the projects I’m itching to tinker with. When the timer dings, I switch gears guilt-free, knowing I honored every passion without derailing my main sprint.
5. Leverage AI Muscle
I’ve learned that a $20/month AI tool can handle the grunt work:
- Cursor for rapid UI tweaks and layout experiments
- ChatGPT for first-draft copies and brainstorming
Automating those repetitive bits frees me to focus on big-picture strategy—my true zone of genius.
6. Embrace “Less Is More”
Naval Ravikant’s wisdom still rings true: stripping away the non-essential brings clarity. I ask myself for each project, “If I dropped this tomorrow, what would I really miss?”
If the answer isn’t a resounding, “That’s my bread and butter,” it goes on the chopping block.
Wrapping It Up
Being a generalist in this AI-powered era is a gift—and a challenge. By batching themes, sprinting on just two projects, time-boxing my curiosities, and leaning on AI subscriptions, I’m finally doing the deep work I’ve been craving.
The result? Cleaner output, faster progress, and the freedom to return to all my other ideas—without my ego running the show.
So if you’re anything like me, give this a spin:
- Pick your weekly duo.
- Block themed days.
- Automate the grunt work.
- Celebrate focused wins.
You’ll be amazed how much more you accomplish—and how much more fun it becomes to be a generalist with a plan.
