The hidden power of being boring

"What's your biggest secret for growing your business that you haven't shared publicly?"

A well-known marketer posed this question to me recently during a 1:1 call.

I paused, knowing my answer would be a disappointing one. Because my biggest secret is that there’s no secret at all. If you ask me, success isn't about unlocking secrets — it's about doing the boring stuff, day in and day out.

But most people obsess over some hidden path to success. The shortcut. The hack. The thing nobody else knows.

I see this in my inbox every day: "What's your secret to growing your newsletter?" or "What's the one thing that made your LinkedIn account take off?"

And the real answer is always the most boring one.

I write. I write every single day. Even when I don't feel inspired. Even when nobody seems to care. And even when it feels like I'm talking to an empty room. I've now written for over 2,100 consecutive days without missing.

But of course, that's not what people want to hear.

The Boring Truth

Funny but true — most successful people aren't doing anything revolutionary. They're usually just doing boring things with an insane level of consistency. And they've built systems to make sure they don't miss.

At Ship30, Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole have designed a system that guarantees daily writing output. Their computers are set up the night before, their phones stay in other rooms, and their writing environments are distraction-free. The result? Thousands of words flow every morning before they even think about checking email.

My friend Ray built a multi 6-figure coaching business through a systematic approach to customer research. He conducts three 30-minute customer interviews on the same day every week, using the same seven questions, and documenting insights in a structured database. After 500+ conversations, he knows his market better than anyone.

And Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income podcast succeeds through an ironclad production system: recording every week on the same day and time, same studio setup, same editing team, same distribution checklist. Fifteen years and 850 episodes later, that system still drives his success.

But notice — the "secret" to success isn't just doing the boring work. It’s also building systems on top of the boring work, that make the work automatic.

Why We Hate This Reality

Here's what makes this truth so uncomfortable for people: It strips away the best excuses.

Because when success requires some secret knowledge, we can tell ourselves: "I just haven't found the right information yet."

Or when it requires special connections, we can say: "I'm just not in the right network."

But when success comes from consistency with basic, boring actions? That's harder to rationalize away. Because the path is clear. But it’s demanding.

Sahil Bloom covers this concept beautifully in his new book, The 5 Types of Wealth. As I was reading a chapter this week, I was reminded of how important doing the basic stuff really well is.

And he perfectly captured my thoughts on the topic with this picture.

And Sahil is right — once you embrace the boring basics, everything gets easier. You stop wasting energy looking for shortcuts. You stop second-guessing your approach. You stop jumping from strategy to strategy. You stop trying to be occasionally extraordinary!

Instead you focus on being consistently reliable. You pour your energy into showing up every day and doing what works.

How to Use this Information

Pick your boring basics and get good at them. And then build systems that make showing up automatic:

• If you're building an audience — Write for 30 minutes every morning before opening any browsers. Create five content pieces per week by creating a topical calendar. Schedule all your posts every Sunday for the week ahead.
• If you're selling products — Block an hour at the same time every week for customer interviews. Create a standard feedback form after every sale. Review customer insights on the first day of every month.
• If you're growing a service business — Create delivery checklists for every service tier. Set up automated follow-ups at 7, 30, and 90 days. Ask for referrals after every 5-star review using a templated outreach system.

The key isn't just doing these boring things, but also removing every possible barrier that might prevent you from doing them.

The Bottom Line

What's the real secret?

There isn't one. Just like I told that marketer, success is usually a result of the mundane, daily actions that compound over time. And the path isn't hidden — it's just boring enough that most people won't stick with it long enough to see any results.

So get good at boring. Really good at it. Better at boring than your competition.

And then build systems that put your boring work on auto pilot.

Because boring, executed systematically, becomes extraordinary.

And that's all for today.

See you next Saturday.