Want to get more done? Adopt a less-is-more approach
Many of us have been taught that to be successful we need to do more. We need to add more things to our to-do list. We need to tick them off faster. We need to keep moving forward. But what if what we’ve been taught is all wrong? What if the answer to getting more of what you want is not doing more, but instead, doing less?
I know this personally. When I have felt overwhelmed and behind in my career and life, my natural tendency is to go into overdrive mode. But striving to achieve unrealistic goals often makes us feel stressed, frustrated and burnt-out. Learning to be intentional about doing less can help us get more of what we want.
Here are three tried-and-true techniques to do less in a strategic way:
(1) Do the things that matters. Make a list of your to-dos, prioritize the tasks in the order of importance, and be intentional about doing the important tasks first. Your goals and what you want more of will help guide what is important for you. For example, if you are looking to connect more with your team, you might prioritize having weekly 1:1 meetings with team members. If you want to develop better leadership presence, you should focus your time understanding your personal brand and developing relationships with your key stakeholders.
(2) Learn to say no. When you say no to the things that make you feel busy but aren’t getting results, you end up with more time for what matters. Learning to say no – kindly but in a way that maintains the relationship – is a skill. If you can master it, you will feel more in control of your life. Peter Drucker, the management guru, argued that the best businesses are those that engage in “purposeful abandonment,” which is choosing what not to do. Resisting the urge to do it all has been important driver of success for some of the world’s most successful companies, including Trader Joe’s, Southwest Airlines and Apple. Trader Joes has said no to carrying a big inventory (instead, it carries a limited, seasonal stock). Southwest Airlines has said no to flying all routes (instead, it only flies short-haul flights). Apple sells just a few products and spends all its attention on making them the best they can. Remember that successful businesses prioritize saying “no” and you should too.
(3) Reframe success. Your measure of success should not be about finishing your (never ending) to-do list. Instead, it should be celebrating the important things that you get done and reminding yourself that you are doing enough.
Remember, applying these techniques are not easy. They go against all our human tendencies to do more. But be curious. Be patient. Slow down and be strategic about doing less.
I hope these three techniques will help you forward forward with ease. Please reach out to me if you need professional assistance with this topic. Drop me a note through the Contact page if you have any questions.
