Do Less.

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint Exupery

How many times do you find yourself prioritizing tasks, time blocking your schedule or making to-do lists so you can complete all your tasks and start working on the next? Once you have all those responsibilities completed, you can fit more into your day and accomplish more. You can call more prospects and clients and you can attend more functions and events. The faster and harder you work, the more you can do and the more successful you’ll be. Right? Not likely.

For years people have been researching and developing minimalist lifestyles to help declutter and simplify their homes, wardrobes and all their possessions. Less to clean, less sorting, fewer outfits to go through to get dressed for the day. And what do they gain? Time and money.

These people are taking the ‘busy work’ out of their lives and replacing it with more quality time with things that bring them fulfillment. The chore of cleaning becomes less daunting and manageable and their homes are more quickly and easily kept nice and tidy. Money isn’t spent on things just to have things, it is spent on necessities. Since money isn’t wasted on needless items, money can be spent on higher quality products.  

But what if this way of thinking is carried over into your business?  What if instead of having a rolodex of every business owner in the market, you have a list of 50 or 20 that have real potential to be a client, a referral source or business partner? Instead of spending time and money on hundreds that will never increase your revenue, spend time and money on fewer targets to learn what they are looking for and exactly what it will take to earn their business. Your relationships will become deeper and more meaningful and you will have a greater chance of gaining them as a client, a referral source or a business partner.

Make sure you continue to prioritize your tasks, time block you schedule and make to-do lists… but do it with shorter lists. Do less.