Many of us work in a a mad rush of in-betweenness - at the beckon call of every new beep and flash of our phones, jumping between tabs on our browser, emails, phone calls, meetings, never pausing and never ending.
When the day is over, and we are frazzled to say the least, we often have little to show and the daunting feeling that the next day is already piling up with another stream of mindless tasks and distractions.
I recently did a money personality profile and scored high for Maverick - meaning I like to do things outside the box and test the boundaries of what's possible. Is this the best way? Can I take back the reigns in some way I haven't quite figured out yet?
What if we did less instead?
What if we could "simplify to amplify" as Marie Forleo so concisely puts it and try to do less and do it better...?
Here's a guide to changing things up for those willing to give it a try.
THE BENEFITS
- You accomplish more. Not necessarily getting more done - you're doing less remember! But by pulling back and focusing on less of the to-do list, and more of the 'truly important' one, you will achieve better more meaningful accomplishments. When you achieve more in this way, you set yourself up into a flow state - so things begin to get achieved more seamlessly and momentum means more of these results will follow.
- You have less anxiousness. When you can zero in on what's truly important, the hold the distractions and non essentials have on you starts to reduce and you can begin to get free of the fear of the world falling apart without you getting to those things.
- You enjoy life more. Immersing yourself in a meaningful task, and being fully present in that moment without distraction, is much more enjoyable.
- You create time. Parkinson's law is the adage that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". Making room in your life and business for what's important will mean you will always have time on your side.
Create Space For Your Tasks
Is there some way you can create space for a task of yours today? Whether it's by putting your phone on silent, closing the door, or clearing physical space can you create an atmosphere where you can really savour the task, pour yourself into it, and enjoy it? Life is not a series of boxes to be ticked. Finding joy in the moment - and I mean even in the most mundane of tasks - can set you up for so much more efficiency and satisfaction in your work.
And when you have completed it can you acknowledge your achievement instead of just jumping to the next thing?
The DO Less Method
DO Less.
Decide (what matters)
- Choose a word to set your intention
- Brainstorm what you want
- Set achievable goals
- Limit (what you do)
- Edit (the time it takes)
- Streamline (the way you work)
- Stop (working/take a break)
Here's to less.