Doing less will actually GROW your business more (here's how)
One of the most common things I hear from creatives and entrepreneurs is that they have SO MANY ideas.
But while that keeps you creatively fulfilled, it can also be hard to sort through all of those thoughts and know exactly what to focus on to move your business forward.
This typically means you jump from one idea to the next, without the focus and consistency it takes for that seed of an idea to take root and grow.
This is exactly why I think simplicity is so important in business. Although it may sound counterintuitive at first, simplifying and finding focus can actually help you grow in both work and life, allowing you to do a few things really well rather than many things mediocre.
Here’s how doing less will actually GROW your business more, even if you feel like you never STOP working and there’s no way around that. I totally get it, and I used to feel that way too. But let’s see if we can change that for you because these mindset shifts were exactly what I needed:
Decide on one BIG goal to focus on
The idea of simplifying in work and life can feel vague at first. Sure, you’d love to feel lighter, focused, organized, and have more time for what you love, but implementing a simplified plan can feel daunting (the exact opposite of what you’re going for!) so it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s what I suggest:
First, I like to do a general brain dump of all the goals you could be working toward. Get all those project ideas and goals onto paper and GET SPECIFIC. For example, “double my newsletter list” is way more measurable than “grow my audience.”
Next, choose which goal is MOST important to you right now. Start with just one. (Remember, this is all about focus!)
Decide what a reasonable time period would be for that specific goal. Can this be accomplished in a year, a quarter, a month?
Get comfortable letting other ideas go (for now)
I find that there’s usually a bit of fear associated with focusing on one idea, project, or goal at a time. Your insides start to squirm and that little voice in your head asks, “But how can ONE goal possibly be enough? I’ll never get anything done.”
But what I like to point out is that one goal doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re only doing one thing to work toward that goal. It just means that you’re deciding where to place your focus so that you can move toward that goal more quickly and efficiently than if you were jumping from project to project.
It gives your mind a singular focus rather than being clouded by the possibilities.
Inherently, finding focus means that you’ll have to let something else go for now, and while that can be scary, it also opens up new possibilities by allowing you to see RESULTS far sooner.
Break it down into small, consistent efforts
Break that one BIG goal down into three action items that you can implement through small consistent, efforts. So if I’m doubling my newsletter list, that could mean:
Checking in daily in Facebook groups where my opt-in could be of value
Running a Pinterest ad or joining a Tailwind tribe to promote my opt-in
Inviting current subscribers to share with a friend each week
By focusing on one project, you’ll free up valuable mental space and set yourself up for success in accomplishing those goals, one-by-one. And you can always come back to your original brain dump and pick up a new one when you’re ready!
Find focused time in your work day
Those of you who love productivity, like me, have probably heard of the Pomodoro technique. This suggests short 25-minute bursts of focused work on one task, followed by a short 5-minute break. After 4 Pomodoros you reward yourself with a longer break of about 25-30 minutes.
Personally, I’ve always found that it takes me about 2 hours to get “in the zone” and knock a larger task off my list, like writing weekly content or designing a new opt-in, so I generally structure my day in about two-hour chunks of focused time.
I suggest experimenting with different amounts of “time on” and “time off” to see how you work best. Having this information can help you to structure your day so that you feel more focused and productive and less scattered and overwhelmed by all those ideas of what you COULD be working on instead.
Doing less for more growth doesn’t end at business—it holds true in life too
As entrepreneurs, we like to make things all about business. Truly. But if there’s one suuuuper important thing that I’ve learned, it’s that life and business are endlessly intertwined. One almost always affects the other, which means…
Doing less to experience more GROWTH doesn’t stop in business—the same is true in life too.
Because every thought, idea, project, and associated action takes ENERGY. The more you spread that energy around the less progress you make toward each, and usually, this is where confidence dwindles.
By simplifying and working toward one goal at a time you’ll feel less scattered and overwhelmed by all the ideas, and start feeling lighter, clearer, and more organized.
As a result, you’ll have more time for the things that are most important to you—like spending time with your friends and loved ones on the weekends instead of hunched over your laptop.
The bottom line
Finding focus can be scary at first, especially for creatives and entrepreneurs who have SO MANY IDEAS (we’ve all been there!), but it will also allow you to focus your efforts so that you can make strides toward one big goal instead of baby steps toward many different goals and start seeing results quicker. Not only will doing less help you GROW, but it will help you FEEL BETTER too by creating more time for the things that are most important to you.
Tell me in the comments below:
What’s your one BIG goal right now?
Photography by Jennifer Morgan Photography
