Do Less to Accomplish More

Are you tired of just getting by each day and feeling discouraged that no matter how much you do, you seem to be falling further behind?

When you have too many 'must-dos' and it feels like you're constantly letting both your work and family down.

When you want to stop feeling the constant pressure to do more and the stress from all your time commitments.

Or maybe you want to get back to being strategic and focus on the right things. Yet everything seems to need your attention, and you're stuck in the weeds.

Imagine accomplishing what needs to be done, feeling less overwhelmed, and actually leaving work at work to enjoy your personal time.

If only you had more time for it all.

Sound familiar?

The traditional thinking is that, in order to keep up with all the demands, you have to work harder and do more (and more).

But this leads to being overwhelmed, exhausted, and spread thin, which hurts your performance, mental health, and relationships.

To be truly effective and "have more time," you'll need to do LESS.

But by focusing on what really matters, you can accomplish more—rather than getting caught up in busy work that doesn’t really move the needle.

This can be a hard concept to wrap your head around, yet can yield dramatic results in your sense of balance and performance when you put it into practice.

So, what could you do less of?

Let’s say, right now, your workload is like an overstuffed suitcase. What if you could take only a carry-on? What would you pack?

• What do you do that adds the highest value to your team or organization that you want to ensure you have room for?

• What critically important tasks, projects, or meetings would you keep?

• What are your strengths? What do you really enjoy and find fulfilling? What do you want to ensure you bring along (like your favourite sweater)?

More importantly, what would you NOT pack?

• What are the tasks, projects, and meetings that aren’t the best use of your time—or a waste of your time?

• What steals your attention from important work or stresses you out that just doesn’t make the cut?

• What do you find yourself complaining about, procrastinating on or worrying about? Where are you getting sucked into drama that you just no longer have room for?

What if you could only pack a carry-on for your life?

• What values, boundaries and true priorities would you ensure you have room for?

• What gives you joy? What important goals or experiences do you want to bring with you? Who are the people you want to have space for?

• Importantly, what doesn’t make the cut? What do you no longer have room for?

The reason this analogy works so well is that it requires you to be FAR more selective and thoughtful about what you say 'yes' and what you say 'no' to.

You must ensure you pack what’s important. And you must be more willing to let go of what matters less, such as that extra pair of pants (aka that meeting you don’t really need to go to).

Also, consider that if your suitcase is too full, there’s no room for anything else—like the unexpected joys and souvenirs.

Everyone wants more time. And the key to having more time is doing less.

This does take more time to prioritize upfront, but will save you time in the long run. And we all need space to prioritize, think, breathe, and focus on what truly matters.

This is why boundaries are so crucial . . . they are your carry-on. They protect your time and energy, and force you to get clear on what’s important (and let go of what’s not).

Instead of being spread thin with busywork or drama that slows you down, you’ll make better choices about how you spend your time.

So, if you want to be more balanced, stress less, and perform better, it's time to get serious about your boundaries and priorities. They go hand in hand.

Be bold. If you were to consider your work week an overstuffed suitcase, and you could only keep a carry-on size worth, what would you pack?

Let's make it smaller. When you look at your week ahead, what is ONE thing you would pack above all else and ONE thing you do NOT have room for?

Focus on what really matters.

I'm here cheering you on!

Get your copy of Your Balanced and Bold Life: Work Less, Live More, and Be Your Best on Amazon here.

Interested in booking a speaking engagement or workshop for your team? Learn more [here] or visit www.staceyolson.ca.