Improve Effectiveness By Doing Less Better

Dec 16, 2013, Written by Sue Miley


Doing a lot can be a form of escapism for some small business owners.  When we are busy we feel productive, and sometimes that transforms into accomplished.

At least in the moment.

But how often do we look back and feel like we worked really hard and really long, but are no further along.

No further along in our goals.

No further along in business growth.

No further along in efficiency or profitability.

With a strategy of just doing more, the path forward, looks like a straight incline of rocks fraught with danger and exhaustion.

Why do that to yourself?

Doing more will not necessarily achieve more.

Here is the challenge we all face.  A new year is right around the corner.  It is a blank slate.

How can we fill it with purpose, productivity, and progress?

I suggest doing less.

I suggest doing less better.

I believe if we focus on the one or two things that can make the biggest impact towards our goals, and execute flawlessly,  we will create more forward movement, more personal freedom, and all around improved satisfaction.

What are one or two strategies you can focus on in the new year and do less better?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MJ Bush says

    “Doing more will not necessarily achieve more.” How RIGHT that is.

    A while back, I started prioritizing actions according to goals. Even if it seems like other things are piling up, I work on those things first and foremost. Right now, that means I’m working on a book. Since it’s a large project, I have a target wordcount per day so I stop to get other things done (unless I’m really on a roll), and a target wordcount per week so if I get behind I can make it up another day without feeling bad.

    My previous top priority, and still high on the list, is increasing conversions on my site.

    Both of those things will help push my business flywheel. (Slow to start but keeps going with far less effort.) They’re things I’d been avoiding because they were hard. I figured I’d get to them when things started really rolling. That was just a sign that I wasn’t taking the business seriously, though I certainly thought I was. I was busy, after all. 😉

    • S_Miley says

      MJ this is a perfect case study! And to be honest, like many of my posts, I write about things I catch myself doing. I have been busy trying out different things under the guise of “testing”. It was just me doing a lot, not very well. As I approach 2014, I am trying to focus on doing less a lot better! I will pray for both of us!

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Sue Miley

Sue Miley MBA, MA, LPC helps small business owners build successful businesses on a foundation of Christian values. After 20 years in business, and 10 years as a Christian counselor, Sue uses a combination of faith, business and psychology to help clients in business and in life.

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