3 Ways To Tap Into The Power Of Simplicity To Supercharge Your Career

People like it when things are uncomplicated and easily understood. Even better if those things are achieved without a great deal of effort.

Simplifying isn’t always easy; it takes discipline and a conscious and intentional effort to make something less confusing and more focused.

And in the context of your career, it can mean the difference between a ho-hum existence and being a professional powerhouse.

In other words, it’s time well spent.

Here are three ways to tap into the power of simplicity to supercharge your career:

1. Start with clarity

Simplicity begins with clarity. If you don’t or can’t clearly articulate why others should work with you, you force them to decipher the mystery that is you.

Spoiler alert: they probably won’t bother. And even if they do, it’ll only be a guess. Guessing equates to confusion, and when you confuse, you lose—potential opportunities, clients, projects, promotions and partners.

When you’re clear, everything becomes easier. People understand you, what you offer, your value, what differentiates you, how you can help them and how they can assist you. Clarity helps others know, like and trust you, making it easy to work with you.

You also must get crystal clear on your professional goals. And remember, clarity demands specificity; you can’t make progress if you “kind of” want something. The more focused you can be about what matters most to you, the better.

2. Self-audit and eliminate anything that doesn’t align with your goals

Most people move aimlessly through their days, wondering why they never seem to “have time” to do what’s required to move the needle in their careers. Meanwhile, the most successful professionals have figured out how to align their goals with the environment to achieve them — and stay away from the things that can derail them.

This starts with an awareness and understanding of how you’re spending your time and where and with whom you’re investing your attention. Conduct a self-audit and determine whether each choice supports what you want most. If not, remove unhelpful and unnecessary habits, people and distractions so you can focus on your goals.

For instance, a friend of mine recently unsubscribed from my newsletter, not because he didn’t like me or value my insights, but because he was purging everything he didn’t absolutely need so he could focus on his business. He explained that this also meant deleting social media from his phone.

Follow his lead and be ruthless about reviewing what content you consume, with whom you spend your time, and what activities you engage in. After auditing your environment, don’t be afraid to purge your social feeds, update your inner circle and refresh your habits.

3. Stay focused on your niche and go deep

Are you a “Finance Ninja/Engineer/Entrepreneur/Monkey Trainer/Bitcoin Investor/(Fill In The Blank)”? When you try to cover too much ground, you’ll become unnecessarily complex and confusing — the exact opposite of the simplicity you’re striving for.

There’s nothing wrong with having multiple interests, but a Jack- or Jill-of-all-trades could be perceived as an unfocused master of none; you can’t possibly be an expert in all areas.

Instead of a scattered approach, put your talents to their highest and best use by leading with your primary offering. Take a page from the thought leaders’ playbook by picking a lane and sticking to those few areas where you are an expert, consistently sharing your wisdom in your (targeted) zone of genius. This discipline allows you to go deeper and stay within your wheelhouse, which helps others understand your value and how you can help them and see you as the go-to person in your arena.

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