To do more in 2025, what are you going to do less?

If you read and/or listen to a lot of business advice, the general idea is to do more.

Not to say this is wrong (necessarily), but the main issue is that we don’t have enough time and/or focus to properly do what we’re already supposed to be doing.

So before adding more stuff to your to-do list, figure out what you’re going to add to your not-to-do list.

Otherwise, it's like trying to add a new couch to your living room with the old furniture still there-- things won't fit, and while the new couch may look like a great idea, it actually makes the room worse, until you have space for it.

Success comes from doing a few things well, not trying to do everything poorly. Factories make specific things, and even creative geniuses had processes and assistants so they could focus as much of their time and energy on what mattered.

So where are you spending time and/or energy that’s not worthwhile?

Some possible places…

• Your messaging isn’t tight, so you waste a bunch of time talking to people who aren’t good fits. This is the biggest issue for most folks, and feeds into everything else.
• Too much inbound stuff. I can’t tell you how I end up with so many newsletters in my mailbox. I swear I unsubscribed from more newsletters than I subscribe to, but somehow I keep getting more and more emails, in-mails, etc. AI of course is making this worse. Still, it might be a good time to remove yourself from whatever lists you can, if they are not actually making your life better.
• Is your website actually up to date with your current messaging and answering the questions prospects have? This process will never end, but you can help people understand more before they have to talk to you, and if it's been a year or two or five since you've updated it, and/or you've adjusted your business model, it might be time to put your site to work again. (Make sure you have at least one helpful lead magnet for your ideal prospect.)
• AI is a dangerous drug, but it can make some things a lot easier. Are there things you’re taking a lot of time on now or need a VA to do for you? For example, translating a Zoom chat log of contact info into a CSV file has been a game changer for me (although you can now just paste the file directly into Mimiran).
• Make it easier for people to say no, and even start saying “no” for them. Just because you somehow ended up with a 30 minute meeting on your calendar, doesn't mean you have to take all 30 minutes. Sometimes someone is not the right fit. If you can refer to a more appropriate specialist in 10 minutes, save yourself (and the other person) the other 20 minutes.

Speaking of which, make sure you schedule time on your calendar for what is important. Client work, deep work on the business, family time, exercise time, etc. It's your calendar, your time, and your life. You'll never have complete control, but be intentional about the control you have.