Doing Less: How to Reclaim Your Time and Focus on What Truly Matters

Introduction: A Personal Story

It was 15 years ago that I first read The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. I chose a free weekend and decided to make a couple of quilts for my young sons at the same time. I would read a chapter, then sew for a while as I thought about it, and it worked. Over the next few weeks, I found myself with time on my hands and wondering what to do next. It didn’t take long for many of my old habits to creep back in. I learned that if I didn’t have a plan for my newfound time, it wouldn’t stick.

Then, four years ago, all my kids flew the coop, and I knew it was time for me to take off too. I had worked to get my business online so I could. I dug deep for those principles again and put them into play. Now, I work a couple of hours a day and enjoy living the digital "slowmad" lifestyle.

Focus on What Truly Matters

Marie Forleo, entrepreneur and author, wisely said, "Success doesn’t come from doing more, it comes from focusing on what truly matters." You need to spend your time doing only the most important work that only you can do. But to truly make this work, you need clear plans for what you want to do with the time you save.

Everyone will tell you what to add to your work, but who’s telling you what to eliminate? Sure, going forward, say "No" more often so you don’t add to your workload, but what can you do to eliminate things now?

Immediate Steps to Take

Are there things you can take off your plate right now? YES.

Laura Vanderkam, time management expert, notes, "You have more time than you think, but it’s about clearing the clutter that distracts you from what’s important."

• Stop Scrolling: You don’t need to know what everyone else is doing. Recognize that you do this because of the dopamine hit you get. As you scroll, you are entertained, and you like seeing your pals. Treat this as a treat and only do it when you are prepared to waste time.
• Stop Reading All Those Newsletters: You wanted their lead magnet, and now you’re getting their weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe if you aren’t getting value. You don’t need more information; you need to clear away clutter. Keep the few that you actually read and get value from. You can even keep a few more, but slide them into a folder for when you need a little inspiration or think you will need what they say later.
• Eliminate Repetition: I have a tenet of entering information only once, and I set up my systems to move that information where it needs to go. A new customer’s data goes to my accounting system, email system, and project management system directly from their intake form. The same goes for information that you want to retrieve. For example, I changed a client’s Chart of Accounts to match the reporting they had to do. Now all they have to do is export their annual Profit & Loss to have the figures at hand.

Use Technology Wisely

• Appropriate Technology: Need to schedule a handful of people? Doodle is the top choice right now. Calendly has the capability for internal teams. Is invoicing taking too long? Set it up so the information goes from your management software into your accounting software on schedule. Is payroll a pain? Use an outsourced payroll business. Spreadsheets have their uses, but not for ongoing use. Accounting, CRM, scheduling, and management software are faster. You will save much more time than you spend on the tools.
• Regular Tech Stack Reviews: Schedule a time to look over your tech stack to make sure it’s still working for you. We tend to use what we have and try to stretch it to do things it’s not designed to do, or we cobble together different things trying to make them flow the way we want. Changing technology is a pain, but one that is worth it.

Delegate and Automate

• Push Work Down: In my customer onboarding process, I use a combination of AI, a personal assistant, and automations to make sure we get everything we need to hit the ground running. I used to do it all, and it took me longer and more of my client’s time. Now, because AI can streamline the process to only the necessary questions for each instance and we can do parts of it asynchronously, our clients are happier.

Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global, reminds us, "Eliminating unnecessary tasks is not just about freeing up time, it’s about freeing up energy to focus on what really matters."

Make the Most of Your Saved Time

Have a plan for your saved time. Your business can and should support you in living your best life. You may not want to travel as much as I do, but you do know what you would do if you had an extra day a week. Get that clarity and, as you free up time, use it to make your life better.

Call to Action

Take a moment today to evaluate your workload. Identify one task you can eliminate entirely, and start freeing up your time for what truly matters. Need help getting started? Reach out for a consultation to streamline your business processes.