Entrepreneurs: Try a Mindset Shift from "More is Better" to "Less is More" and Optimize your Performance

"Less is more" was not a phrase in my vocabulary when I was a young man training for elite level IRONMAN triathlon competitions in the 90's. In fact, the prevailing mindset of most serious endurance athletes of the time was "more is good and even more is better".

High volume training was the standard and beating yourself to a pulp each week in order to get faster was the expectation. I was devotee of the 'more is better' mindset but could have been considered a slacker compared to other athletes of that era. Stories of elite triathletes training 40+ hours/ week were common, including 500+ miles on the bike, 80+ miles of running and 12,000+ yds of swimming... in addition to strength training.

Of course, the high workload mindset did work to increase one's endurance and speed...to a point. Triathletes are known for their mental toughness, drive to push the limits and tolerance for pain. We were all looking for that edge and walking right up to it, trying not to fall over into the abyss of overtraining, illness and injury. It didn't always work in our favor though as the overtraining had both performance and health consequences.

When I reflect back on those days when a sub-9 hour Ironman and sub-4 hour half-Ironman (or 70.3's) were in my wheelhouse I realize that hard work did and does pay off. You need to pay the price for success. But, I also wonder now if I could have achieved the same if not better results had embraced more strategic training and recovery more as athletes do nowadays.

The answer is a resounding YES. I see it even in terms of my 'minimalist' training now for 24 Hour Mountain Bike racing, which I do solo/single speed. I have shifted from the 'more is better' to the 'less is more' mindset, boosting quality over quantity, training more strategically and efficiently, and focusing more on rest and recovery.

After all, the science of training is that exercise breaks the muscle down and the recovery phase (along with proper nutrition) is when it grows back and becomes stronger. Balance the two and you OPTIMIZE your performance as an athlete. Back in the old days, this equation was way out of balance.

And this leads me to the purpose of this article from a business context... how to OPTIMIZE your performance as a business owner, CEO and entrepreneur.

As an Executive Business Coach, I see highly motivated people grind out an incredible volume of work each week, similar to how I used to grind out the miles swimming, biking and running. They work long hours to grow their companies with that mantra, 'more is better'. And while this works for awhile and is even a necessity for start-ups and fast growth companies, at some point the hard driving entrepreneur needs to rest and recover in order to excel. Those who succeed long term realize that working efficiently and strategically trumps the 'grinding'.

Optimizing one's performance, whether it's as an athlete or as a business person requires the hard work but applied in a way that's strategic and efficient. This, combined with scheduled rest and recovery is what really moves the needle.

Here are some ideas to help you Optimize your performance leveraging the 'less is more' concept and focusing on efficiency and recovery.

1. Prioritize: Focus on the KEY things that will drive the results. Pick just a few things a day that really matter and get them done and done exceptionally well. Rework is wasted time.
2. Do a Personal Time Study: Consider doing some research on how long it actually takes to complete certain tasks each day. It may surprise you to find there's a lot of wasted time doing nothing of great importance.
3. Time Block: Time management is directly related to your productivity. Block out your calendar in order to focus on the KEY things you need to do. Include "white space" for personal growth and development.
4. Set Time Limits: "Work expands to fill the time given to complete it." Give yourself more focus by incorporating time limits. This will force you to think more strategically about how to get things done and improve your efficiency too.
5. Delegate: Hand off or delegate all of the tasks that are not directly related to those KEY things only you can do.
6. Take Breaks: Don't be tethered to your desk for hours and hours on end. You can only concentrate and stay focused for so long, so get up to move around and reset yourself.
7. Don't create a culture of 'busy is important'. As the boss, you set the tone for your team members. Sure, you're busy as is everyone else, but don't wear "I'm busy" as your badge of honor. Instead, wear the badge of "I'm Efficient".
8. Honor your Time Off: Going back to the "I'm Busy" badge of honor idea, it's important to take time off and to decompress. This time away will do wonders in helping you re-calibrate and recharge, improving your efficiency when you return to work.
9. Be aware of Diminishing Returns: As my example of overtraining as an athlete shows, there are points of diminishing return when it comes to work related issues. Beating yourself up with more work isn't always the answer, because, "More is not always better."

Endurance athletes who pivot from the mindset of just grinding out the huge miles to focusing on training quality, efficiency and recovery tend to see better results over the long term while also reducing risk of burnout and injury. The same applies to the CEO or Entrepreneur who are intentional about thinking more strategically about how to be efficient. Give it a shot and see what happens.

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Troy Jacobson is an Executive Coach and consultant based in Tucson Arizona. A former professional triathlete and coach, including serving on the founding Coach's Committee Board for USA Triathlon, former Official Coach of IRONMAN and former National Director of Endurance Training at Life Time, he helps leaders and organizations optimize their performance. Learn more by contacting him at [email protected]