The most productive people are able to do more with less time. In simple terms doing more with less means achieving a bigger result in the simplest, easiest and most productive way possible.
By doing more with less, you can simplify your time, energy and focus to work only on a small number of high value activities. The ability to do more with less requires excellent goal setting skills and the focus to prioritise your time effectively.
Instead of multi-tasking and trying to do everything yourself, you can do more with less by focusing on achieving specific results. When you focus more on results, not time spent, you instantly become clear on what you want to achieve and look for the simplest way to achieve that result.
Have you ever asked yourself how can I accomplish more with less? In this article, I’ll share how to:
- Focus on results, not time spent to do more with less
- Learn the importance of goal setting to help you achieve more with less time
- Use your biggest strengths to start doing more with less time and less stress
6 time management tips to get more done in less time
Here are 6 ways you can do more with less to achieve bigger results now and in the future.
1. Focus on the result, not the time
If you want to do more with less, the starting point is to focus on the result you want, not the time you need to spend achieving it.
Being productive is not about working longer hours, it’s about being clear on the result you want and finding the simplest, most productive way to achieve that result.
If you can achieve that result by lunchtime, you can then decide to carry on working or stopping.
When you come from a results first mindset, you’re not worried about working a full day. Your focus is on achieving the result you want and working fewer hours to achieve that result. You become clearer on what you want to get done, rather than thinking about how many hours you need to put in.
This helps you manage time effectively and stops a lot of distraction and wasted time. When you focus on results, or your real work, many unimportant distractions fall by the wayside.
2. Create more time leverage
You can’t start doing more with less if you take on every task and project yourself. I’m a big believer in creating time leverage to achieve bigger results in less time.
This starts with getting clear on what you want to achieve and figuring out where you add the biggest value in achieving that result.
If you spend hours and days doing everything, including the small stuff, it will take you much longer to achieve the result you want.
Leverage the skills of your colleagues to help you. Utilise technology to help you do things simpler and easier.
Look to outsource certain jobs or create collaborations to achieve the result you want quicker. Doing more with less is often about managing your energy and focus. When you get clear on your biggest strengths and how you create the most value, you can expand your time in those areas and reduce time everywhere else.
Leveraging your time helps you do more with less.
3. Spend more time on activities you love to do
We often waste time and energy doing activities we don’t want to do and aren’t very good at. Results take longer to achieve when we’re bored, exhausted or simply not enjoying the work we’re doing.
To start doing more with less, focus more time on the activities you love to do. When you’re enjoying the work you do and feel happy at work, you’ll achieve bigger results in less time.
4. Get exceptional at planning
If you want to do more with less, improve your planning skills. When you plan effectively, you become clearer on where you want to spend your time at work and at home.
Time starts to slow down because you know exactly what you’re doing and when. Instead of reacting to everything, and running out of time, you feel calmer and less stressed.
I use Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings to plan out the following week and complete my schedule. This helps me get clear on my goals for the week and the highest value activities I need to undertake.
Doing this allows you to review each week to see if you accomplished what you set out to achieve. Adding measurements and deadlines to your weekly goals ensures you feel like you’re making progress.
Weekly planning helps you review how you performed so you can make amendments where needed, and set yourself up for higher performance the following week.
The key to doing more with less is to continually review performance, celebrate progress and look for areas you can improve.
5. Get focused on your bigger goals
You can do more with less when you are clear up front on your goals through effective goal setting. This gives you a direction and focus, making it easier to avoid distractions and get your most important work done.
When you know what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it, it becomes easier to stay focused and productive. People often fill their day with low value tasks or things that are in front of them, without the clarity on how important that work is.
If you want to start doing more with less, you need to be clear on the outcome you want, so the activities you do, support achieving that outcome.
Identify your goals, and then break down the activities that are critically important to achieving those goals. This will focus your time and energy on a smaller number of activities. Ones you love to do and that create the biggest impact
6. Spend more time using your biggest strengths
If you want to learn how to do more with less, get clear on your biggest strengths. Then, understand how much time you’re currently spending using them.
If you’re great at making money, are you spending enough time doing that work? If you’re great at building relationships, how much time are you currently spending doing that work?
Big results come from a result on the activities you’re great at, not from work you don’t love doing and aren’t very good at.
Track your time for a week to see where you’re currently spending your time. Then look at three things you could do to spend more time doing your most valuable work and three activities you could stop doing to free up more of your time.
Conclusion
If you want to start doing more with less, it’s essential to get clear on the biggest value you create, and find ways to free you up to do more of that work.
You can’t achieve bigger results if you’re doing everything. Invest in yourself, and your future, by focusing more time on what you love to do, and do best. This will help you do more with less, and help you achieve your personal and professional goals much quicker.
Read also:
8 time management tips to manage time effectively
Productivity: Tips on how to be more productive
About the Author
Mark Pettit is the Founder of Lucemi Consulting and a small business coach to business owners who want to simplify their time, energy and focus so they can multiply their freedom, impact and results.
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