Are you frustrated with your progress in your print business or your print industry job? I am, at times. When that happens, I have to remind myself of the likely cause: I am trying to do too much.
I first wrote on this topic 12 years ago, and time hasn’t changed the lesson. If anything, it has sharpened it. There is always more to chase. More customers, more product lines, more technology to evaluate, more competitors doing something you feel you should be doing, too. The temptation to add is constant. The discipline is in subtracting.
When I take the time to re-examine what actually matters and set the rest aside, I almost always feel a sense of relief. I have let myself off the hook. Shortly after that, something better happens. My progress gets back on track.
Here are five ideas that will help you (and me) accomplish more by doing less.
1. Get clear on your vision.
Know where you are going. Keep working on that vision until you can see it, touch it, taste it and feel it. Write it down and review it daily and weekly. When your vision is clear, your priorities clarify with it. When that happens, what your next steps get simpler.
2. Set only three to five major goals.
The fewer, the better, because you accomplish more when you have less to think about each day. This is easier said than done. Especially in our industry, where every day brings new projects, new customers and new business needs demanding attention. But a list of fifteen goals isn’t a plan. It is an unachievable goal. By keeping your list short, you are setting realistic and achievable expectations for yourself.
3. Create an action plan.
Under each major goal, build a step-by-step plan with due dates attached to every action. Vague intentions drift. A dated action keeps you moving forward, and ultimately fulfilling the vision.
4. Put it on the calendar.
Only do this for your most important goals. For me, this is the single most effective habit I have. I write the work on the calendar, and I keep that appointment with myself exactly as I would keep an appointment with a customer. What gets scheduled gets done. What stays on a to-do list tends to stay there.
Do a weekly review.
Set aside time every week to look at your actions, your calendar, your goals and your projects. Note the progress you made on what matters most, and let yourself feel good about it. Then start fresh each week. Schedule the coming week’s appointments with your most important goals just as you did the week before. Preparing for a key customer meeting. Working through a print management contract. The weekly review is what keeps you focused when the noise picks back up.
To accomplish more, do less. Choose your most important goals, protect the time to work on them, and keep your eye on what it will feel like to get there.
What do you do to accomplish more by doing less?
Bill Prettyman is CEO of Wise in Alpharetta, GA. Wise manufacturers industrial/prime labels and tags, traditional forms, and digitally printed products and services for resale only. For more information, visit www.wbf.com or email Bill at [email protected].
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