This blog post has been a long time coming (for the past year, really). As the sole proprietor of my business, I get to do a lot of things that I love. Unlike many of the unhappy workers that I coach, I truly enjoy the majority of the tasks that make up my workdays.
But just because I enjoy the work doesn’t necessarily mean every task is the best use of my time. And time has been at a premium since the pandemic hit. For a year, I haven’t had the luxury of uninterrupted time (not complaining, only stating the fact) which has made some tasks that I normally enjoy a bit more, well, challenging.
It’s easy to decide to stop doing something you dislike. Most of us are quick to quit those things whenever we can! It’s much harder to decide to stop doing something you enjoy. And blogging is something I really enjoy. I have been blogging on and off for the past 12 years! That’s why it’s been difficult for me to make this change, even though I know I need to given my present time constraints.
I need to apply a less is more approach to blogging, at least in the short term, so I can focus my energies on higher value activities. Starting this week, I’ll be shifting to a monthly post format. You’ll still get my helpful thoughts and ideas on work and life (plus interesting asides in the parentheticals!), but it’ll be on a monthly basis rather than weekly.
Choosing less is more creates extra space, whether you’re talking about physical stuff, activities and tasks, or anything else.
What are some ways to take a less is more approach to your career story?
- Eliminate sentences on your resume that don’t show your best work. Remember, this is supposed to be highlights, not everything you’ve ever done!
- Get more endorsements and recommendations on LinkedIn. Wait, isn’t this more, not less? Well, you can sell yourself less when others are telling your career story for you and based on every client I’ve ever worked with, NO ONE enjoys selling themselves, so make this easier!
- Apply to fewer jobs. I know, you’re on the job search and feel like you have to apply for anything! I’m proposing that you approach the search more thoughtfully. When you apply to fewer jobs, you’ll be more intentional about finding those jobs that are best aligned to your wonderful, authentic self.
Less is more isn’t permission to skip doing what you know you need to do, like building out a killer LinkedIn profile or writing a powerful and interesting cover letter that gets your resume read. Those are high value activities that you’ll want to make sure you do.
Less is more is about doing less of the low value activities, so you actually have time to spend on those activities that matter. Time is finite and forces us to choose (actively or passively) what we are going to spend the limited time we have on.
I am choosing to prioritize focused time with people which I enjoy, over weekly blogging, which I also enjoy, because it will allow me to have more quality time with clients, partners, family, and friends.
#PositiveAction Find one thing you need to do less of at work to create space for more of something else.
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay