Do you believe in coincidence? When the same thing happens three times in 24 hours, I tend to pay attention. One day, I had lunch with a gentlemen I hadn't seen in years. He commented that his mother had always believed that being alert to your surroundings depended on slowing down enough to see them.
Later, when I arrived home the cover of my favorite business magazine had the headline "Work Less...You Might Do More." In the article, one sentence leaped out: "There is no correlation at all between success and hours worked."
That evening I turned on a television show and heard someone commenting on how busy our lives are and how important balance is.
The convergence of these messages confirmed what I've known for years. "Do less, accomplish more." It means taking the time to do nothing.
For many years, I had confused this "doing nothing" with taking the time to plan, think, and do. Yoga fans, however, understand the concept of letting the mind go free. When you're able to do this, to be a quiet listener, many things become clear. Truly slowing down is simply the act of sitting back, relaxing, and letting go.
I have always been motivated, consistently busy, and a workaholic. As I moved through many changes in the last dozen years, I plunged ahead, making my agendas, "to do" lists, writing project descriptions and developing detailed plans of action. I surged ahead, dotting all the "i's" and crossing all the "t's" in my personal and professional lives. I am sure you've done the same.
In our busy lives we can choose to rush ahead filling out our invitation lists, buying supplies and doing our shopping at a full speed ahead pace, or we can choose to STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to ourselves and decide how we want to handle all activity, before it takes over. It might be beneficial to take an evening, or set aside some special time to think about what and who is important. Don't make a list yet, think about your goals for the year.
Achieving balance, letting go, and taking time to breathe freely are important. It is time to pay attention to lessons learned about balance. Developing a vision where you want to go and what you want to be is important, so is taking the time to slow down, to define what you're all about and how you'll reach your destinations. Taking time to do less will be the first step in moving forward with less effort.
Here are some suggestions for doing less to accomplish more:
- Allow yourself to do nothing. Give yourself time to completely relax, letting your mind go where it wants instead of bringing tasks or "to do" lists to the surface.
- Reserve thinking time. Set aside time for thinking in a place conducive to stretching your mind.
- Be "in the present." Give the activity you're engaged in all your concentration. Enjoy what you're doing instead of thinking ahead to other tasks or constantly multitasking.
- Enjoy your family and your friends. I have never heard anyone say that they wish they had spent more time working. It is more often said "I wish I had spent more time with my family." Laugh, cry, hug, and love a little more this year.
- Take a vacation. Time away--even a short, carefree weekend--gives you distance from your daily challenges and pursuits. It gives you the time to take advantage of new insights.
Doing less to accomplish more is simply taking time to think, contemplate, and allow one's senses to soak in the environment. Then we can set paths that help us accomplish more not only in the moment but also in the future.
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