One of the best things I ever did was to simplify everything that I could. ‘Simplify’ was a theme I used a few years ago as a guidepost for keeping me on track with my goals. I was so jazzed by the results that I even created an ongoing list of stuff I wanted to simplify. I called it: Project Simplify.
Even though I’ve had many yearly themes since then, I still consider ways to simplify my workday and much of the stuff I do. It continues to save me time, energy, and frustration.
Sometimes, I revisit something I’ve already simplified to see if there’s more I can do to knock it down even further.
Maybe it’s time to consider your own Project Simplify.
Here are just a few ideas to get your brain juices flowing. You can simplify stuff like …
How you manage your email
Look at ways to reduce your incoming email. Get off of mail lists that aren’t relevant anymore. Set up rules to manage some of that incoming and unimportant stuff. Use a folder structure that’s easy to file and retrieve. Write shorter emails.
Reduce paper and files
What files can you eliminate? Be ruthless about getting rid of half of your files. I’ve said it before – 80% of the stuff you file and keep, NEVER gets looked at again. The less you keep, the less you must maintain.
Use Templates
If there’s something you do on a regular basis, create a template for it. Or, would having a checklist on hand be helpful to ensure you are not missing any steps in a process? How about those email responses that you find yourself spending too much time drafting. Could you save the content in a Draft email for future use? With a bit of tweaking and adjusting, you can personalize the response without the need to start from scratch every time.
Remove the superfluous
Eliminate unnecessary steps in your process. I’m not talking about putting out sloppy work, but do you really need to follow that complicated process you’ve always followed? Can you simplify it by combining stuff, or just letting go of a couple of non-critical steps?
Use technology more efficiently
Learn the efficiency tools that are available with your computer and your smartphone. Careful that you don’t get too caught up in technology though. Too much of something that appears to be a good thing, isn’t always a good thing.
There are so many ways and things that can be simplified that will lessen the amount of work you do. Get in the habit of asking yourself if what you’re currently doing can be simplified. Every little thing you can do to reduce the amount of work you do, goes a long way in getting you back in control of your workday.
What one thing can you simplify starting now?
Simplify your life … get more important stuff done.
Now, get on with your day!
