What you will get from this article:
- Understand how to supplement your existing resources to do more with less
- Learn the skill of chunking: Grouping similar tasks together to harness your focus and prevent distraction
- Discover how you can make more with less in business and investment
If only you could get more done, but there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. If you had the tools you needed, you’d be able to be more productive at work. If only you had enough savings, you could invest or start your own business.
Guess what? Those are just excuses.
Resourcefulness is a top trait of great leaders, and that means learning how to do more with less.
We all have the same amount of hours in a day. This means that self-made, scrappy entrepreneur you admire has tapped into the power of resourcefulness to get where they are today. Same goes for the incredible actor or a prolific scientist making discoveries that will change our lives. They all understand how to do more with less.
It’s time for you to stop making excuses and start making more with less – more money, more connections and a more fulfilling life.
How to do more with less time
Perhaps the biggest change you can make in your life is how you manage your time. Time management is a hot topic: there are plenty of guides and methods to getting more done in less time. Chances are you’ve tried a technique or two, only to go back to feeling like you have a million things to do and not enough hours in the day. That’s because in order to truly use your time effectively, you need to condition your mind and change the way you approach tasks.
1. Find your purpose
When you’re able to focus on the reason for each task – as well as how each task fits into your overall life goals – you’ll discover that your productivity soars. Do you want to spend more time with your family? That will inspire you to complete your work tasks quickly. Do you want to save for a house or vacation? You’ll want jump on those tasks that make you more money.
2. Say no
If you have trouble saying “no” to requests, you’re not alone. A surprising number of us just don’t like that two-letter word. The next time someone makes a request, think about if it helps you achieve your goals. Is it going to take away from that time with your family you’ve been working toward? Then say “no.” If it’s an urgent request that must be done, work on prioritizing your tasks and setting boundaries. You may need to push something else until tomorrow to create the time you need.
3. Use the power of chunking
Cognitive science and time management experts agree on one game-changing technique: chunking. When you put like tasks together, you don’t need to switch gears as often, which is often what eats up time. To do more with less, you must destroy the myth of multitasking and start using chunking instead. Here’s how:
At work:
You probably know someone who’s always overwhelmed at work and never has time to work on their large projects. There’s always an email coming in to immediately answer, a meeting to attend or a report that needs to be written (even though no one will likely read it). Instead of reacting to every task as it appears, do more with less by blocking out times dedicated to specific tasks and group them together: Answer emails for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, but not at other times during the day. Schedule meetings back-to-back whenever possible, and only on certain days of the week. Putting these like tasks together maximizes productivity and makes it possible to then create time for bigger, game-changing projects.
Cooking:
Instead of pulling out the knife and cutting board every night to start preparing dinner, try and make like professional chefs and chop up what you need for multiple meals. Or, while you’re making dinner, prepare the next day’s lunch at the same time. Ready to be really advanced? Prepare lunch for the week on Sunday evenings, making it easy to grab and go in the mornings. Accomplishing more daily starts with planning out your week ahead of time.
Travel planning:
Got a vacation coming up and know where you want to go? Is your current strategy to spend a few minutes a day looking at flights, comparing hotels or deciding on activities, then getting so overwhelmed with choices that you put off making decisions until tomorrow? Chunking can save you. Block off time to make your travel arrangements all at the same time – do this early enough and you’ll likely save some money, too. With logistics handled, vacation becomes a pleasure, not a stressor.
4. Use the Rapid Planning Method
Chunking is the basis for the Rapid Planning Method, which lets you do more with less across your entire life. Instead of procrastinating, engage the RPM system. In doing so, you will discover what truly motivates you, so that you can incorporate your passions and priorities into your daily activities. By digging deep and asking yourself what you really want from life, you’ll develop a massive action plan to implement your goals.
How to make more with less in business
Want to start your own business, but just can’t find the time or money? You can use what you do have to accomplish more with less – and become the entrepreneur you always wanted to be.
1. Use your relationships
Chances are that people you know have connections that are useful to you as you strike out on your own. They can give you the inside scoop on trends, debates, books and events. By leveraging your network as a source of information and practical support, you save time and effort in seeking those resources, which means you’re able to do more with less time.
Personal connections can also be a wonderful way to recruit someone for your company, get funding or even find a mentor. Ask around – at happy hour, at the gym, at your mastermind group or at your next family get-together. You never know who might have a connection that will be exactly what you need.
2. Harness the power of experience
Experience is an incredible tool. Continued learning and training, even if you’re done with formal education, shows initiative and a willingness to grow. You can often transfer experience in one area of business or management into another area. And don’t forget about soft skills – communication, teamwork and leadership are all valuable assets.
Whatever your background is, using all your resources, big and small, lets you amplify previous achievements so that they propel future gains. By framing your experiences as an asset, you’ll maximize your resources so that you can do more with less.
3. Accomplish more with less investment
How to do more with less often comes up when talking about investment. Many people think they need to be a millionaire in order to start investing – but that simply isn’t true. In fact, you should start investing right now, no matter how much money you have. You can invest in real estate for as little as $500 to start. Once you have a diverse portfolio of investments that’s making money for you, you’ll have all the time in the world to do the things you love.
You don’t need to be a magician or a millionaire in order to accomplish all of your goals. You just need to learn how to do more with less. When you find your purpose, practice chunking and leverage the skills and experience you already have, you’re well on your way to being the most productive person you know.
Make decisions count towards your personal progress
Ensure that every action counts toward your success with Tony Robbins’ Decision Making audio. Learn how to do more with less time and take productive steps toward your personal success.