If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter...

I love this quote. It has been attributed to Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Cicero, and others, so I’m not sure who deserves the credit and let’s enjoy it anyway.

There is an art and science to say more with fewer words. It’s easier to spill your comments onto the page or into a conversation than to curate a message with intention. We like things to be easy because it takes less effort.

Take, for example, writing this blog. It is much easier for me to write and share all my thoughts about this topic to ensure I haven’t missed anything than to edit and extrapolate all the unnecessary blurb that adds no value or depth.

Less can be so much more.

The same can apply to creating more results by doing less. The 80/20 principle tells us that 20% of our actions produce 80% of our results, so it’s possible.

Imagine intentionally planning your week, focusing on those actions which help you move the needle towards achieving your goals. Letting go of the excess “blurb” in your life that doesn’t add value - meetings with no outcomes or unimportant “busy work”. In your personal life, it may be socialising with friends you don’t enjoy or arguing over things that don’t matter.

Start small. What’s one thing you can let go of at work? At home? How can you make your “letters” shorter?

In my Time Design Program, we learn the science (process) for creating lives we love using less time and energy and achieving more. And we begin finessing the art so we can design lives we want to live and savour. For more details, reach out for a chat.