Doing Less to get More
A week or so before Essence Festival, I was mentally burned out. I had been stretched in 50 different directions, and all I wanted to do was sit on my couch and binge watch Girlfriends and Sex and the City while eating banana bread. The return of Essence Fest, to me, meant a hint of fun mixed with long hours, work, more work, strict deadlines, and pure pandemonium. Now don’t get it twisted, I wasn’t tripping off the hard work…I’m no foreigner to the grind….I was just growing weary of being busy and not strategic. So Essence Festival came and went, and just like I predicted - I ran myself into the ground….and the money I made didn’t match the hustle I put in. A few days after Essence Fest, I came across a quote that I know for sure was thrown in my path on purpose. Check it out below.
““The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.””
This quote bopped me right on the top of my head and planted itself in my psyche. I thought about it days after I read it. Shortly after discovering the quote, a friend (out the blue) called and suggested that I read the book The One Thing by Gary Keller (when certain subjects keep coming up in my environment, this is one of the ways I know God is speaking to me). Stumbling upon that quote and getting that book prompted me to reanalyze what success looked like to me and the most effective way to reach it. And the first thing I began to do was…..trim the fat.
In my opinion, Mr. Buffett is basically saying to weed out the things that are not aligned with your goals so that you can get to the things that are. Sometimes my hands are in too many pots which results in me not bearing any fruits. But when I concentrate on a specific thing, I master it. When I first started this blog/influencer journey, I tried to take on as many projects as possible so that I could get my brand out there. I was all over the place which quickly drained me and left me no energy to complete the important tasks. Now days, I’m learning more and more that being busy and being productive are not related. The more tasks you take on that are unrelated to your goals, the further away from your goals you’ll be. But if you sift through the rubbish and get to the treasure, you’ll actually accomplish more.
“If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.”
So now I’m laser focused. I’m carving out my main goal and sticking to it. If something comes up that doesn’t align with my main goal, presents itself as just busy work, or doesn’t feel right in my spirit - I nip it. And because I’ve gotten so focused, a lot of the right things have been coming my way. And as a result, more opportunities are on the horizon.
Think about it, entrepreneurs like Jay Z came into the business concentrating on one goal. In Jay’s instance, it was rap. He went so hard with rap that of course he succeeded. And as a result of that achievement, success in other areas followed.
Doing less to get more might sound crazy to some. But for me it’s just what the doctor ordered. Because being involved in everything means you’re actually involved in nothing due to your attention and energy being unevenly divided. But putting all your attention and energy into fewer things (or one thing) can give you the results you desire and then some.
“He who works all day has no time to make money.”
Doing less….getting more,
- Samjah Iman
Outfit Details: These overalls came straight from my Aunt’s closet. She made me swear I wouldn’t slice them up….however, my cutting finger has been itching!! LOL! Oh, and of course they are vintage!! Ya’ll know me!