Every few years I dive into Tim Ferriss’s 4 Hour Work Week.
I set aside all the criticisms and focus on the parts that I can use.
The section that continues to have the most impact is the one on elimination.
When the book came out, I decided to read it over a weekend and make 2 quilts for 2 of my sons, at the same time. The thinking was, I would read a chapter, and think about it as I worked on the quilts. It worked!
I finished the book and the quilts. Over the next weeks I found myself with nothing to do at times. I had eliminated that much!
My outcomes didn’t suffer. I did it carefully, and after analysis using the Pareto Principle. I eliminated much of that 80% that only gives 20% of my results.
The biggest thing I did was stop consuming information ‘just in case’ and focused on information I needed ‘just in time’ This is my biggest challenge, because learning is one of my values. I love to read nonfiction and listen to podcasts and interviews. But I am careful with what I consume.
I am using that word ‘consume’ consciously. We tend to take in information carelessly and then forget it. I try to take it in, consider it and assimilate it as appropriate. I’m very, very careful with what information I take in.
The next biggest thing I did was to drop some of my clients. I only work with people who are making progress. I don’t mean progress everyday, because we all have our cycles and dips, but overall. In other words, I keep working with clients as long as they are getting value from our work together.
Elimination works for me personally as well as throughout our business processes. I am always looking for ways to streamline what we do. Much of what we do in business is legacy work – processes and ways that have stuck around longer than we need them to, because ‘that’s how we do it’. We think everything we do is bringing value, but without testing and measuring, we can’t know if it really is valuable.
What can you eliminate in your life and business? How can you streamline what you do? How can you 4HWW your business and life?