When Less is Better
Editing the dross out of your life.
In my quest to do less, but better, I’ve had to look long and hard at how I’m living my life. You’ll have to do the same, if you have the same aim. Only you know the areas in your life where you’re taking on too much, over-committing, over-stretching, and burning out. Only you know how much dross there is in your life, and how your life might need to change to get rid of it.
Dross /drɒs/
noun:
Something regarded as worthless; rubbish.
Only you can decide what you need to do less of, in order to do everything else better. To give an example though, I’ll share my own goals in my ongoing (and inconsistent) quest to do less, but better:
As a writer, here’s what I’m aiming for:
- Less writing produced, but better quality
- Fewer freelance clients, but higher paying ones
- Less time spent working, but better work produced
- Less generalising, but better — and more targeted — specialising
- Fewer words, that better express what I really want to say
That last one is key for a writer. Sometimes we need to write a long article, essay, or book to express our ideas, but we should never forget that more words don’t tend to equal more impact. The Gettysburg address is 272 words long. The Lord’s Prayer is only 66. Some of the most impactful song lyrics are just one or two lines. And some of the most important phrases you’ll ever say or hear are just two or three words:
I love you.
I do.
It’s a boy.
I’m leaving.
It’s over.
He’s gone.
As a writer, saying less, and saying it better, is a constant challenge. In life in general, there are some other things I’m aiming for:
- Less busyness, better productivity
- Less waste, better resourcefulness
- Less activity, better vision
- Fewer daily tasks, done better
- Fewer friends, stronger bonds
- Fewer meetings, better communication
- Less time on social media, better engagement and connection
- Less time spent worrying, better solutions reached
- Fewer commitments, but more fulfilling ones
- Less time spent working out, with better results
An idealistic list, perhaps, but such a simple one. None of those things are unattainable, or even that hard to achieve. Striving for less is so much easier than striving for more.
Maybe your ‘less but better’ is a really effective 20 minute workout, a focussed, distraction-free, 30 minute writing session each day, or a solid hour spent on studying, learning a skill, or doing something that’s good for your mental health. Maybe your dross is social media, TV, gaming, or spending time with people who probably shouldn’t be in your life at all.
A Few Action Steps
Make a ‘less’ list. Write down everything you want less of in your life. What do you want to edit out of your life? What do you spend time on that’s worthless, futile, or even destructive? It could be activities or relationships. Physical or mental. Virtual or real life. Start to edit them out of your life
Make a ‘better’ list. Write down the things you’d like to do better at. The things that really matter to you. The activities that actually make you happy. The actions that will impact your life positively, for years to come. Start to put more time, effort, creativity, money, or whatever else it takes, into doing them better.
Track your time. See what you’re spending time on. And see if you can start reducing time spent on the things on your ‘less’ list and becoming better at something on your ‘better’ list. The aim is to shift totally away from the first list and towards the second.
Review your lists regularly. Celebrate any progress. Don’t beat yourself up if that progress isn’t as happening at the pace you’d like it too. This can be a slow process. Sometimes you’ll need to take teeny tiny steps. Just try and keep moving in the right direction.
Want a printable journal and planner that will help you do less, but better? You’re in luck, because that’s a thing.
