Eliminating the Non-Essential
Cascading Lateness
This week, I received two inquiries from dear clients along the lines of, “Are you okay? We usually hear back from you right away, and it's been a couple of days.”
The day after these inquiries, I found myself in an instance of what I call “cascading lateness" —being two minutes late for one meeting, which led to being seven minutes late for the next meeting. This is extremely rare for me; after spending eight years in the corporate world regularly navigating cascading lateness due to back-to-back meetings, I try to avoid this at all costs within my own business, typically through 15 minute buffers between client calls and scheduling ample travel time between in-person meetings.
I was, indeed, okay.
And I'm appreciative to have clients who legitimately care about the answer to this question.
I was just running hard and fast between client commitments, and was a bit slower to respond to email than usual.
Eliminating the Non-Essentials
Their questions sparked a reflection: is there anything non-essential that I can eliminate right now, to create even a tiny bit more time and energy during this busy fall season?
I instantly knew the answer, and it was Instagram.
While it is fun to occasionally connect with others via posts and direct messages, the truth is that I talk to my besties via text and Marco Polo and the good old fashioned telephone.
While Instagram offers a place to share upcoming events, the truth is that in over ten years, only a teeny, tiny percentage of our clients have hired us because of a connection to Instagram; nearly all of our clients come via a referral from other trusted clients.
And, while it is fun to occasionally log in and enjoy a chuckle from Celeste, the truth is that I can live without her (admittedly hilarious) videos for a bit.
In short, in this season, Instagram is non-essential, and if I'm being ruthless, it has to go for a little while.
I'm currently on the lookout for other non-essentials: on my calendar, within my physical surroundings, and related to my energy.
Other things that have recently gotten cut include: attempting to watch Succession (it was just too stressful —I'm sorry to everyone who loves it, but I just couldn't do it!), a few promotional emails about daily “deals” (lots more to do there), and lingering indecision about the best travel route for an upcoming client trip.
Questions to Ponder
What are my 3-5 essentials for this season?
What is one non-essential thing that I could eliminate, pause, or reduce?
Do I have any instances of the 80/20 rule in the wrong direction (80% effort for 20% results)? If so, what changes could I make?
Additional Resources
My Bookshop List: A Few Favorites for Impact, Flow, Habits, Productivity, and Eliminating the Non-Essential.
