It almost sounds counter intuitive, doesn’t it? The thought of increasing productivity by actually doing less just doesn’t seem possible, but it is.

In last week’s eCARD, I talked about the value of simplifying life so we can zero in on those few things, personally or professionally, that matter most. Several of you got back with me advising that (1) you were already in the process of simplifying and enjoying its rewards or (2) were very interested in the concept, wanted to simplify your life and wanted a few more examples.

To that end, let me share a few more ideas on how you might increase productivity by actually doing less.

Three Ways to Get More by Doing Less

1. Plan More in Order to Do Less

We all know the adage: “failure to plan is planning to fail,” and there’s certainly truth in that. Stephen Covey, in two of his books, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First, speaks to the importance of what he calls “measuring twice, cutting once”, when it comes to the importance of planning.

I have found as little as fifteen minutes of planning, in either the morning or the evening, helps me focus on making sure I schedule those things that will move a project or a program forward. Fifteen minutes of planning is really quite easy to do but herein lies the rub. Because it’s easy to do, it’s also easy not to do. Unfortunately, that saw cuts both ways.

Because most of our daily actions and activities are governed by habits, we need to exercise a little self-discipline and actually plan for a productive day. We also have to develop the habit of narrowing our focus in order to maximize productivity. For most folk,s this will mean changing their focus from activities to projects.

2. Focus on Projects, Not Activities

One of the keys to getting more done by doing less is to narrow our focus to completing important projects, instead of checking off a task list. Studies show a common characteristic of successful people is the ability to stay with a project to completion. It’s not starting a project that’s important, it’s finishing what we start that really counts.

The key to finishing a project is to break it into manageable activities and then make those activities a daily priority. But here’s another key: Don’t schedule too many project-focused activities into your daily schedule. Why? Because too many priorities means having no priorities at all. Keep it simple and limit yourself to no more than three project-focused activities a day.

3. Don’t Prioritize Your Schedule – Schedule Your Priorities.

This isn’t a play on words – it’s great advice! Simply ordering our daily schedule will do little to move our projects forward. In most cases, a daily plan is nothing more than capturing the times for scheduled meetings or important phone calls. If that’s the case, why not schedule a meeting with yourself for the sole purpose of working on a piece of an important project?

A meaningful project can seldom be accomplished in one fell swoop. The project has to be broken down into specific pieces and those pieces usually require completion in a specific order. This fact in itself speaks to the need for “project time.”

In order to get more done by doing less, take a look at your daily calendar and schedule 60 -90 minutes of “me” time in order to focus on – and if possible complete – project-focused activities. You’ll be surprised to see how quickly the project comes together and, at the same time, you’ll be developing the habit of intentionally carving out small but important sections of your day to do those (few) things that matter most.

Gettting more done by doing less is a numbers game. Doing just a couple of project-related activities a day – every day – will multiply your performance and productivity exponentially. You’ll be amazed at how it works!