When we asked what Joe Calloway hoped readers took from his debut Simple Truths title, Keep It Simple, here's what he said:
- Even in a world that becomes more complex every day, you have the power to simplify your life and your work.
- You simplify by getting focused on what matters most...by getting clarity on what is truly important.
- When you simplify, you are more productive, less stressed, and life and work become more fulfilling.
"The 3 Rules of Simplicity"
from Keep It Simple
by Joe Calloway
One of my clients is a national trucking company. This is a business that involves logistics, systems, schedules, and details that could easily become overwhelmingly complicated. Yet this trucking company, which is one of the largest in the country, has harnessed the power of simplicity and focus to drive consistent success for years.
They have boiled it down to three simple rules that they abide by every single day.
- Pick it up when you said you would.
- Deliver it when you said you would.
- Deliver it intact and all there.
A successful drive-in restaurant chain has done much the same in getting clarity on what is most important:
- Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods they can buy.
- Provide meals with friendly service.
- Serve in a comfortable, sparkling clean environment.
These companies are great examples of the power of having a team with a shared, and simple, vision. It's actually quite easy to come up with a wordy, complicated vision, mission, or goal. It's much more challenging to create a goal that is simple and easy to understand. Resist the temptation to overthink things. Boil it down to the essence of what matters most. We should strive to focus on the essential and minimize the rest.
So what are the three most important things in your life, your work, or your business?
You can stop overcomplicating. Boil it down to those three most important things that you must do well every day to create success, happiness, or fulfillment. This can, and should, take some time and thought, but it's well worth the effort.
Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?
Sir Peter Blake led Team New Zealand to successive victories in the America's Cup yacht competition in 1995 and 2000. The key to this success was that Blake focused the team on one question, which they asked about everything they did: "Will it make the boat go faster?"
Everything they did and every decision they made had to go through the filter of "Will it make the boat go faster?" This applied to the equipment they chose, their training regimen, nutrition, crew composition—everything.
The British eight man rowing team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics adopted the same strategy of "Will it make the boat go faster?" and it drove them to change everything about their strategy and daily activities. They credit winning the gold medal to this singular focus.
We can all simplify and focus using our version of that question. Look at your daily choices, activities, and decisions and ask yourself your own version of "Will this make the boat go faster?"
Will this get me where I want to go?
Will this help me to create positive relationships?
Will this assist me in reaching my sales goal?
We all have a "boat" we want to go faster. Be sure you are focused on doing those things that will accomplish your goals.
Keep It Simple is full of information on how simplicity and focus can get us where we want to go, faster.