virgin islands scene

Delay is the deadliest form of denial.
-- C Northcote Parkinson
 

 

Tuesday, January 28, 1997

Less is More

Do you find that you never have enough time to do everything that needs to be done? Did you ever consider that you could get more done with less effort? There’s no such thing as something for nothing. However, there is also no need to ever use more than the minimum effort necessary.

The less effort you put into getting each thing accomplished, the more you’ll be able to do. Reducing your effort is not being lazy -- far from it. In fact, it could be argued that NOT working to become more efficient is the lazy way to live. When you look for ways to reduce your efforts, you’ll open your eyes to a whole new way of doing things.

For example, it takes less effort to regularly change your car’s oil, than to replace the engine. It takes less effort to put things away when you’re finished with them, than to trip over them every time you walk through the room. It takes less effort to deal with a problem early, than to avoid it and have it grow bigger. It takes less effort to save in advance for a purchase, than to buy it on credit and pay the interest. It takes less effort to do it NOW, than to ponder it, and worry about it, and wonder if you should, and then play catch up because it took you so long to get started. It takes less effort to do the difficult tasks early in the day, when your mind is fresh and clear, than to stay up late and do them while fighting fatigue.

With each thing you undertake, ask “How can I do this with less effort?” There is usually a way, and by finding it you will grow vastly more effective.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©1997 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.