BY BILL GERLACH | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

“People, like nails, lose their effectiveness when they lose direction and begin to bend.” — Walter Savage Landor

While I’m working towards creating my own minimalist business based on writing and speaking about reconnecting with life and Nature, I still have a day job.

And that day job often finds me on point for getting stuff done: From developing business strategies to implementing projects to designing solutions to meet ever-changing customer needs. Over the years I’ve approached this work in different ways to gain the know-how I needed. I’ve taken classes, attended seminars and even got my M.B.A. Still, I’ve learned more from my mistakes than I have my successes.

But the net result of all this experience is a simple formula that I think holds the key for getting anything in life or work done:

WHAT + HOW + DO = GET IT DONE

Most people over-architect an approach or solution. They make it bigger and more complex than it needs to be. Remember to pucker up and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Here is how the formula breaks down:

• WHAT // Define your objective in clear and concise terms. Whether it is developing a new digital product, remodeling a room or building a sandbox for your kids, don’t muddy the water with extraneous thoughts or desires. Just like the process of un-cluttering your life, un-clutter what you want to achieve. The path of how you get there will be that much clearer.
• HOW // The steps you need to take to achieve your objective should be simple and straightforward. This is your tactical action plan. The great thing here is that you don’t need to be an expert any more in whatever you are trying to achieve. It’s 2010 and the Internet has replaced a room full of tools and know-how. Sure, a basic sense of how to get from here to there helps, but legitimate roadblocks are hard to come by these days. Google, baby, Google.
• DO // You have defined your objective(s) and your action plan. Now make the rubber hit the road. Set a realistic timetable, remove any obstacles (or find ways around them) and get to it. Stay focused, set your priorities right and don’t forget to then relish in the joys of time well spent.

Yes, you might make a mistake or three along the way, but that’s OK. Critique your performance objectively and learn from it. Even better, be open to feedback from others you’ve worked with along the way. Their eyes and ears are apt to pick up on things that you would never have realized. Remember, life-long learners are way better than know-it-alls.

Best of luck in everything that you set out to achieve. For more information about minimalist business, I highly recommend you check out Everett Bogue at Far Beyond the Stars.

Be well,
Bill

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[Image: antonyspencer via flickr]