If you’re anything like me (and I know you are), you take pride in productivity. You’re a maven of multitasking. A master of juggling multiple incredibly complex projects without missing a beat. You have so much you want to accomplish with your time on Mother Earth that you push yourself to the limit to try to fit it ALL in.

But you know what?

When I spread myself too thin, I’m not giving proper attention to the one or two things that should receive all of my focus.

This is one of the biggest things that held me back the most in my life. It’s actually one of the biggest challenges my students and other entrepreneurs face.

We’re led to believe more is better; faster is best.

Are you struggling with our culture’s tendency to celebrate production, too?

If you want to really succeed, go deep not wide.

Or as Marie Forleo says: Simplify to amplify.

The key to success + scaling your business is do less to achieve more.

The reality is we have a limited amount of time every day. But our personal lives and professional lives, health and wellness, family, finances, hobbies, and play times all need a slice of it.

If you don’t exercise the important principle of pruning in your business and your life to only focus on YOUR priorities you don’t give any area your best.

I learned the power of this principle a few years ago when I launched Yoga.Psyche.Soul.^TM, my six-month online course that leads to life-changing transformations for my students and their students. At the same time, I also decided to launch another year-long online course. Either one of these endeavors was big enough to require my full-time focus but I launched them simultaneously.

Although I wouldn’t say I bit off more than I could chew (because I launched both courses successfully and helped transform lives), after three or four years, I realized I was simply spread too thin.

I wasn’t able to go deep with either course. I wasn’t able to be fully present with all the different moving parts, direct the flow, and really stay ahead of the game and on top of where these brands and programs could go.

I had to be honest with myself.

In order to bring the level of excellence to my work that I wanted, I needed to simplify to amplify. I was ready to go deep, not wide.

I wanted to build Yoga.Psyche.Soul.^TM to shape the industry. I wished to create an experience and level of content that would make this innovative practice a leader in the industry.

To achieve excellence, I needed the time to focus on my business, my systems, my team and on our vision and strategy to make that happen.

One of the ways I pruned my responsibilities to open space in my schedule to give Yoga.Psyche.Soul.^TM the dedicated time it required was to scale back my other project commitments. Some of these projects will be back in some form in the future, but until I can give them the time and energy they require to go deep, my focus is on Yoga.Psyche.Soul.^TM.

Once you get started with the pruning process, you realize you’re at the tip of the iceberg. As you begin to focus on YOUR true priorities, you realize there are other ways to improve.

In my experience, I realized the next step was to take a sabbatical from the online version of Yoga.Psyche.Soul.^TM While there are astounding transformations that occur in the online version, my focus was needed in other areas.

I want to build the systems in my business so we can scale. I want to be focused at my desk with my team on a weekly schedule so we can become much more nuanced and refined.

Your Priorities are Yours

What are YOUR priorities? No, not your partner’s, not your friend’s, not your parent’s, not what everyone else is doing in the industry. You have to know YOUR priorities.  

Do you know how many times I’ve been asked when I’m going to write my book (since all my peers seem to be writing a book now)? I don’t want to write a book right now. It’s not MY priority. It might be someday, but it’s not now.

Focus.

Simplify to amplify.

Go deep, not wide.

Really focus.

You will go through different phases of your business. Know what phase you’re in and know what phase you’re in your life. Know what your priorities are. Focus on that.

Streamline everything else and say, “no.” Say “no” to everything else that is not aligned with those one or two goals max; one or two projects max.

There’s always next year to begin another project if you’re ready for a new focus.

This lesson was a long learning curve for me. I really resisted this teaching, but it’s so landing for me in such a big way now. I can see the difference and it’s only just beginning.

So, tell me, where are you ready to go deep?