“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.“

– Vince Lombardi

Work Less Earn More: Get the Inside Scoop

By nature, I’m a perfectionist. Can you relate? 

I can spend an ungodly amount of time perfecting things and even more time fixing other people’s problems. Take it from me — this is not a lucrative strategy.

After years of trial and error, these are the systems and strategies I’ve learned to work less, and earn more. If you apply these strategies and principles to your life, I guarantee you’ll see increased productivity and revenue while also having better work-life balance and integration. 

Let’s get started!

Perfectionism and how it relates to the work less, earn more principle.

Now, my inherent traits of being a perfectionist are not going to change. You know, a leopard and its spots and all that jazz. But I have learned to control these tendencies, so they don’t own me and use them to my advantage. 

When I’m in control of my perfectionism, it enables me to build strategic, efficient processes, save time, money, and eliminate logistical headaches. 

So, what was the key to turning my maladaptive-ish perfectionism into something adaptive that allows me to thrive?

The key was learning to let go of having to get things right 100% every time before moving on and extending that courtesy to others. 

Nowadays, winning is more important than getting it perfect.

So how does this play into the whole work less and earn more thing?

The only way this works is if you have productive systems in place and manage your time well. You’ve gotta know when to move on and move forward. 

Hint: If you’re a perfectionist, it’s a lot sooner than you think.

Productive Systems + Time Management = Work Less Earn More.

Sounds simple. But you can’t believe how many people get it wrong. 

We’ve been taught our entire lives that working our asses off means we’re productive. That sacrificing time with our loved ones will pay off . . . eventually. 

We’re also taught that we’ve gotta wait in line to make it to the top for some odd reason. And that’s just the way things are. We’ve also had it drilled into our heads that not everyone is cut out to own a business and build a successful empire. 

Well, that all sounds shitty! 

I’d be lying if I didn’t at one time believe all of these things.

But I also wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t challenge them. These things aren’t written in stone and aren’t my fate. They aren’t yours either. 

I mean, why would any of us want to follow in the footsteps of people that are miserable and broken and shackled to a system they hate? 

No thanks. 

What if, instead, you front-loaded your time to create systems that didn’t waste it and focused your talents and energy into creating efficient, ideal results? And your process improved these systems and over and over? 

You’d reap the benefits long after you’d front-loaded your time and efforts. 

Just think about the amount of time you spend a day on tedious tasks. Switching from task to task, doing a lot of shit but not really feeling validated that you’d accomplished a whole lot. 

Most of us complain we’re busy, but others are doing extraordinary things. We all have the same amount of time in the day.

Workaholics, listen up. 

Now, remember when I told you I had perfectionist tendencies? They once controlled me. But I’ve learned to leverage them for all they’re worth and not let them stand in the way of winning.

Well, I also have to confess that I am a workaholic. 

I know this whole article is about working less and earning more, and I’ll explain in a moment how that can benefit even a workaholic. But I love to work! 

When I work on things I love, I’m totally in my element. I like solving problems and turning something failing around. I also love watching others win and fully enjoy the growth process.

Slowing down for me is hard. Is this difficult for you, too? When it comes to the world of work, slowing down is essential if you want thriving relationships in your life. 

If you’re a perfectionist-workaholic with big goals, slowing down feels like defeat. It feels like someone is coming around the corner and gaining ground on you. 

Here is where productive systems and time management come into play. 

Building effective systems that give you ideal results will help you manage your time more effectively. When systems enable you to complete all the tasks on your schedule efficiently and in half the time they usually take, you’ll feel a little less guilty when taking time off. 

Because let’s face it — we perfectionists and workaholics really struggle with the time-off guilt. 

Is this something you can relate to — you don’t feel in control and satisfied you’re making progress if you’re standing still? 

The answer to solving this riddle is scaling your systems so you can work less, earn more, and leave the time-off guilt behind. 

Once you have a dialed-in system, you can start to bring the right people on board to replicate the processes you’ve built. Again, this takes some time commitment upfront. But if done with intention, the payoff is massive. 

Nothing extraordinary has ever been accomplished alone. So if you’re trying to do it all and do it all by yourself, you’re getting set up for a major disappointment. 

Take a look at these scenarios: 

If I just 2X my production and momentum, I feel way more at ease walking away for a bit for some much-needed R and R.

Let’s take this a step further, and 5X-10X or more that same system with the same product. Do this, you’ve essentially removed your direct efforts from the equation. 

At this point, your job is to manage the system in place, look for gaps in the process, improve if needed, and connect with the people you serve while continuing to innovate. 

Work Less Earn More: Your Next Steps

Many of us fall into the trap of believing we can do it all (guilty). The truth is, we should be focusing our time and attention on the most important things instead of all the things. 

Creating a system around productivity and time management that’s scalable will serve you greatly. It’ll allow you the freedom to grow and scale so you don’t become a miserable person who hates life because they work all the time and feel like they can’t rest. 

So it’s totally true, and I’m living proof — you can work less and earn more. But you need to put strategic, productive processes in place that allow growth and pair it with your commitment to time management. 

Keep in mind, this doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient when building your system. It’ll be the foundation that serves you well for years to come. 

Get started building the strategic systems that’ll help you earn more and work less today.

I’ve curated a list of handy, useful tools and apps that can make your life a little easier and help you scale some of your internal and external business processes. Visit my Favorite Things Page where I share it all.