In part 1, we flipped the question from “When is enough, enough?” to “Lord, how do you want me to steward what you’ve given me?”

We also acknowledged the goal of having more peace and less stress: an impossibility in the past, as you’ve constantly carried the “Grind to Grow” burden on your shoulders.

But what if the next level of growth actually required less of you… not more?

Over the past several years there have been a handful of principles I’ve found have made a significant impact on helping my clients create with this transition.

The first step deals with optimizing your time, so you can focus on making the business BETTER before it becomes bigger.

#1 – Less But Better

You’re not unique. EVERYBODY has far more on their list than they can physically get done. Your problem is not the size of your list, it’s that you’re not clear on what will actually move the needle forward, so everything feels urgent.

Take a step back and ask yourself, “If I could only accomplish one project/outcome in the next ____ (two weeks, month, or quarter), what ONE thing would likely impact 80% of the other items on this list?”

Find the 20% that moves the 80%. Then devote a portion of each week toward that 20% no matter what.

#2 – The Architect, Not the Hero 

You may not fully be in the “owner’s seat” in your business in terms of your responsibilities, but I guarantee you are taking on stuff you should be leaving to others.

Stop SOLVING everything for your team and start EMPOWERING them to do it.

Stop CONTROLLING how everything is done and start TRUSTING your team.

Dee Hock, the founder of Visa, famously said that he refused to ever be in a meeting that was going to take less than 2 hrs… if it’s going to take less than 2 hrs, someone else should be solving those problems.

Ask, “How am I convincing myself I’m more needed than I really am? What’s one thing I could entrust to someone else this week?”

#3 – Ruthlessly Prioritize Space

This feels SO counterintuitive when the business feels chaotic, you’re likely thinking “I already feel like I’m massively behind; I can’t afford to slow down.”

You can’t afford NOT to.

You can’t lead what you can’t see,

and you can’t see what you won’t slow down to look at.

Start with a 30min block of space once a week; you must rise above the chaos to gain a vantage point that allows you to lead effectively.

#4 – Optimize for Energy over Output

Running on empty isn’t doing anyone any favors.

You’re not showing up as the leader your team needs, the parent/spouse your family needs – you’re a shell of yourself when you operate like this.

Energy changes that and makes the time you invest more productive.

What’s one small habit if you did consistently over the next couple weeks, it’d improve your energy 10-20%?

Don’t try to do all 4 of these at once, pick the ONE that resonates most and take one tiny action in that direction this week to create growth with less grind.