It’s easy to focus on the idea of success; to admire the person who got to the top of the mountain and then decide to make that climb yourself. But, when you actually look at the path they took to get there and the sacrifices made, perhaps your perspective changes. Perhaps that lofty yet isolated, narrow, windswept mountain peak starts to look more like the edge of a precipice than the paradise lifestyle success that was supposed to offer.
With the traditional approach to running a business, there’s no getting around the stress, the pressure, the sleepless nights. We tend to assume that if a business isn’t growing – that if you aren’t putting in gruelling hours to make it happen and endlessly striving for more – it can’t be successful. This simply isn’t true. What is true is the fact that growth means more responsibility, hiring more staff, managing more problems, and taking on more risk.
Where is the space then for enjoying life, spending time with the people you love? Living that best version of life you envisioned when you first started as an entrepreneur?
With a minimalist approach, you get to build a successful business that you’re passionate about, but you also create space for the lifestyle you want. That’s the beauty of minimalism. You eliminate the excess – sidestepping the burden of taking on what isn’t necessary – and make room for what truly matters.
What is minimalism in business?
Minimalism in business is about letting go of all the things that you don’t need, which also means letting go of a lot of the stress and worry. You don’t have to approach business ownership as a never-ending climb to the top. Nor do you have to follow in the footsteps of other highly successful business owners to attain your success.
All you have to do is focus on your vision and passions, what you want your lifestyle to be, all the good stuff, and then implement what you need to get there. Think about it, there are a million ways to bake a cake. Running a business is the same. Why should we conform to the belief that if your business isn’t growing in a conventional way, we are failing? Why do we have to bend our path to success around a mountain of expectations someone else created?
Instead, by focusing on less, both your lifestyle and business can thrive.
How to do more with less
I didn’t get into business to be a manager or to take on more responsibility than any one human should bear. I did it so I’d have the freedom to fill my days doing the work I’m passionate about, and to live a lifestyle I love.
A minimalist approach to business is all about focusing on the essentials and stripping away the risk. Take all the fundamentals of running a business – marketing, sales, operations, administration – and be open-minded about how you can automate, delegate, or outsource. When you stop thinking about the opinions and expectations of others, and no longer limit yourself to conventional options, you’ll find there are infinite ways to run your business.
I’ve been immensely successful by taking a minimalist approach. And, my path isn’t exactly traditional. I’ve hired remote staff for everything – all by business partners and staff live in different countries. Whilst we all work hard, everyone I work with has the flexibility to make their hours and to have the lifestyle they want.
The thought of running a business without boundaries, or walls, might make some people shiver, but for me, it’s an absolute no brainer. I trust those I work with and, in turn, they trust me. I love the freedom it offers, love the fact that I’m not restricted to hire on location – and my company consists of individuals who are just as free as I am.
After generations of one way of doing things, this may appear like a big change to some people. Well, change can be a remarkable thing.
My company turns over millions of dollars a year. And, I’m living my dream right now. Success isn’t an idea that will happen once my business grows to a certain point, and then once it reaches the next goal, or when I can finally retire and have time to spend with my family and do the things I love.
That’s the thing, the minimalist entrepreneur gets to have it all in the present moment, not as an ideal to enjoy someday over the rainbow. I’m living my best life now. You can do the same.