The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

January 18Time to Do Less

Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest person has hardly need to count more than their ten fingers, or in extreme cases they may add their ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.

Henry David Thoreau—Walden (1854)

Today's culture promotes, almost cheers, doing and having more.

Another foundational element endorsed by transcendentalists was production over consumption—that you should add more value to the world by thoughtfully producing things rather than mindlessly consuming them.

Although most entrepreneurs have no issue with the mindset of adding value, the siren's call of the next new thing or new model is hard to ignore. Facebook will gladly exhibit what you're lacking.

Self-reliance, however, requires something less—fewer ideas, fewer objectives, and few distractions. And something more—additional space, additional focus, and additional discipline.

The space, focus, and discipline to gain control over the highest payoff activities in your business and your life.

Self-reliant entrepreneurs find, create, and cherish the space to explore.

It doesn't matter how many gadget-filled moments you use today, you must find the time to do less.

Challenge Question

1. What would it take to carve out one hour every day just to think?