Start Being Better By Stopping Just One Thing

Sometimes performing better depends more on what you don’t do. Achievement – as well as increased happiness and fulfillment – can be a matter of subtraction, not addition.

Take me. I hate phone calls. My aversion to phone calls is borderline pathological. For one thing, I'm not good at making small talk. I also have a hard time saying no (generally), and saying no on the phone is much harder than saying no by, say, email. And phone calls interrupt my “flow” (what some call being in “the zone”). Yet, despite all these reasons, for years I talked to people on the phone – even though it really didn’t work for me.

Then one day, years ago, I simply decided to stop taking phone calls.
Problem solved.

Now, I have fewer than a dozen business phone calls a year. I can go months without having a single phone call (and those are very happy months).

Sure, some people didn’t understand at first. And a few might even have been offended (though I doubt it.) But now it’s a non-issue. Just making that one decision took a huge stress off me, made me a lot more productive, improved the way I communicate with people… and made me a lot happier. I’m not alone. An entrepreneur I know refuses to allow anyone to bring their mobile devices to meetings. He got tired of wondering if people were engaged in the discussion or engaged in their phones. So he banned phones. Problem solved – and I’m guessing better meetings are the result as well.

Another immediately walks away from gossip. She can’t stand talking about – or hearing about – people behind their backs so she simply walks away. Problem solved – and a great example is set, too.

Of course sometimes it takes more than just deciding to quit doing something, no matter how strongly you might feel. Fellow Influencer Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, and a classic “giver,” is working hard to get better at saying no.

Now it’s your turn. Think of one thing that really bugs you – not just bugs you, though, but that also impacts your performance in a significant way. Maybe it’s certain types of meetings. Maybe it’s a certain process flow. Maybe it’s how you typically interact with your peers. Whatever it is, imagine a world in which you no longer have to do it…

… and then start thinking of ways to make it possible to stop doing it without negatively impacting the people who depend on you. And, if you're still apprehensive, at least try it for a week — or a month. See how it feels.

And then, when you’re ready, quit doing it. Dare to be different. Giving yourself permission to stop something allows you to start being even better.

I promise you will make a tremendous impact not just on your performance… but also on how happy you are.

What one thing do you wish you could quit doing? Share in the comments below… and then inspire us to take action by explaining how you plan to pull it off.