How Ari Meisel Can Accomplish More by Doing Less

If you've ever felt overwhelmed at work and wanted to mitigate that stress and balance in your life, you've probably ended up on Ari Meisel's mindset of Less Doing. The name itself is pretty self-explanatory: doing less, provides more. It keeps you grounded, focused, and makes that Holy Grail of "work life balance" achievable. Ari Meisel is, among other entrepreneurial feats, an "overwhelmologist." Pick up on some tips on accomplishing more, by less doing below.

How did the Less Doing Community start?

I started Less Doing because I had met so many founders who were asking me HOW to do things. And that wasn't the right question. The processes for optimization are out there in abundance, so the answer wasn't buying into another platform or process. If you're inefficient, a method isn't going to be some magic bullet to scale your business. I wanted them to ask WHO can do this? Because the answer is invariably, NOT THEM. I want them to build businesses that can operate magnificently without them, so founders can devote their time to their unique abilities. 

We like the phrase, “Overwhelmologist.” What made you focus on everyone’s tendency of, well, getting overwhelmed?

Look, we all have the same number of hours in any given day. How do we spend them? Spinning our wheels? Head down on some project we don't want any part of? Making list after list of things we'd rather be doing, instead of getting shit done?

The OAO Methodology shows entrepreneurs, especially, what they're good at, what they are naturally inclined toward, and giving them the time to do just that and delegate the rest in the most efficient way. Our Overwhelm comes from our misguided notion that our self-reliance is a positive. It's not. And it doesn't work. Clearly. 

Tell us about “doing less” and how it helped you as an entrepreneur.

I've been able to from zero to six figures in five months because I followed my own advice and made myself replaceable. I have a team of people who are so in sync, so skilled and so invested in the process, that even in these early stages of the business, I'm free to explore my unique abilities. So we grow. 

How do you get organized before you start your work for the day?

Actually, unlike a lot of folks, I don't have a morning routine. I have an evening routine, which allows me to fully commit to my wife and kids and frees up my head space for a good night's sleep, knowing that I've already planned efficiently for the next day. It works quite well for me. 

What are you excited about working on now?

Well, I'm writing my next book, but I'm mostly excited for Spring.