Subtraction Is Greater Than Addition ( By Alexandria Joy)

I just came out of a mentoring session with my mentor Linda Hutchings what a great reminder it was to take my own medicine and keep it clean by making things simple.

Perhaps like me you're a multi-passionate entrepreneur or leader who has 50 business ideas a day and struggles to decide which one to implement first. As I talked to Linda about some of my latest ideas of launching a new podcast, relaunching a group coaching program, beginning writing another book (I have two underway already), I began to hear the folly of my thoughts.

Yep that's right, I was eating my own vomit.

I'd just spent the morning supporting a CEO at a mining engineering company to reduce the friction in his business and find more flow. We've been looking at where he can strategically narrow his focus and do what is most important. And here I was stacking my plate full.

As the minimalist leader I teach others that:

Doing everything = frustration and friction

Doing few things well = flow and fulfilment

Linda kindly reminded me that we often teach what we need to practice.

Like anything in life and business everything can be improved by adding, or by subtracting. Typically adding is associated positively with enhancing something and subtracting is associated negatively with detracting from something.

The race is always for bigger, better, more. Do more, teach more, share more. We are told to keep adding - be on more committees, say yes to more experiences, strive for more money and definitely aim for more friends and likes. My kick in the pants reminder today is that more doesn't always deliver more, in fact all it often gives us less clarity and more stress.

I have a theory:

Business is pretty simple.

Humans make it complicated.

What if instead we started to focus more on subtracting?

We think the key to productivity is to find ways to get more done. We multitask, we attend productivity workshops and how to manage your email better webinars.

What if the real secret to optimum productivity is to do less while achieving more.

Here are four ideas for how you can implement this:

1. Subtract Low Value Tasks - Linda and I worked through all the ideas I had one by one and identified which ones on my list which were the most commercially viable, would have the greatest impact in helping my clients and were in alignment with my big WHY and goals. It became pretty obvious, pretty quick which low value tasks didn't deserve my attention right now (sorry I won't be launching the Minimalist Leader podcast for a while).
2. Subtract Distractions - simple really but how many of us can truly say that when we work on one task we remain focused on that task? Why not try my 45:15 batching rule? That is work solid on one thing for 45 minutes - turning off and eliminating all distractions such as email and social media alerts, move to a quiet space, wear noise cancelling headphones, leave your phone in your bag, remove all other folder and work from your desk until the 45 minutes of focused work is done. Then spend the next 15 allowing in all the distractions in, checking messages, making coffee, talking to colleagues etc.
3. Subtract Head Over Body - too often in corporate world we are in our heads and not present in our body. In fact one of the smartest ways to get more done in less time is to batch your important tasks for when you're most alert and effective. Generally speaking our brain capacity and decision making ability is highest before lunch so batch the meatier work then. Leave meetings and other less critical items to the afternoon when your physiology is lower in energy.
4. Subtract Heavy Tasks - review your list of tasks and consider are there any tasks that really weigh me down and drain me? As a practicing minimalist towing and living in a tiny house, every item I bring into my house has to be weighed up - literally. Whenever I see an item I want to buy or bring into my life I have to consider will this make my 4 tonne home too heavy? How heavy is each task you have on your list? Is it possible to delegate, dump or deal on any of the weighty ones? Maybe you can exchange an hour of work with someone who's pleasure is your poison? Which tasks that are more aligned with your strengths and talents? What 10 degree shift could you make to make each task lighter and more palatable?

The most successful people I know are focused, have boundaries against time vampires, say no to everything not in their top priorities and travel light in flow. If they add something to their life, their business, their commitments it's done so in a mindful, considered way. And they're always subtracting, reducing and eliminating things that no longer support them.

What are you prepared to let go of and subtract from your world?

https://ezinearticles.com/?Subtraction-Is-Greater-Than-Addition&id=10114521

The 4 States of Mind: Pathway to Success

The four states of mind is a concept coined by Vishen Lakhaini, the curator of the awesomeness festival and the author of the Codex Mind. The four states of mind is a theory that can give us an insight about our own mindset and more importantly an ability to track ourselves as we work to move from any state of the mind that does not serve us to the one that does.

There are two key elements that must be either in a balance or imbalance in each of the individual four states of mind; those two elements are happiness in the now and a vision for the future. Depending on which side the scale tips you could find yourself in any one of these states of mind. Let's see what they are:

1. The Negative Spiral

The negative spiral is possibly the most challenging state. In this state, there is no vision for the future and no happiness in the now. When you are stuck in the negative spiral you may suffer from clinical disorders such as anxiety and even depression. Although a small percentage of the population finds themselves in this state for a prolonged period of time, the lower frequency of this state does not diminish the magnitude of its debilitating effects.

2. Current Reality Trap

In the current reality trap you have happiness in the now but you have no vision for the future. This seems like a really good place to be in, where you can find happiness in the now and be content in the moment; however research shows that true fulfillment comes from having a purpose and a mission in life which you work towards through a defined vision. In the long-term you are more likely to be happy and engaged in your life if you have a vision for your future, in addition to being happy in your current circumstances.

3. Stress and Anxiety

The third state is called the stress and anxiety state and this one I believe is where a lot of entrepreneurs find themselves, especially the ones that are just starting out or only a few years in their entrepreneurial journey. Stress and anxiety is where you have no happiness in the now but you do have a vision for the future. In other words, you are not happy in the current moment with what you have and all your focus goes into your vision for the future as you put all your energy working towards that singular goal. As you focus completely on realizing your massive vision you become oblivious to the joys of the journey along the way and in fact become stressed and anxious about not achieving massive results right away.

I know the stress and anxiety state very well. I was stuck in it myself, perpetually chasing happiness, always running towards the next thing and the thing after that but happiness never came. Happiness seemed elusive and out of my reach. I constantly and tirelessly worked towards achieving goals hoping to find happiness once I achieved them, but when I did, happiness evaded me and was nowhere to be found. In this state your vision drives you on a perpetual chase for happiness that starts resembling a witch hunt.

Many entrepreneurs can relate with this feeling as they inch away towards their goals the joy that comes in the moment working towards them seems to escape them all the time. I certainly felt this way for a long time where I just could not find the happiness in whatever I had in the current moment.

4. State of Flow

The fourth one is the most interesting and decadent state of all, the state of flow. In this state you have a vision for the future AND you're happy in the present moment, the now. The state of flow is an empowered state because here you are able to enjoy all the hard work that you're doing and enjoy the fruits of your labour by being happy in the current moment. The state of flow is common among people that are the so called "game changers" in the world. The ones that can find themselves being happy in the moment in whatever they have but at the same time, have this grand vision for how they want to see their organizations evolve and in many cases the world.

You may relate with the state of flow as you may have been in flow at one point in your life or are in flow right now at this time of your life. When you are in the state of flow you can feel that everything you touch turns to gold, that everything falls into place, things just line up and whatever you do starts to produce results. The state of flow is a really good place to be in because here you start to see results. This is where you really feel like you're living a fulfilled life.

If you are in the stress and anxiety state there are many ways to transition into the state of flow, practices and techniques that can successfully bring you into a place where your vision and happiness complement each other in a beautiful balance. Where you have a grand vision for your future and yet enjoy your success in the moment. I will discuss the practices that you can adopt to transition yourself into the sate flow in my next blog post.

Moving yourself from stress and anxiety to flow take action, consistency paired with hard work is what brings success, if you are ready for a consistent change in your life that can bring you financial freedom like you have never experience before I want to introduce you a tried and true online business model on my website [http://digitalifestylebusiness.com/].

Be aware this business model is not for the opportunistic seeker but for the consistent producer. Remember success doesn't come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-4-States-of-Mind:-Pathway-to-Success&id=9564475

Affluence and Flow

The word "affluence" comes from the Latin word "affluere" which means to "flow abundantly." When most people hear the word affluence they usually think of it meaning an abundance of money, wealth, or property and sometimes it is but affluence is not less about acquisitions and more about the flowing of energy. Energy is a rather nebulous term but we can think about as the ability to do work or cause a change. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but only transformed. Energy interacts with matter and can transform matter. When anything comes to you, say for example, money, food, clothing, or a vehicle, something transformative usually happens. All these things are matter (made up of atoms) and they flowed towards you and you transformed them. If someone electronically transfers you money and then you take that money and spend it on rent or food, you transformed it. This is a very important act; it is an act of affluence.

To lead an affluent life has nothing to do with the amount of wealth or property but has to do with your ability to keep flowing and transforming matter. If we choose not to be affluent, we stop the flow of energy and the transformation of matter. We see this all the time. How often have you felt insecure about not having enough of something or fear losing something and you hang on tightly - you squeeze it and stop the flow. As soon as we stop the flow by hanging on, we create stagnation and clotting. This further prevents flow and you squeeze more tightly and eventually block the flow all together. A 2015 study by the American Psychological Association found that the biggest source of worry for most Americans is money. Even people who have money worry so much about it that they hold on to it so tightly that they cease to be affluent. Eventually the energy moves past you if you don't behave with flow.

Everything in nature operates on the same laws. The way in which molecules of water behave when heated is the same everywhere on the planet. If we start thinking about material items and money as molecules then we have to expect that will behave the same way as any atoms or molecules anywhere. It is sensible that if you want experience more of something, you cannot restrict its flow. Worry is the first step towards slowing the flow. When we worry and squeeze the flow, energy instead of having the opportunity to be transformed by you begins to flow around you and eventually will pass you by. It is like a flowing river which follows the path of least resistance until a beaver blocks the flow. Eventually the river changes its course. Everything must keep flowing. There must always be affluence.

Love is perhaps the most clear example of affluence. Love is nothing more and nothing less than the affluence of energy. If we fear losing someone we love, we may squeeze more tightly and eventually the flow stops. People who fear sharing love for reasons based on past experiences may choose to keep their energy inside and not let it flow. These acts become a negative feedback loop and the flow of love (energy) ceases and moves on. Whether it is love or money or material objects, they don't care about your feelings or past experiences. Money and love don't care what you think about it. They, and all forms of matter, only respond to your actions - your energy. Let it flow, let it go, and you see that there is a limitless supply of it. Yes, at times the flow will fluctuate. Sometimes you will let your love flow or your money flow and sometimes you will hold it back for fear of scarcity of supply but when you remember to be affluent, things start flowing again.

Have an affluent day,

http://ezinearticles.com/?Affluence-and-Flow&id=9892198