I recently had a conversation with my coach and mentor, Stuart Ross, about how I was craving more space in my week – not to do nothing, but to do less and be more intentional. He reminded me that Steve Jobs only focused on three core priorities during a 90-day sprint, and spent as little as 10% of his time dealing with noise. The rest was spent doing the work that really mattered. That stuck with me. Since then, I’ve been actively looking at where I can cut the noise and started with a simple question: What are we doing out of habit, and is it really worth it?
I began measuring the cost, reach and impact of routine marketing activities. And the numbers didn’t add up. The cost was higher than the return. So I stopped doing them. Not only did it improve my mental energy – it also improved our margin.
One example is the shift from push-style e-newsletters to this pull-based approach on LinkedIn. It’s less labour-intensive, gives readers the choice to opt in, and reaches those who want to be part of the conversation – not just those we used to nudge. This isn’t about slowing down. It’s about being sharper, clearer and more intentional.
Earlier this month, I spoke with Nina Fyhn, Commercial Excellence Manager, Immunology North Europe at Sanofi, about how she applies this mindset in her leadership role. I loved what she shared about creating clarity to drive energy and impact across global teams.
You can watch the full interview with Nina here: Digital Transformation Series – In conversation with Nina Fyhn
I’ll leave you with this: “Doing less is not the opposite of ambition. It’s the foundation of clarity.”
What could you stop doing today without compromising what matters most?
