Less is More

Focus multiplies the power of everything. Take light and focus it and you get the power of the laser. But if you give your attention to too many things, you’ll experience the law of diminishing returns (see below) and you actually accomplish less. This is true in ministry and business as well as our personal and spiritual lives.

Here’s a truth that I believe powerfully affects every aspect of life - Less is more! Focus provides maximum impact. If everything is important, then nothing is important.

I’ve seen the power of focus work over and over in my ministry work. My best messages are focused. In fact, for every message I develop a short sentence that captures the one main idea I want those who hear it to lock onto. Then, I make sure every scripture and illustration aims at that main idea. After numerous reviews, I find I keep cutting out good material that was not critical to my focused point. Folks will more likely remember a focused message with one main point rather than a message with eight or ten good ideas.

The most effective churches that are discipling people have focused ministries and don’t try to do everything or be everything to all people. They are great at saying “no” to good programs in order to focus on what’s critical. The best parents know how to focus on a few things rather than live scattered lives of non-stop activity. The best businesses know their “hedge hog” or their focused strategy (a term developed by Jim Collins in Good to Great) and live by a few key values.

Here’s what we know from research and from observing life: If you focus on two or three goals you’ll have a reasonable chance at accomplishing two or three goals. But if you try to accomplish four to six goals, you’ll actually only likely accomplish one or two. And if you try to accomplish from eleven to twenty goals, you’ll likely achieve none of them. That’s the law of diminishing return. There is power in focusing on fewer things at a time. Remember, less is more.

Focus for the Church or Organization - WIN - What’s Important Now

When I was leading our church, we focused on one key goal that everyone on staff could engage in. We used the acronym WIN which stands for What’s Important Now. A WIN is the single top priority that will make a difference for the whole church. It requires the collaboration of all. It becomes the rallying cry. A WIN is a goal that can be accomplished in 3-12 months.

To discover our WIN for a particular season, we ask, “If we accomplish one thing during the next X months, what would it be? What must be true X months from now to be able to look back and say with any credibility that we had a good season?”

Personal Focus - 4X4

We can personalize the power of focus by utilizing the 4X4 principle (or 1X1, 2X2, 3X3 or 6X6, etc.). The formula is simple - identify 4 things to be accomplished over the next four months - 4X4. This simple goal setting idea helps you focus on a few key things that would make a big difference that are not a part of our normal daily job description or routine. You can change the formula based on the specifics of your life and season. I once used a 1X6 where I had one very big goal that I needed to focus on for a six month time period. This is a flexible principle that allows you to adjust the number of goals over a variety of time frames. But the key idea is to focus on less because less is more!

One Word

Years ago, I found a new way to apply the less is more principle. It came from a short book titled One Word. The idea is to choose one word to focus on for a whole year. I decided to help our church use this principle and connected it to the idea of New Year’s resolutions. Over half of all Americans make a bunch of New Year’s resolutions. What percentage of people who make resolutions are actually fulfilling them? 8%! And over half of those who make resolutions have failed or forgotten them by the end of January. That’s not a good track record. Now, there’s many reasons why that happens. Sometimes the goals are too big or not specific enough. But one factor for sure is that we have too many resolutions. How can we increase our shot at experiencing real life change and have maximum impact? The answer again is focus!

Here’s how the one word idea works. First, think about something that you want to change in you or about you this year. Maybe it is an area you want to grow in or become more like. Prayerfully, reflectively and boldly ask God for one word that will help you accomplish that. Identify one word that will best capture the one thing that would bring hope, change, renewal and newness to you in the new year. It can be a habit to overcome or a discipline to embrace. It can be a character quality you want to adopt or develop more deeply. It can be an action that you want to become more a part of your life. I’ve heard so many stories of real life change because of the power of focus practiced in the one word exercise. Try it! It has become an annual experience that our church looks forward to each year.

Embrace the “less is more” principle. Discover that focus provides maximum impact. Say “no” to more and “yes” to less.