Why Less Effort Is Far Better for Your Career

This may sound odd at first, but I'd like to suggest you manage your career in such a manner that you avoid wasting a single drop of energy. To be clear, I'm not suggesting you use less energy, only that you stop wasting energy.

I learned the power of less effort by doing almost nothing. For four years, I took my son to taekwondo lessons, where I sat in the back and watched each lesson. (While some parents simply drop their kids off, I stayed to demonstrate to my son the importance I placed on these lessons.)

Master Lee was the manager of the studio. He was thin and on the small side, but he commanded respect. Master Lee never wasted energy.

When Master Lee sparred with a student, he would move, say, four inches backward to avoid a kick, or three inches to the right. The students would usually move three feet backwards, or four feet to the right, which meant they were so far away from their opponent they lost the option to counterattack.

When the Master attacked, he often used quick snapping motions, which gave him the ability to land two or three blows in the time most people would barely land one. He could change direction easily, because he limited how far he kicked or moved. I used to think that he looked more like a dancer than a fighter, because his movements were beautiful and spare, but the result was that he was by far the best fighter.

Sitting in the back, I realized that most of us go through life more like the out of control students than the graceful master.

Consider your own career. Do you move like Master Lee, never overreacting to perceived attacks? When your boss criticizes you, does your blood pressure jump, or do you remain calm? When someone attacks your idea, do you react more than absolutely necessary?

Most of us take the long, hard path towards our goals. We make it difficult for others to understand the value that we add or the things we really want.

When we hear something other than the best possible news, we lose a bit of control over our emotions and thought process. If you doubt this, read through the emails you have sent over the past month or two.

Here's the catch...

To use less effort, you have to be calm, focused, and quiet enough to spot the ways you are wasting energy. This is why most people use too much energy, because they cannot slow down enough to analyze their own actions.

There are many ways to slow down, and you should pick the one that works best for you. Some people get up at 5:30 a.m. and run for an hour... others meditate at night... some work with a coach... a few keep a journal, and review their work at the end of the day as a way of winding down and leaving their stress behind.

Look at it this way. If you expend a great deal of energy just to stay in the same place, you will never advance. It is far wiser to use a tiny bit of energy to maintain your position, and to use the rest of it to move towards the results and experiences you most desire.

Bruce Kasanoff is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk, a simple little book about doing well by doing good.

Find Bruce at Kasanoff.com or on Twitter @BruceKasanoff. To see Bruce's articles on LinkedIn, please click the FOLLOW button above or below.

Image: family of Emily Weiss, with thanks to Westport Taekwondo.