How many emails are sitting in your inbox, waiting for a reply
How many meetings are on your calendar today?
How many projects, priorities, and tasks are you expected to juggle at once?
If it feels like the expectation is to always do more—more emails, more meetings, more work—you’re not imagining it. And I’ve got bad news: it’s not slowing down anytime soon.
In this video, I want to discuss one of the key principles of performance.
I’m in Manila for the first time, and it’s been an incredible experience. I just spent the morning with the leadership team of a global mining company, a team I’ve worked with for years but mostly over video calls. Finally meeting them in person—shaking hands, giving a few hugs (I’m a hugger!)
A few weeks ago, I had a great chat with Crystal, one of their team members, about something that’s been on my mind for a while: our obsession with more.
Think about it, we all have a natural bias for more. More clothes, more emails, more files, more on our to-do lists. Even the words we use, “more,” “abundance,” “plenty”, sound positive. But when we hear “less” or “reduction,” it feels negative, almost like loss.
But here’s the kicker: research says otherwise.
A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, published in the Harvard Business Review, found a clear inverse relationship between the number of priorities a business has and its performance. In simple terms? The more priorities you try to handle, the worse your results.
That’s why the team I worked with in Manila made a bold decision. Instead of spreading themselves thin, they chose one key priority for the year. Just one. And each team member picked only one to three personal sub-priorities based on that.
So, how do you apply this in your own work?
Here’s a simple three-step framework:
Think Quarterly – Less Priorities
Every quarter, take a hard look at your focus areas. Be courageous enough to narrow them down. Instead of five or ten, what if you focused on just one big thing?
Plan Weekly – Less Tasks
When you plan your week, write down everything you need to do. Now be honest—do you actually have the time for all of it? Probably not. Cut the list down. Say no to things that don’t truly matter.
Act Daily – Less Distractions
We live in a world of endless distractions. Emails, notifications, meetings—it’s constant. What if you made a conscious effort to focus only on what really moves the needle each day?
When you start applying this mindset, not only does your performance improve, but you also feel lighter and more in control.
So, my question to you is: Do you have a bias for more? Or are you actively challenging yourself to do less, but better?
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a lovely day!
A bientôt,
Cyril
