Too many papers, too many apps, too many employees, too many meetings. Living in excess averts your attention from things in your life and career that genuinely matter and bring you joy. Professional minimalism leads to clearer focus and reduced stress.
Is less actually more? In a culture saturated with propaganda that tells us we always need the newest and best electronics, clothes, and appliances, most of us have more items than we need.
The same translates to business. Companies have an overload of technologies, unused electronics, and sometimes even employees.
By embracing professional minimalism, you’ll have clearer goals, increased focus and precision, and more money.
What Is Minimalism?
Minimalism is the philosophy of ridding your life of things, people, energy, and tasks that don’t serve you to make space for what truly brings you joy. Minimalists focus more on creating personal harmony and are disconnected from external pressures, such as consumerism.
But how does this translate to your career?
Professional minimalism means refocusing your efforts on the tasks that most serve you and your purpose. A minimalist worker (or leader) is not lazy. They have prioritized their time and know precisely what tasks their role requires of them.
If you’re searching for a job, it means looking for a career that brings you joy and aligns with your personal values.
If you already have a lifelong career, it means focusing your time and energy on the most important tasks, working efficiently, and creating a clear separation between home and office.
As a business owner, professional minimalism means not jumping on every new trend and not taking excess time out of your employees’ days. Embracing minimalism will free up time in your day and give you time to consider if applying new technology or investing in new software will benefit your company. It’s about having the time to think decisions through before adding more clutter to your employees’ computers and brains.
6 Benefits of a Minimalist Approach to Work
Remember that you work to live; you don’t live to work. Working outside of required hours may be common if a minimalist’s career truly brings them joy. However, others view their careers as a tool to survive. Which, unfortunately, in this day and age, means going above and beyond to avoid getting the axe.
So far, a minimalist approach to work may sound like a nightmare for bosses and CEOs, but stay with me. When applied correctly, professional minimalism benefits employees and employers.
Fewer Distractions & Improved Focus
Fewer distractions will benefit you greatly, whether working from home or the office. Lessen distractions by muting conversational channels on Slack, separating your personal and work emails, putting your phone in focus mode, and decluttering your workspace. Visual and digital distractions can make it more difficult to concentrate, recall information, and organize your time.
More Precision & Productivity
A focused mind makes fewer mistakes. With a minimalist approach to your career, you’ll feel less stressed and have fewer thoughts circulating in your head, allowing you to truly focus on the task at hand and complete each task more accurately.
Increased Creativity
Many experts declare that clutter decreases productivity. In a tidy environment, your mind isn’t bogged down or distracted by the piles of papers, old receipts, and yesterday’s to-do list. A minimalist will have only the essential items and items that bring them joy in their workspace.
Reduced Stress
Since you won’t be taking on projects outside the scope of your role or spending excess time on emails, social media, and workspace organization, you’ll have more time to focus on the tasks that are important to you and the company, leading to less stress.
With more time to focus, you’ll be able to organize your time better and find creative solutions, all without feeling the burden of stress.
Streamlined Processes
With professional minimalism, gone are the days of switching between four platforms to get one message across to your team. With a great onboarding process and organized company culture, employees will know exactly who needs to be included in which conversations.
Practice what you preach, and don’t unnecessarily take time out of someone else’s day. Slack and Teams are great platforms that allow group and private conversations in one easy-to-use app.
Earn More Money
If you embrace minimalism in other aspects of your life, not just your career, you may save and earn more. By working smarter and simplifying your life, you’ll wonder where all of your money was going before.
