How to Leave Things Out

When I was in college, I took a studio art class as an elective. The instructor started us out by drawing simple, single objects: a box, an apple, etc. Gradually, she added complexity in the form of more things with greater diversity: multiple boxes, clothing draped on a chair, people. As the scene I had to capture got more complicated, my “control freak” personality began to manifest itself and I became frustrated with my inability to include everything in my drawing. I was almost paralyzed by my inability to fit it all in. By the end of the class, when we were sent to draw entire cluttered rooms (pottery storage rooms, a greenhouse), I had learned, painfully, that I had to decide what to leave out in order to produce a clear result. When I tried to draw everything with equal detail and value, the result was unfocused and incomprehensible. Miraculously, when I picked a focus object and let the rest fade into the background, the scene made sense.

The role of many small business owners parallels my art class experience. At first the task is simple: do the work (and try to find time to ask for payment). As the business grows, the associated tasks become more numerous and more complex. It eventually becomes necessary to choose what to leave out of your own job description in order to achieve focus and produce a clearer image for yourself and others.

Admit that unless you’re a one man show, you can’t (and shouldn’t) do everything, and then identify what your role should be. This requires some self-analysis and great honesty. Once you have established your role, you have “selected” the focus of your work. Anything that enhances that role should be emphasized, and anything that detracts from that should be de-emphasized or eliminated from your job description. Find somebody else to do these tasks, because if you persist in trying to control everything, the result will be unfocused and chaotic. If you don’t know what your job is, how can others know their own?