What we can all learn from AJ this year

During his post-fight interview in December, Anthony Joshua told us that, sometimes “simplicity is genius”.

He was referring to the process of keeping things simple in order to beat champion Andy Ruiz Jr and claim his world heavyweight title.

Anyone who witnessed Joshua’s incredible victory in Saudi Arabia late last year will marvel at how he made simplicity look so… well, simple.

I think we can all learn from this approach in 2020 - particularly when it comes to business. I’ve long been a proponent of the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) principle, but if you’re not, here’s how to tackle this year’s big stuff with ease.

Be present - now

If you’re yet to try mindfulness, now might be the time to do so.

This is the process of clearing your mind of negative thoughts or endless pondering over past events and instead focusing on the here and now.

I’ve found this particularly effective in business. The more I focus on what matters now, the less likely I am to waste time worrying about past mistakes or potential future hurdles.

So, try this for the next task on your to-do list: focus entirely on that task and that task only. As soon as your mind begins to drift, acknowledge the fact it’s doing so, and then bring it back to focus on the task in hand. Thank me later.

Say “no” more often

It’s one of the hardest things to do as a business owner but saying “no” is probably the simplest way to become more successful.

The more things you agree to, the more people you’ll let down - it’s that simple.

If you instead only agree to work on the stuff to which you can add the most value and which you know you can deliver in a timely and top-notch fashion, you’ll be successful.

When something doesn’t feel right or you simply don’t have the capacity for it, say “no” (nicely, of course).

Do more of the stuff that makes you happy

Steve Jobs once said, “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No', for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something”.

He’s got a point, hasn’t he? No one is forcing you to do whatever it is you think you need to do next. So, if something ceases to make you happy at work, either change it or drop it entirely.

Joshua loves his sport, which is why he’s still doing it and is so successful. But you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll stop as soon as it becomes painful or no longer enjoyable. Running a business is no different.

Review everything you do

I’m constantly assessing the performance of marketing campaigns, but I do the same for pretty much everything work-related.

The email you sent to an unhappy customer last week… how did it go down?

That new technique you invested time in three weeks ago for product development… has it made a tangible difference to anything?

Constantly review what you do. If something appears to have been far more cumbersome than it should be, it doesn’t deserve a place in your working life. Make changes to ensure those same tasks become far simpler in the future.

Ready to KISS this year?

Who knows, maybe Joshua read my blog post last year on the benefits of keeping it simple. I can dream, of course.

But, then, so can you. And if you dream of business success this year, use my tips above to remove the complexity from your working life.