Be honest with me… have you ever said anything similar to the statements below? I know I have!
“I’d love to write a book, but I could never find the time.”
“Workout regularly? There’s no way! I have 3 kids!”
“I’m not getting promoted because I’m forced to spend all my time on work that no one notices.”
“Who has time for friends? Work and family obligations are all I can manage.”
What if all our excuses weren’t true?
What if we could prioritize the things that matter most to us and make them happen?
Thanks to Greg McKeown’s spectacular new book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, I have a whole new mindset about what I choose to spend my time doing and what I need to eliminate from my life. If you have goals, dreams, and ambitions that you think you don’t have the time for, I urge you to read or listen to this book immediately!
To determine whether you’re living “the way of the essentialist” or “the way of the non-essentialist,” let me paraphrase some of the ways McKeown differentiates them. Then you can read the book to learn all the powerful and practical ways he teaches us to become essentialists!
The Way of the Non-Essentialist…
- A non-essentialist says “yes” to too many requests and invitations.
2. A non-essentialist hasn’t developed a firm ability to say “no” to things that don’t fit with their goals and values.
3. A non-essentialist spends most of their time doing things that have been dictated by others.
4. A non-essentialist dives into every little thing with a “go big” attitude and approach.
5. A non-essentialist hasn’t developed the fortitude to accept the hard trade-offs that are part of a life well-lived.
6. A non-essentialist thinks they can do it all and do it all well.
7. A non-essentialist schedules commitments back-to-back, with no space for planning, reflection, or rejuvenation.
8. A non-essentialist attends most meetings and events they are asked to be at instead of being discerning.
9. A non-essentialist is constantly in doing mode, without taking time to question the value of what they’re doing.
10. A non-essentialist is sleeping through life, never really being in the moment or making the most of it.
The Way of the Essentialist…
1. An essentialist only says “yes” to things that fit with their goals and values.
2. An essentialist can say “no,” even when it’s hard and disappointing to others.
3. An essentialist spends most of their time doing things that they have chosen and planned.
4. An essentialist takes time to select a vital few activities and only “goes big” on those.
5. An essentialist is willing to make the hard trade-offs that are required for a life well-lived.
6. An essentialist only invests time and energy in things with the highest payoffs.
7. An essentialist allows space in their schedule for thinking, planning, reflection, and relaxation.
8. An essentialist is extremely discerning about where to put time and energy.
9. An essentialist pauses regularly to ask and answer, “Am I spending my time on the right activities?”
10. An essentialist is awake and fully engaged in the present moment, making it the best it can be.
Final thoughts…
I asked you to be honest at the beginning of this post. Now let me be honest. Before reading this book, I was living the way of the non-essentialist more than I’d like to. Now, I can already feel myself shifting into the essentialist mindset and putting it into practice.
Yesterday, I noticed my new essentialist ways all day. I took the entire day off to go to the Getty Villa Museum in Malibu with my spouse, parents, and daughter, who has been living with us for a year and a half and who we are taking back to college out of state tomorrow. It’s likely that I won’t see her again for 3-4 months after enjoying her company every day. I knew what was essential… uninterrupted family time.
The pull of distractions was constant. Work, volunteer, and personal emails and texts flowed in all day. I must admit, I did see them. I even briefly responded to one to provide a resource that was urgent and felt aligned with one of my most important values of being of service in the space of inclusion. But the old me would have been pulled in a million directions and responding to requests all day. Instead, I took time to breathe, soak in the love and connection of my family, and remember that everything else could wait.
When and how will you begin to become an essentialist? I promise it’s worth the rewards!
Recent Comments