3 Aspects of Essentialism

Summary

The provided content outlines the philosophy of essentialism, a lifestyle choice that emphasizes focusing on what is truly important by identifying core values, setting clear priorities, and cultivating discipline to eliminate non-essential activities.

Abstract

The article discusses the concept of essentialism, a life philosophy that encourages individuals to concentrate on completing tasks that align with their core values and priorities. It emphasizes the importance of questioning the societal expectation that one can and should do everything, advocating instead for a disciplined pursuit of less, where the focus is on doing the right things at the right time in the right way. By understanding and living in accordance with one's values and priorities, essentialism leads to a more productive and fulfilling life. The author highlights the necessity of discipline in maintaining this lifestyle, as it allows individuals to resist the distractions of non-essential tasks and continuously refine their focus on what truly matters.

Opinions

The author believes that essentialism is not about doing more in less time but rather about doing only what is truly important.
Essentialism involves a shift from the belief that one must do everything to the pursuit of the right things in the right way at the right time.
Values are seen as the foundation for setting life priorities, which in turn guide one's focus and energy.
The author suggests that personal values are unlikely to change significantly once an individual has invested time in understanding them through life experiences and personal beliefs.
The article posits that clarity in organizational and team priorities can lead to increased productivity and a more balanced life.
Discipline is considered crucial for sustaining the essentialist lifestyle, particularly in resisting the urge to engage in non-essential activities.
The author invites readers to reflect on their own lifestyle philosophies and share how they live intentionally and purposefully.

A life philosophy about getting done more of the things that matter

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It has been two years now that I’ve been looking into the lifestyle of essentialism. I read few pieces and bellow key takeaways on how I understood that life philosophy.

“The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done. It’s about challenging the core assumption of ‘we can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’. It’s about regaining control of our own choices about where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others implicit permission to choose for us”. — Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

#1: Values and priorities

Cambridge dictionary defines a value as “the importance or worth of something for someone”.

Values in plural englobe “the beliefs people have, especially about what is right and wrong and what is most important in life, that control their behaviour”.

To figure out what’s your values you can ask yourself: what matters to me? With or without what my life wouldn’t have a meaning? You can find several things/elements.

From values flow priorities. Once you have defined your values, you rank them and approach each considering which importance they have in your life.

The ranking may vary while growing up but the core of the values will rarely change during adulthood if you have spent some time figuring them out based on life experiences and personal beliefs.

The bottom line is, when people are crystal clear about the most important priorities of the organisation and team they work with and prioritised their work around those top priorities, not only are they many times more productive, they discover they have the time they need to have a whole life. — Stephen Covey

#2: Getting done more of the things that matter

Once the values are clear and priorities set. You will find it natural and easy to focus most of your 24h a day into living the lifestyle that reflects your values. You will do more of the things that matter without noticing time passing since you are living in alignment with your life priorities. It will even increase your productivity in those areas because they seem natural and easy for your to accomplish.

#3: Discipline

From my researches I retained this one as being the element that will make all the process sustainable. One has to cultivate some discipline and ambition to do less of the things that aren’t essential. The discipline to eliminate what isn’t essential. A process that will need to be adjusted during the journey.

What about you dear reader, ever heard of this philosophy? Do you live intentionally and purposefully? What are the philosophies that inspire your lifestyle? Happy to read some of your insights in comment section.

Until next time, take good care of you and your loved ones. Breathe from the belly and notice the immensity of the world around you.