Findings of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less"

idialogue team walks the talk and keeps the track of personal and professional development. This time we thought “why not to share” our team member’s Neringa Sendriūtė findings of her most recent reading “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”.

Neringa shares that this book has helped her enormously to achieve an effective strategy of prioritization and that this book is essential for all overachievers.

First - you cannot do it all

Building upon the insights from "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown, it's crucial to emphasize that embracing essentialism is not merely about adopting a specific strategy or technique. It signifies a profound shift in one's mindset and approach to life.

At its core, essentialism challenges the common misconception that we can effectively juggle and excel in every task, opportunity, or commitment that comes our way. It invites individuals to confront the uncomfortable truth that you cannot do it both / everything.

Be clear on what is essential to you

In this shift of mindset, individuals must learn to let go of the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the desire to please everyone. Here instead of asking “How can I make it all?” you ask yourself “Which problem do I need and want to solve the most?”.

In this way, essentialism becomes a guiding principle for decision-making. It encourages you to be discerning and deliberate in your choices, rather than reacting to every demand or opportunity that arises. 

It's evident that many individuals find their time being dominated by external factors such as project deadlines, social invitations, and various commitments that have crept into their lives because they lack clarity of what truly matters and what is essential to them.

To be able to establish boundaries and assertively protect your time and energy you must be clear what is essential to you.

If it isn't a clear yes, then it's a clear no

In the pages of the book, the perspective on life being cluttered with trivial matters is a rallying cry for the reader to take a step back and reflect on the nature of their daily existence. It serves as a wake-up call, reminding us that our lives are often overrun by the noise of countless distractions and unimportant obligations.

The phrase "if it isn't a clear yes, then it's a clear no" encourages us to set a higher bar for what deserves our precious time and energy. Embracing this mantra means recognizing that not every opportunity is worth pursuing, not every request is worth granting, and not every commitment is worth our involvement.

It's also about understanding that by saying "no" to the less important we create room in our lives for deeper connections, meaningful experiences, and the pursuit of our most cherished "yes" dreams.

It's about good options and very good ones

Today life's choices are not limited to a simplistic dichotomy of "bad" and "good." We are bombarded with "good" and "very good" options. So how we should choose?

Again, change your mindset and accept the fact that tradeoffs are inevitable. Eventually, you will have to let go of a "very good" option in order to have space and sanity of mind to pursue the few essential things of your life.

In this way, we allocate our time and resources judiciously, investing them in endeavors that are not merely "good" but genuinely essential to our life's journey.

Be aware of sunk cost bias

Sunk cost bias occurs to most of us and that is continuing investing time, money and other resources into a decision or project because in the past either money or time has already been allocated to this decision. People keep on spending their valuable resources "trying to make it work" even if it's clear that their decision is not going to yield any positive outcome in the future.

To be able to overcome this bias in the face of many "good" and "very good" opportunities presented to us, ask yourself "If I wouldn‘t have this opportunity, what I would be willing to give up to attain it?"

Before the "yes, let's do this" - think

Seemingly innocent phrases like "Yeah, let's grab a cup of coffee" or "Yes, I can do it" hold the power to shape our commitments, our relationships, and our journey towards personal and professional fulfillment.

When we pause for a moment before committing to anything, we give ourselves the valuable gift of reflection. It's in these brief moments that we can assess the implications of our choices and recognize that our time and energy are finite resources.

By taking this pause, we acknowledge that each "yes" carries a ripple effect, affecting not only our immediate plans but also our long-term goals and well-being.

Say "no" more often

To the things that are not essential to us we should feel the urge to say "no". Remember, that saying "no" is not about rejecting others but about honoring your own priorities and boundaries. There are numerous ways how to say "no", even saying "no" to the commitment you have already made:

• I appreciate the offer, but I'm currently working on a project with a tight deadline and want to give it my full attention
• I'm honored that you thought of me, but my schedule is quite packed at the moment. Can we revisit this at a later time?
• Thank you for considering me, but I've committed to spending more quality time with my family during these evenings
• I'm sorry but when I agreed to this I didn’t evaluate properly my all obligations and I must take myself out of this project 

Lastly, drawing inspiration from the principles of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown, the idea emerges that we need to pace ourselves, nurture ourselves, and give ourselves fuel to explore, thrive, and perform in order to live a balanced and fulfilling life.