Essentialism: how to put things in order in life and throw out everything unnecessary

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

“Less is better” is the main rule for those who want to be successful in any area.

Imagine that your life and career is a closet. Then the things that are stored there are a list of daily tasks and responsibilities. If you are like most people, chances are you have a lot of unnecessary things in your closet. You will never wear this jacket, you left a few pairs of old trousers for walks in the forest (do you really go mushrooming that often?), And you keep that hat out of sentimentality. Isn't it time to do a general cleaning?

Throw out everything unnecessary from your closet and from your life. A few tips from Greg McKeon's book Essentialism will help with this.

What kind of essentialism is this?

Essentialism (from Lat. Essentia - essence) is a constant search for less, but better.

The Essentialist Path teaches us to see what is really important, that is, to consider all existing options and choose only the most valuable. And remember, sometimes what you don't do is just as important as what you do.

So, to the point!

1. Never Forget Freedom of Choice

Have you ever thought about the fact that you do not like your job? Or maybe you are studying law for the third year, although you have long understood that you are not interested in jurisprudence?

Ask yourself the question, "Can I change something?" Answer: definitely.

Remember, you always have a choice. Once you understand this, you can proceed to the next step.

2. Set clear goals

Approximately and approximately - far from the same thing that is clear and clear. A vague mission statement for a firm can harm the workflow more than you think. This causes disorientation in the team: no one knows what exactly and for what he is doing. Employees spend too much energy on minor tasks, forgetting about the main thing.

The same thing happens with every person. Try to be clear about what you want to achieve in your career and personal life. How you act depends on this. Having realized your true desires and values, you will stop being scattered about what you absolutely do not need.

3. Be the editor of your life

The Italian sculptor Michelangelo Buonarotti used to say: "I take a stone and cut off everything unnecessary." This is exactly what you should do with your life.

Another interesting comparison:

Imagine that your life is an article in a magazine and you are the editor-in-chief. Do you know how the editor will deal with everything unnecessary, unimportant, meaningless, distracting? That's right - it will cross it out.

You may have dozens of prospects, but you shouldn't grab all the chances. Choose one - the one you are really ready to devote yourself to. If you go back to our closet, admit that you can get rid of 90% of the junk without much damage.

4. Disclaimer

Have you ever gambled and, having spent a significant amount, could not say “stop” to yourself? It's about sunk costs. Most people find it difficult to give up what they have already invested money, effort and time in.

But is it worth persisting and making even more efforts if it is obvious that the project is hopeless? Of course no. Don't fall into this trap, learn to give up on your commitments in time.

Another pitfall is the ownership effect. When we are engaged in a project, we perceive it as our property, which means that we value it much higher than it really is.

Always ask yourself: "If this task did not belong to me, what would I be ready to do to get it?"

This way you will see the true value of the case and can refuse it if the game is not worth the trouble.

5. Say a strong no

Have you had to answer “yes” to the requests of colleagues, friends, relatives, contrary to your wishes? If this has not happened to you, you are an exception. As a rule, we are afraid of offending someone, we are shy in front of our boss and try not to disappoint people. But this leads to the fact that we are missing something more important: our own life.

We need to become courageous and learn to say no. If you were going to devote the weekend to your family, you should not accept the boss's offer to work on Saturday. If you were planning to write the first chapter of your book, refuse to meet with acquaintances. You may feel embarrassed for a moment by refusing. But this is only a minute. Do you want to waste an evening, a few days or even a year of your life, solving other people's problems?

6. Use the 90% rule

This rule must be applied in the situation of any choice. When evaluating an option, think about the most important criterion and give it points from 0 to 100. If any of the options gets below 90, forget about it. So you will save yourself from doubts and immediately discard unnecessary alternatives with marks from 60 to 70. Choose not good opportunities, but wonderful ones. How many items in your wardrobe would you rate 90 or more? It's time for the rest of the landfill.

7. Find a place to think

At the Stanford School of Design, there is a secret hideout called "booth noir." It is a tiny room with no windows or distracting objects, and the walls are lined with sound-absorbing material. Any student can come there to be alone and reflect.

Try to find a similar place where you can retire and think calmly. There you will fully concentrate on the problem, analyze all the alternatives, identify the most significant ones and make an important decision.

Essentialists prefer to do less today in order to accomplish much more tomorrow. Yes, that's a concession. But the sum of these small concessions translates into tremendous success.

Based on the book Essentialism by Greg McKeon.