Now that we have entered the second half of 2024, it has become more common to hear in conversations that time is passing too quickly and that it is becoming increasingly challenging to fulfill planned commitments due to multiple competing demands. Feeling like we have to do many things, leaving no time for others that we consider essential, often leads to mental exhaustion, anxiety, and frustration.
In "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," Greg McKeown prompts reflection on the search for what is truly important, which involves choices, changes in attitudes, and behaviors. Notably, over the years, I have sought more simplicity and meaning in things, which was one of the factors that led me to read this book. Processes of change, especially internal transformation, lead us to revisit our "inventory," which inevitably results in letting go of things and prioritizing what truly matters and makes a difference.
Throughout this work, the author reflects on the profile of essentialist and non-essentialist people. He begins by reflecting on the tendency to say "yes" whenever requested, often with the intention of not displeasing people. It leads us to do things instead of choosing to do them. McKeown highlights that this demand is more significant for successful people, who are known for solving everything, leading to the dispersion of effort, which the author calls the "paradox of success." If we can focus on fewer things with real meaning and purpose, we can consistently move toward our goals and deliver our best. Being an essentialist requires intentionality, discipline, and having control over one's choices, not delegating this activity to others.
The priority issue is discussed, as it should be the most important thing, while we trivialize it by pluralizing "priorities." Prioritizing implies letting go of many things in favor of what we truly choose to do. Using the metaphor of keeping a closet organized, McKeown presents his method in three stages:
Explore (identify the essential).
Eliminate (remove the non-essential and learn to say 'no').
Execute (create systems to maintain decisions).
In "Explore," Greg emphasizes the importance of concentration and setting aside time to think, explore, and evaluate what is essential. He presents play as a way to explore what is important and to innovate, the benefits of sleep, and the importance of defining selection criteria ("If it's not an obvious yes, then it's an obvious no").
In exploring "Eliminate," the author presents the need for clarity of purpose and defining an essential goal. This point made me think of a parallel with goal-setting and measurement models like OKRs: "The essential goal, on the other hand, is both concrete and inspiring, measurable and meaningful." He also discusses the importance of saying "no," which requires courage, firmness, and delicacy, separating the decision from who is asking for something. Various ways of saying "no" and "uncommitting" are explored: letting go of something we have already taken on and overcoming the fear of missing opportunities. I found the "reverse pilot" strategy interesting, which consists of removing some initiative or activity currently in progress to see if it is missed in practice. Finally, he discusses "editing" life to eliminate what is unimportant, leave only the essential, and establish limits with others and social contracts.
Finally, in "Execute," McKeown explores how to do important things almost without effort, establishing a routine for maintaining priorities. At this point, he talks about adopting "safety margins" or contingencies to allow space for the unexpected and to avoid consuming 100% of available resources. Preparation in advance for commitments is also highlighted, mainly because we tend to be optimistic and underestimate the complexity of some activities. Greg suggests adding 50% to the estimated time to circumvent the "planning fallacy" phenomenon and reflects on the usefulness of scenario thinking for risk assessment.
Referencing the classic "The Goal," identifying and eliminating constraints or bottlenecks is also cited as a way to move towards the most important and increase productivity. Additionally, he mentions that the essentialist focuses on small wins, highlighting that one of the critical factors for motivation is recognizing progress. In addition to routine, focusing on the present is presented as a way to live essentialism. At this point, Greg introduces the concept of “kairos,” which is more related to the quality of time than “chronos,” which is quantitative or chronological.
McKeown concludes by emphasizing that fully living essentialism can bring more meaning and purpose to life. He also applies essentialism to leadership and proposes a 21-day challenge to practice these principles.
This fluid and uncomplicated read can also serve as a provocation to rethink our lives in which our time is contested by numerous demands, including algorithms that keep us more tied to the virtual world. After all, what is truly essential?
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