Do you ever feel like you’re stretched too thin, both at home and at work?
Have you ever been stressed out and overused?
Have you ever said yes just to be nice or appease others?
Are you busy, but not productive?
If you can answer any of the following questions with a yes, it’s likely that you’re operating under a “more is the better” mentality and can probably benefit from Greg McKeown’s concept of Essentialism. This week’s Office Hours speaker was entirely focused on explaining how we can effectively become Essentialists and prioritize our lives.
Prioritize Effectively
You need to figure out what really matters in your life by distinguishing between what is unimportant and important. Although people may tell you to always say yes and be open to new opportunities, sometimes it truly is better for you to refuse when it comes to prioritizing your life.
Get Rid of Anything That Doesn’t Add Value
When you begin to concentrate on what matters most in your life, you become more successful and productive. McKeown believes that “success can become a catalyst to failure.” If you’re busy with tasks that aren’t aligned with your personal priorities, how can you expect to be focused and attentive to everything you need to get done?
Make It Simple To Find What You Need and Use Your System To Do So
What are the benefits of becoming an Essentialist? McKeown says, “If you don’t design your life, someone else will. If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”
What more cause do we need than that? When you understand what’s truly essential to you and what you can do without, you can start implementing real changes in your life. The idea behind essentialism is that it will make your life simpler, so you need to know how to put this new way of thinking into practice.
[To watch Greg McKeown’s full Office Hours clip, click here.]
[Also make sure to check out McKeown’s new book “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.“]
