Less But Better:
What it Takes to Become an Essentialist
Minimalism, or doing less, has always made sense to me. However, the concept of “less but better” upgrades minimalism to an ideal that I have never heard described so well as Greg McKeown has done in his book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.
Photo Credit: Greg McKeown
Over the last few years I have found many ways to cut things out of my life. I have quit jobs I hated, donated piles of clothes to charity, and even stripped my diet down to eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables.
However, last week I read Essentialism and realized that I have missed the point of minimalism — or, really, I have not optimized what it means to intentionally do less in pursuit of better results.
And yes — this book is easily one of the best I have read in a long time — mostly because this is a timeless message that ALL of us need to hear and fully embrace. If your life, like mine, is need of an Essentialist overhaul, buy the book. You won’t regret it.
The Beauty of Essentialism
Here is the best description of Essentialism I pulled right from the book: “Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.”
The true beauty of Essentialism is that it stands in direct opposition to our natural tendencies. We WANT to do it all. We STRIVE to do more. We actively TRY to squeeze every ounce of life out of every day, but to what end?
Why are we fighting so hard to do so much?
- Why do we say yes to every request?
- Why do we feel the need to impress college admissions departments with 100 extra curricular activities?
- Why do we overbook our schedule, knowing it would take weeks to execute what we want to do in mere hours?
The reality is that we bite off more than we can chew and then get frustrated when we choke.
The good news is that there is a way out — a simpler way to viewing the big picture of our lives, as well as our daily list of commitments.
What it Takes to Become an Essentialist
As Greg McKeown points out very clearly, Essentialism is not a finite action or a single decision to live with less. Becoming an Essentialist means embracing a lifestyle to always seek out what truly matters and let go of everything else.
Here are 3 keys to becoming an Essentialist that I pulled from the book. Note that there are many more strategies and concepts than I made room for here.
1. Be Able to Identify a Nonessentialist
Though it may seem obvious, the Nonessentialist is the antithesis of the Essentialist. Look for these signs below in other people (or even yourself) and learn to spot activities or behaviors that lead to frustration, breakdowns, and, ultimately, a tangible lack of progress towards meaningful outcomes.
The Nonessentialist:
- Is all things to all people
- Thinks, “I have to”
- Feels, “It’s all important”
- Asks themselves, “How can I fit it all in?”
- Focuses on, “The undisciplined pursuit of more”
- Reacts to what’s most pressing
- Says “yes” to people without really thinking
- Takes on too much, and work suffers
- Is unsure of whether the right things got done
- Feels overwhelmed and exhausted
2. Master the Art of the Graceful “No”
As I see it, there are two sides to the Essentialist coin: (1) the exclusive “yes” and (2) the persistent “no.” In other words, a true Essentialist only says “yes” to a rare few opportunities, but is ready on the trigger to say “no” to anyone and everything, at all times.
Saying “no” is not only a requirement to maintain your sanity, but it’s also the only way to filter out the trivial nonsense that fogs our every day lives. The problem, though, is clear: saying “no” is hard.
In fact, most of us (myself included) would rather say “yes” in a pinch and try to backtrack later, then to hold true to ourselves and say “no” when our time is being actively eaten alive by other people.
Mastering the art of the graceful “no” is critical if you want to make real traction on your grandest goals.
3. Fall in Love with “Less But Better”
My defenses immediately heightened while I began reading this book. I acknowledged that I needed to do less if I wanted better results, but what would I be willing to give up?
It’s easy to read a book, highlight brilliant thoughts, and then feel like you’ve made progress. However, as soon as I began to think about the real world implications of giving up things I love in pursuit of a few key opportunities, I hesitated.
I tried to figure out how to pursue multiple projects simultaneously. I asked myself, “How can I do ____ AND ____ instead of _____ OR _____” And that’s when I realized that I was actively living out the life of a Nonessentialist. I was asking the wrong questions and leading myself down a path that only ends in frustration, overwhelm, and burnout.
I realized that THE key was to let go of my old ways of thinking and begin to fall in love with “less but better.”
- How could I pursue a small number of projects and get BETTER results?
- What key projects would make the BIGGEST difference?
- What would I be willing to devote my whole life to?
Ask yourself those same questions. Take a few minutes today and brainstorm dozens of possible answers.
It is only when you give yourself permission to see the future with less that you begin to realize less IS possible AND better.
Is Your Life in Need of an Essentialist Overhaul?
My guess is that you are busier than you need to be. You likely have more on your schedule than you could possibly accomplish.
Am I right?
Becoming an Essentialist is the act of acknowledging that you are over-committed and ready to make small, but significant changes for a brighter future. Grab a copy of Greg’s book today and begin your journey to living in pursuit of less but better.
