The Essentialist looks ahead. She plans. She prepares for different contingencies. She expects the unexpected. She creates a buffer to prepare for the unforeseen, thus giving herself some wiggle room when things come up, as they inevitably do.
Nonessentialist
- Assumes the best-case scenario will happen
- Forces execution at the last minute
Essentialist
- Builds in a buffer for unexpected events
- Practices extreme and early preparation
When a Nonessentialist receives a windfall, she tends to consume it rather than to set it aside for a rainy day. The way of the Essentialist, on the other hand, is to use the good times to create a buffer for the bad.
Here are a few tips for keeping your work–and sanity–from swerving off the road by creating a buffer.
- Use extreme preparation
- Add 50 percent to your time estimate
- Conduct scenario planning
Essentialists accept the reality that we can never fully anticipate or prepare for every scenario or eventuality; the future is simply too unpredictable. Instead, they build buffers to reduce the friction caused by the unexpected.
* Source: Essentialism by Greg McKeown