Instead of trying to accomplish it all–and all at once–and flaring out, the Essentialist starts small and celebrates progress. Instead of going for the big, flashy wins that don’t really matter, the Essentialist pursues small and simple wins in areas that are essential.
Nonessentialist
- Starts with a big goal and gets small results
- Goes for the flashiest wins
Essentialist
- Starts small and gets big results
- Celebrates small acts of progress
Research has shown that of all forms of human motivation the most effective one is progress. Why? Because a small, concrete win creates momentum and affirms our faith in our further success.
Instead of starting big and then flaring out with nothing to show for it other than time and energy wasted, to really get essential things done we need to start small and build momentum. Then we can use that momentum to work toward the next win, and the next one and so on until we have a significant breakthrough–and when we do, our progress will have become so frictionless and effortless that the breakthrough will seem like overnight success.
* Source: Essentialism by Greg McKeown