We can find Essentialists among the most successful people in every type of human endeavor. These include religious leaders, journalists, politicians, lawyers, doctors, investors, athletes, authors, artists. These people make their greatest contribution in many different ways. But they share one trait: they don’t just give lip service to the idea of “less but better.” They have deliberately chosen to fully embrace the way of the Essentialist.
Regardless of what job, field, or industry we are in, we can all choose to do the same.
Once you become an Essentialist, you will find that you aren’t like everybody else. When other people are saying yes, you will find yourself saying no. When other people are doing, you will find yourself thinking. When other people are speaking, you will find yourself listening. When other people are in the spotlight, vying for attention, you will find yourself waiting on the sidelines until it is time to shine. When other people are padding their resumes and building out their LinedIn profiles, you will be building a career of meaning. While other people are complaining about how busy they are, you will just be smiling sympathetically, unable to relate. While other people are living a life of stress and chaos, you will be living a life of impact and fulfillment. In many ways, to live as an Essentialist in our too-many-things-all-the-time society is an act of quiet revolution.
Becoming an Essentialist is a long process, but the benefits are endless. Here are some of the ways the disciplined pursuit of less can change your life for the better.
More clarity
Every day it becomes more clear than the day before how the essential things are so much more important than the next most important thing in line. As a result, the execution of those essentials becomes more and more effortless.
More control
If you don’t prioritize your life someone else will. But if you are determined to prioritize your own life you can. The power is yours. It is within you.
More joy in the journey
With the focus on what is truly important right now comes the ability to live life more fully, in the moment.
* Source: Essentialism by Greg McKeown