This is a book about “simplifying” your life, removing what is not necessary and focus in the important. These are nice words but actually very difficult to accomplish nowadays. I have read several book that are quite related to this subject, like “indistractable”, “drive”,”deep work”, “flow”, “atomic habits”, etc. Focus in “less is better”. If you dont put a limit, somebody will do it for you
For me, I am struggling in the “Tech” side. I want to learn so many things that at the end of the day/week/months/years I notice I haven’t reached anywhere. I have hundreds of tabs open in my browser with things I want to read “soon”. Something similar happens with recipes, I have so many pieces of magazines, videos and pics in my phone, that I feel overwhelmed. At least I am focus in my climbing (getting fitter), baking (bread!)/cooking and reading.
The author explains the process to become an Essentialist as three phases:
Explore:
- Create space. It is good to be bored. Read old books. Meaning.
- Play: Sir Ken Robinson
- Sleep: Protect the most important asset, you!
- Select: Hell yeah or no. Trade-offs. Good to Great (book).
Eliminate
- clarify: cleanup the wardrobe
- dare: say “no”
- uncommit: sunk cost, endowment effect, fear of missing out
- edit: options, condense
- limit: you can pay a price for setting boundaries BUT boundaries are freedom!
Execute:
- Buffer: add 50% in your planning. extreme preparation
- Substract
- Progress: repeat, repeat
- flow: create routines
This is the typical book that I put in my stack of good reads, to read again at some point so I can refresh concepts because I forget things. Even after finishing it a couple of days ago, I got the feeling that I have forgotten most of it. And in this case, I gave away the book so I am even struggling to get my notes/thoughts here 🙂