The term essentialism has been quite successful in recent years, as many people have begun to identify with the lifestyle preached by Greg McKeown, author of the book "Essentialism: The Disciplined Quest for Less.

In this article, We explore some of the author's main ideas. We talk about what essentialism means, as well as what it is to be an essentialist.

Furthermore, we explain 7 practices of the essentialist person for you to incorporate into your life today. Check it out!

What is the meaning of "essentialism"?

Essentialism, as the name of the book says, is the disciplined quest to do less. It is a system of living in which the choice of projects with which we will engage is made deliberately and not just any old way.

The essentialist seeks to do less because he wants to give more time to the few projects that matter to him. The more things we assume to do, the less time and attention we are able to give to all of them.

In this way, we soon get tired and abandon projects in the middle, and we feel that what really mattered did not receive the energy it deserved.

Get to know the principles of essentialism

Now that you know what essentialism is, we'll talk about 3 of its principles, namely, what are the values that guide the essentialist's life.

Choose

First of all, we have that A core value of essentialism is the decision to choose the projects we are going to get involved with.

In this way, those who follow essentialism don't accept every invitation they receive, don't get involved in every opportunity that comes their way, and don't do everything that has the appearance of being important.

The essentialist knows that prioritizing is the key to investing time and energy in what matters. So there are things that get all the attention and things that get no attention at all.

Discern

Knowing how to choose what matters is not a trivial skill, soon, The essentialist must learn to discern what is really important from what is superfluous.

For each individual, this concept changes, because we all have different priorities and they change throughout our lives.

Losing to win

Finally, in terms of principles, essentialism preaches the importance of learning to lose in order to win. This principle starts from the idea that it is not "nice" to miss opportunities in order to focus on a few projects.

Many times, it will be necessary to deny invitations that make us excited because we are thinking of a greater good.

For example, think of an Olympic athlete who follows a strict diet and heavy training schedule in order to compete. Every day he has to make tough choices regarding his diet and routine.

He won't always want to wake up early, and it won't always be pleasant to turn down a dinner with friends. However, the moment he steps up to the podium because he has focused on his project, all the choices he made "losing" are worth it.

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Know now 7 practices of the essentialist person?

Now that you've learned what the principles of essentialism are, check out some of the practices that sum up what being an essentialist is all about!

1. escape - be unavailable

To follow essentialism, you must learn to be unavailable, that is, Not everyone will always be able to count on you because your energy is directed toward your own projects.

It is not selfish when you communicate to those who matter what your priorities are. Furthermore, it is important to communicate how much you can commit to something other than your central goal.

2. choose what matters with strict criteria

To choose what is a priority, you need to have strict criteria, but we cannot dictate them to you, because everyone's criteria are individual.

To find out yours, Reflect on what is most important to you in life and what your biggest dreams are. These are the things that your energy should be focused on.

3. say no

Those who follow essentialism need to learn the difficult task of saying "no" to people near and far. For many people, this is a really hard task that requires a lot of dedication.

The dry "no" sounds rude and disrespectful, however there are several ways to deny a request or a new assignment. Check out the options below:

• At the moment I am busy with task x; can you consult me on this when I am free?
• I have a project that is taking up all my time right now, so I can't get involved with anything.
• This is not a priority of mine today.

4. set limits for yourself and others

The "no" already partially fulfills the essentialist need to set limits. It is important to let the people you live with know that your availability for their needs is limited.

Moreover, this is a notion that you need to have very clearly. Otherwise, you will always make concessions of time and energy to work on projects that are not yours.

You see: the essentialist is not a selfish person, who only cares about himself. However, he understands that Its performance in other people's projects is not central.

5. remove obstacles

Another essentialist practice is the ability to identify and remove obstacles in the routine that suck up time and energy. Maybe today, when you read this text, you think that you will prioritize your projects from the next requests you receive.

However, also reflect on the projects you are already working on today, but which have nothing to do with what is a priority for you.

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If there is an opportunity to abandon them to get more focus and energy, do it!

6. have a fluid routine

Essentialism helps people to have more fluid routines, that is, easy to execute. When we fill our daily lives with endless responsibilities, following our routine becomes an impossible task.

Furthermore, When we can manage, it is at the expense of our health and rest, which should be a priority.

7. focus on what is important now

Finally, it is important that essentialists learn to focus on what is important now, because in this way they will make practical decisions that will impact their life in the present time.

Essentialism: Final Considerations

Did you like this short presentation of essentialism So be sure to read Greg McKeown's work to understand the concept in more depth. The book is quick to read because the author's writing is fluid and relaxed.

To read other articles on topics similar to essentialism Just keep browsing Clinical Psychoanalysis, however, to navigate deeper waters when it comes to personal development and human behavior, enroll now in our online psychoanalysis course This training will be a watershed in your personal and professional life!