Essentialist living is a way of life that has been adopted by many people in recent years. It emphasizes the importance of doing what one does best and not trying to be something they’re not.
It’s also a way of life that can be difficult to adopt for people who have never had any experience with it before.
One of the main reasons why this philosophy has become so popular is because it helps people to achieve their goals faster than ever before.
People can also get more work done in less time because they’re not wasting their time on skillsets that they don’t have or on activities unrelated to their core skillset.
The Benefits of Essentialist Living and How to Get Started
Essentialism is not to be confused with minimalism. Rather than removing the luxuries of life, essentialism removes the unnecessary elements in life. While it is like minimalism, essentialism can be a much easier practice to transition into intentional living.
This applies not only to material possessions. Rather than just trying to limit the number of physical things owned, looking at simplifying processes can be an aid to rescue the mind from clutter. Essentialist living is the art of focusing on what’s important and then letting everything else go.
Mental clutter manifests as an echoing noise that only becomes louder as time goes on. A complicated workflow anywhere can add to this. If every single process to take you from one point to another has non-essential steps, then you will undoubtedly be exhausted from the never-ending list of things to do.
The problem is not only doing unnecessary things but also not being able to recognize them. As creatures of habit, we do things we have always been doing because that’s what we have been doing for most of our lives. While it may not give you a headache now or impact you directly, these little things build up.
How Essentialist Living Helps You Simplify Your Daily Routine
One way to realize your actions is to list out your routine from start to finish. Do not spare any details even if you think it’s too simple to acknowledge. Thinking like that got you into a position where you are overwhelmed by what you are doing.
This definitely gets you a long list that should end with what are the usual end results. After you are done with that, ask yourself if each process yields what you want it to yield.
Unlike minimalism, you shouldn’t be concerned with removing as many steps as possible: you should be concerned with making things as efficient as possible. You might need to remove a step or reduce its complexity.
Sometimes, you might need to add a step to improve productivity. If it receives stress and gets things done, then it is an aid. Undoubtedly, you will find some things that need to be removed, but that shouldn’t be your only concern.
Implementing Essentialist Living
The lists you make and the proposed changes aren’t set in stone. Instead of trying to make one big leap, look at implementing your new plan stage by stage. Change your daily process and see how that works. Eventually, you will work your way through the whole list and make any needed changes.
The goal of this is not to radically change the way you do things, but to improve the way you move forward. This applies to your personal routines and your workflows. To be efficient at work, whether you have a job or your own business, you need to cut the things that do not contribute to your productivity.
FAQs
What is essentialist living?
Essentialist living is a way of life that emphasizes focusing on what is important and removing unnecessary elements in life, whether they are material possessions, activities, or thought patterns.
How does essentialist living help achieve goals faster?
By focusing on their core skillset and eliminating non-essential activities, people can maximize their time and effort on what matters most, leading to greater productivity and faster achievement of goals.
How is essentialism different from minimalism?
While minimalism is focused on removing material possessions, essentialism looks at removing any unnecessary elements in life, including activities and thought patterns, to simplify and improve one’s quality of life.
How can I implement essentialist living in my daily routine?
One way to implement essentialist living is to list out your routine from start to finish, and evaluate each step to see if it contributes to your goals. Remove or simplify non-essential steps, and focus on being efficient rather than removing as many steps as possible. Implement changes gradually rather than all at once.
Can essentialist living be applied to work as well?
Yes, essentialist living can be applied to work by focusing on tasks that contribute to productivity and eliminating tasks that do not. This applies to both employees and entrepreneurs.
