Essentialism

First off, Happy 4th of July! In between BBQ and the sunshine, I’ve been reading Essentialism by Greg Mckeown and wanted to jot down some thoughts on the concept.

“Time alone is really essential, to get away and contemplate, think, and wonder.” – Jim Rohn

I find myself getting more drawn to this idea of solitude to focus on what is truly essential in my day to day workflow. In part, I feel it’s because I am naturally introverted and almost prefer to have long periods of time to myself to work, but I wonder if there is something more to this as well. I once heard a friend tell me “Sometimes the best advice is to stop getting advice!” We live in a world of constant input whether it’s from various social media platforms, news, articles, co-workers, friends, family… the list goes on.

I’ve been asking myself this question more and more lately, what would be the benefit of NOT unplugging and continue to go about my day with all this input? It’s a bit counterintuitive to think of it this way, but really it paints a clear picture that by not pulling back from all the input might be detrimental to your growth and development (both professionally and personally).

The more I plan in blank space into my schedule with no interruptions, the more I find I connect to what is really essential. I come out of those blocked off times refreshed, energized, and have a different perspective on problems and their solutions.

Give it a try and see how it goes or check out the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown to get some ideas on how to incorporate more essentialism into your own lives.