Essentialist Mindset

Practising essentialism involves understanding what matters to you most, and making deliberate choices that align with your goals. This is important if we want to design a life that prioritises what matters to us most.

I recently finished reading Essentialism by Greg McKeown. It's been a book that has shifted the way I work, and show up in my life - its impacted when and why I say yes, and no to commitments.

It's helped me realise that saying yes often means saying no to something else. Many of us struggle to be intentional with where we spend our time and energy. We can get bogged down by our day to day, and neglect to prioritise what we value most. This could be quality time with family and friends, time on another project, or resting and recharging. With this realisation, I am more intentional with where I spend my time and energy.

Here is a reflection exercise that's helped me prioritise fulfillment:

• Write a list of what matters to you most.
• Does how you spend your time, energy and resources reflect what's on your list?
• If you were to design a life that prioritises what matters to you most, what would that look like?
• How can you design your life, to prioritise what matters to you most?
• What do you currently say no to? And what do you wish you said no to?
• How do you currently prioritise nurturing your mental health and wellbeing?
  

Understanding your values and current needs, and living in line with them is important to live a life that’s meaningful and purposeful to you. So, if you were to design a life, or this current chapter, to reflect what matters to you most, what would it look like? What are you taking with you and what will you leave behind?