I’m on annual leave today, I’m not actually away on holiday anywhere, just taking a few days to chill and relax. My original plan was to make use of Netflix, binge watch something, do some online shopping seeing as it’s pay day………today had other plans for me. The internet was down, the television was down and my xbox game collection consists of games that are far more appealing to my 12-year-old nephew than myself – so I decided to read one of the mountain of books lying on my bedroom floor.
In a moment of amusement given my lack of technological stimulation, I picked up Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.
This book was recommended to me by my colleague Chelsea, she had read one of my blogs last year about my inability to say no to things I don’t want to do (you can read that here if you wish) and recommended to me that I read this book.
I’d be lying if I said that I’ll go through the rest of my life suddenly starting to throw out no’s all over the place in my pursuit of becoming an essentialist, for a start that’s not the purpose of the book, but I recognised a few of my traits in the pages of this book.
I absolutely try to take on everything and do it all, I definitely try to take on other people’s problems or try to please them and I certainly look for the quick fix.
I do need to start looking at all of the things I take on and start thinking about what is actually necessary, what can I make the best job of, what is actually becoming a hindrance to my productivity as a person and a worker.
I need to start identifying the right things to say no to and why it is the right decision to say no.
I need to recognise when my answer is no and stop saying yes.
Rather than allowing myself to become unproductive because my brain is too scattered between too many different things or because I can’t find the time or the space, I can start looking for what my obstacles actually are rather than just allowing them to put up a great big road block.
Finding some time to switch off from certain things like social media and needless noise is something I could be doing.I can’t remember who said it but I do remember hearing someone say
‘If you are connected everywhere, you are present nowhere’
It struck a chord with me and every once in a while it pops back into my head. I don’t think I’d manage to block everything out every day but I could make small steps by finding time once a week or a few times a month.
I deliberately avoid going into too much detail on my book musings because I don’t want to take away from someone what they could take from the books I've read.
I’ve tried to do the same with this one and purely focused on what I am taking from it.
I’d highly recommend it to anyone, I didn’t realise before I read it how much my compulsive need to please others is preventing me from achieving the best results I could be achieving.
That won’t change overnight, but it will light a fire under my butt to become more of an essentialist.
