As an avid reader and author of the novel, Time & Consequences , I am now living in an environment where writing has become a daily routine for me. I use my time management skills as well as focusing on essentialism. First, it was writing my novel. Next, I am having the same novel translated into Spanish. This is a collaborated effort since I am bilingual English/Spanish. By working along with the translator of my novel, TIEMPO Y CONSECUENCIAS, make me appreciate my bilingual skills which I have. This first Spanish edition of Time & Consequences will be published early next year.
“Words are delicate thoughts of creativity dropped onto paper for others to read and enjoy”.
——- M. Lauryn Alexander
A friend once shared this quote with me and it stuck in mind:
“If you hear voices, you’re a lunatic. If you write down what they say, you’re an author“.
———– Dani Harper
My daily routine is to come up with a fresh topic which I can write about in my blogs. For this blog, I started to daydream about the good ole days in order to generate a title for this blog. It brought me back to my youth in Brooklyn, New York. Reminiscing about my high school days of sitting in my Honor English class that was dedicated to Shakespearean literature. I felt inspired to use a famous soliloquy from Hamlet. Let me know if you know it already.
Have you guessed it? Here is Shakespeare’s most famous quote: To be, or not to be
Now getting inspiration off of this line, I am going to have a title for this blog,To Do or Not to Do: Essentialism is the Way To Go. According to Anthony J. D’Angelo, “Don’t reinvent the wheel, just realign it“.
Moving at the speed of Light
In today’s fast-paced world, the pressure to do more, achieve more, and be more is overwhelming. However, the author Greg McKeown has another way for optimal performance. He has written a book entitled, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. It offers a refreshing perspective of achieving more by doing less. Essentialism is about focusing on what truly matters and eliminating the non-essentials. Here, we’ll explore 3 things you must do and 2 things you can leave “undone” to channel your best energy into what matters most.
Three Things You Must Do
- Prioritize Ruthlessly
One of the core principles of essentialism is the relentless prioritization of tasks. McKeown emphasizes that not all tasks are created equal. To make the highest contribution, you must identify and focus on the few tasks that truly matter. This involves:
- Evaluating Tasks: Regularly assess your to-do list and ask yourself, “Is this the most important thing I should be doing right now?” If the answer is no, it might be time to reconsider its place on your list.
- Setting Boundaries: Learn to say ‘No’ to tasks and commitments that do not align with your priorities. This can be challenging, but it’s essential for maintaining focus on what truly matters. If you need help in this area, I advise you read this gem of a book called, “Don’t Say Yes When You Want to Say No”: How Assertiveness Training Can Change Your Life by Herbert Feinsterheim Ph.D., and Jean Baer.
- Creating a Clear Vision: Define your long-term goals and ensure that your daily tasks align with these objectives. The clarity will help you make better decisions about where to invest your time and energy.
2. Designate Time for Deep Work
The term, deep work, is a concept popularized by Cal Newport. It is the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks. McKeown echoes this sentiment, highlighting the importance of creating space for deep work:
- Schedule Uninterrupted Time: Block out specific times in your calendar dedicated to do deep work. During these periods, eliminate all distractions and focus solely on the task at home.
- Create a Conducive Environment: Find or create a workplace that minimizes interruptions and fosters concentration. This might mean working in a quiet room, using noise-canceling headphones, or setting clear boundaries with colleagues and family.
- Practice Mindfulness: Incorporate mindfulness practices into your routine to enhance your ability to concentrate. For example, fitness walking can help improve focus and reduce stress. In addition, breathing deeply and meditation are other techniques which enables a person to go into preparation to get into a deep work phrase.
3. Invest in Self-Care
You should aim to live a balanced life which includes work and time with family and friends. McKeown stresses the importance of self-care as a foundation for productivity and well-being.
- Prioritize Sleep: By getting enough restful sleep each night you will ensure that you can have an optimal performance in your daily life. With 8-9 hours of sleep, upon waking up, you will feel supercharged for your day. Sleep is crucial for cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall health. An excellent audio-book to listen to is by Matthew Walker entitled, Why We Sleep:Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. The narrator’s voice is so smooth and relaxing that I can almost guarantee you that you will experience REM sleep quickly like an autumn leaf falling from a tree. Trust me, this narrator voice is extraordinary. How can I make this claim? I have Mr. Walker’s audio-book, Why We Sleep, through my Audible subscription. It knocks me out every time I listen to the narrator’s calming voice who is Steve West.
- Exercise Regularly: Try to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Exercise boots energy levels, improves mood, and enhances cognitive performance. For me, my Apple Watch is a reminder to meet that challenge of achieving 10,000 steps daily. What helps you as a reminder to focus on keeping an exercise routine weekly or daily?
- Nurture Relationships: When you have strong social connections with loved ones, it provides emotional well-being and can provide support. Spend quality time with grandparents especially since we all have limited time. Essentialism is being present totally with those individuals who mean a lot to us. Once they are gone, there are no excuses about making up for lost time.
Two Things You Can Leave “Undone”
- Non-Essential Meetings: Meetings can be a significant drain on time and energy. According to Mr. McKeown, he advises being selective about which meeting or meetings you attend. If the meeting doesn’t align with your priorities or contribute to your goals, then you have to politely decline. Remember Herbert Feinsterheim’s book? There is an art of saying the word “No”. When you visualize a greater goal to achieve, it will become easy to say this 2 letter word with conviction.
- Making a Meeting or Attending One: When you do create a meeting, you must always organize it with a clear purpose. This helps keep the discussion focused and productive. By circulating the agenda before the meeting, this gives attendees time to bring suggestions with them and be on his or her A game or optimal level or performance. Sometimes a meeting can go off course when an attendee brings up an urgent matters and it interrupts the flow of the agenda. When this happens, arrange a time and place when this matter can be discussed. Stay on the path to reach your goal and why this meeting was organized. If necessary, a follow up email might be sufficient.
To Do or Not To Do Resources
Here are a few books that I recommend reading to study further on the topic of deciding how to master time in a way that your goals align with what you want out of your life:
We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.“
——Chuck Palahniuk
- Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown.
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.
- The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.
M. Lauryn Alexander is the owner of Success Essentials Publishing Company Inc® and Success Essentials Inc® which specializes in teaching English to English Language Learners virtually. Success Essentials Inc® also teaches Spanish as a Second Language to monolingual English-Speakers. What titles can you add to the above resource list? How can you embrace essentialism in your daily routines in order to live your best life?
