{"id":1450,"date":"2020-06-03T06:19:03","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T06:19:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sitrakaratsimba.com\/?p=1450"},"modified":"2023-09-04T15:48:48","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T15:48:48","slug":"essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sitrakaratsimba.com\/fr\/essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less\/","title":{"rendered":"Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less"},"content":{"rendered":"

Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Essentialism<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less is a powerful book written by Greg McKeown<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In one sentence, \u201cEssentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost effortless.\u201d<\/p>\n

In your professional or personal life, where do you add the most value? In which activities do you contribute the most? Essentialism is a system-based discipline for determining those activities and then to execute effortlessly these high-value-added tasks.<\/p>\n

Our life is limited and at the end of the day, we ask ourselves what the point of all of this was. What would be your contribution, what are the most important things to you?<\/p>\n

Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less will teach you how to identify the essential and eliminate all the rest; to live a real life of meaning.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Essentialism<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 1: The essentialist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. \u2014Jin Yutang<\/p>\n

One of the fears that characterize humans is the fear of rejection. We want to fit in and we want to please everyone. There\u2019s a cost however. We end up all stressed, producing poor quality work. Subsequently we get frustrated; the people we\u2019re working with may even get upset too.<\/p>\n

It happened to many of us. As we become more specialized at our work, we start to build a reputation. Our leaders and our colleagues know it and request us more and more services. Most of us major in minor things. But you can\u2019t please everyone without paying the price.<\/p>\n

In the book Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less, the author highlights:<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

We can do less but better (in German there\u2019s an expression \u201cweniger aber besser\u201d) and the essentialism constantly adopts this mindset: less but better. Essentialism is always asking the question: \u201cAm I doing the right thing? Are the activities I\u2019m doing aligned with my higher purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Scattered<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIn both images the same amount of effort is exerted. In the image on the left, the energy is divided into many different activities. The result is that we have the unfulfilling experience of making a millimeter of progress in a million directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually, we cannot do everything. We must face real compromises and make tough decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the image on the right, the energy is given to fewer activities. The result is that by investing in fewer things we have the satisfying experience of making significant progress in the things that matter most.\u201d<\/p>\n

We then must live with conviction; our lives should be by our own design, not by default. In doing so, the essentialist constantly eliminates the superfluous, distinguishes what\u2019s the most essential and eliminates everything else.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t prioritize your life, someone else will.<\/p>\n

The way of the non-essentialist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The non essentialist tries to keep everyone happy and sacrifices what matters most.<\/p>\n

The non-essentialist amidst different activities loses his own \u201cability to discern the vital few from the trivial many\u201d. To him, everything seems important. Based on the picture above, he makes a millimeter of progress in a million directions. But here\u2019s a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would happen if we could figure out the one thing you could do that would make the highest contribution?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ambitious people struggle to answer this question because in their journey to success, our society punishes good behavior (saying no) and rewards bad behavior (say yes).<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a paradox of success that Greg McKewon describes as follow:<\/p>\n

PHASE 1:<\/strong> When we really have clarity of purpose, it enables us to succeed at our endeavor.<\/p>\n

PHASE 2<\/strong>: When we have success, we gain a reputation as a \u201cgo to\u201d person. We become \u201cgood old [insert name],\u201d who is always there when you need him, and we are presented with increased options and opportunities.<\/p>\n

PHASE 3<\/strong>: When we have increased options and opportunities, which is actually code for demands upon our time and energies, it leads to diffused efforts. We get spread thinner and thinner.<\/p>\n

PHASE 4<\/strong>: We become distracted from what would otherwise be our highest level of contribution. The effect of our success has been to undermine the very clarity that led to our success in the first place.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, success itself can cause failure because success gets us side-tracked. We fail to focus on the most important things that created success in the first place.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also the 23rd law of power in Robert Greene\u2019s book<\/a>: \u201cThe 48 laws of power\u201d. He states: \u201cCONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES. Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another\u2014intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert Greene<\/a> also shares a powerful fable to understand the way of the non-essentialist:<\/p>\n

The goose and the horse<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cA goose who was plucking grass upon a common thought herself affronted by a horse who fed near her; and, in hissing accents, thus addressed him: \u201cI am certainly a more noble and perfect animal than you, for the whole range and extent of your faculties is confined to one element. I can walk upon the ground as well as you; I have, besides, wings, with which I can raise myself in the air; and when I please, I can sport on ponds and lakes, and refresh myself in the cool waters. I enjoy the different powers of a bird, a fish, and a quadruped.\u201d The horse, snorting somewhat disdainfully, replied: \u201cIt is true you inhabit three elements, but you make no very distinguished figure in any one of them. You fly, indeed; but your flight is so heavy and clumsy, that you have no right to put yourself on a level with the lark or the swallow. You can swim on the surface of the waters, but you cannot live in them as fishes do; you cannot find your food in that element, nor glide smoothly along the bottom of the waves. And when you walk, or rather waddle, upon the ground, with your broad feet and your long neck stretched out, hissing at everyone who passes by, you bring upon yourself the derision of all beholders. I confess that I am only formed to move upon the ground; but how graceful is my make! How well turned mv limbs! How highly finished my whole body! How great my strength! How astonishing my speed! I had much rather be confined to one element, and be admired in that, than be a goose in all!\u201d<\/p>\n

FABLES FROM BOCCAACCIO AND CHAUCER. DR. JOHN AIKIN, 1747-1822<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The idea that \u201cyou can have it all\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The idea that we can have it all is a myth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt (this myth) leads to staff meetings where as many as ten \u201ctop priorities\u201d are discussed with no sense of irony at all. The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when everything is important, nothing is, we should focus on one top priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we don\u2019t purposely and deliberately choose where to focus our energies and time, other people\u2014our bosses, our colleagues, our clients, and even our families\u2014will choose for us, and before long we\u2019ll have lost sight of everything that is meaningful and important. We can either make our choices deliberately or allow other people\u2019s agendas to control our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a previous article, we talked about how to make a better decision using the top 5 regrets of the dying<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce an Australian nurse named Bronnie Ware<\/a>, who cared for people in the last twelve weeks of their lives, recorded their most often discussed regrets. At the top of the list: \u2018I wish I\u2019d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

If you want to live a life true to yourself, you must deliberately eliminate the nonessentials but also ignore even the really good opportunities.<\/p>\n

The core mindset of an essentialist<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Individual choice:<\/strong> We can choose how to spend our energy and time. Trade-offs always implies choice.<\/li>\n
  2. The prevalence of noise:<\/strong> Almost everything is noise, and a very few things are exceptionally valuable. What is most important to you?<\/li>\n
  3. The reality of trade-offs:<\/strong> We can\u2019t have it all or do it all. Once we accept the reality of trade-offs we stop asking, \u201cHow can I make it all work?\u201d and start asking the more honest question \u201cWhich problem do I want to solve?\u201d Only when we understand these realities can we begin to think like an Essentialist. Indeed, once we fully accept and understand them, much of the method in the coming sections of the book becomes natural and instinctive. That method consists of the following three simple steps.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The core logic of an essentialist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cEssentialism is not a way to do one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a way of thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In the book, essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less, there are three deeply entrenched assumptions we must conquer to live the way of the Essentialist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
    Old paradigm<\/strong><\/td>\nI have to<\/td>\nIt\u2019s all important<\/td>\nI can do both<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    New paradigm<\/strong><\/td>\nI choose to<\/td>\nOnly a few things really matter<\/td>\nI can do anything but not everything.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 2 of Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less: CHOOSE: The Invincible Power of Choice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    It is the ability to choose which makes us human. \u2014Madeleine L\u2019Engle<\/p>\n

    William James wrote, \u201cMy first act of free will shall be to believe in free will.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The power of choice is a crucial point in the book Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less.<\/p>\n

    \u201cTo become an Essentialist requires a heightened awareness of our ability to choose. We need to recognize it as an invincible power within us, existing separate and distinct from any other thing, person, or force.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cChoice is at the very core of what it means to be an Essentialist\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe often think of choice as a thing. But a choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice\u2014a choice is an action. It is not just something we have but something we do\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhile we may not always have control over our options, we always have control over how we choose among them.\u201d<\/p>\n

    How Do We Forget Our Ability to Choose?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    There\u2019s a theory called \u201clearned helplessness\u201d. It happens when we don\u2019t know that we have the choice. Back in high school, I struggled with a particular subject: mathematics. Neither my Mom nor my Dad was good at Math so I\u2019ve always told myself I wouldn\u2019t either. I tried again and again but it always resulted in bad marks. In the end, I thought it wasn\u2019t for me, only later did I realize that it was \u201clearned helplessness\u201d.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen we forget our ability to choose, we learn to be helpless. Drip by drip we allow our power to be taken away until we end up becoming a function of other people\u2019s choices\u2014or even a function of our own past choices. In turn, we surrender our power to choose. That is the path of the Nonessentialist.\u201d<\/p>\n

    As you start to understand this, it will be easier to you to answer the question: \u201c\u201cIf you could do only one thing with your life right now, what would you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 3: DISCERN: The Unimportance of Practically Everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Most of what exists in the universe\u2014our actions, and all other forces, resources, and ideas\u2014has little value and yields little result; on the other hand, a few things work fantastically well and have tremendous impact. \u2014Richard Koch<\/p>\n

    \u201cWorking hard is important. But more effort does not necessarily yield more results. \u201cLess but better\u201d does\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201ccertain types of effort yield higher rewards than others\u201d \u201cFor example, as Nathan Myhrvold, the former chief technology officer for Microsoft, has said (and then confirmed to me in person), \u201cThe top software developers are more productive than average software developers not by a factor of 10X or 100X or even 1,000X but by 10,000X.\u201d8 It may be an exaggeration, but it still makes the point that certain efforts produce exponentially better results than others.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe live in a world where almost everything is worthless and a very few things are exceptionally valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n

    To illustrate the unimportance of practically everything, there are three laws to remember:<\/p>\n

    The Law of Pareto:<\/strong> The \u201cPareto Principle,\u201d is an idea, introduced as far back as the 1790s by Vilfredo Pareto, arguing that 20 percent of our efforts produce 80 percent of results.<\/p>\n

    The Law of the Vital Few: <\/strong>Developed in 1951 by Joseph Moses Juran, in his Quality-Control Handbook, one of the fathers of the quality movement expanded on this idea. His observation was that you could massively improve the quality of a product by resolving a tiny fraction of the problems.<\/p>\n

    The power law:<\/strong> According to the power law theory, certain efforts actually produce exponentially more results than others.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Nonessentialist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Thinks almost everything is essential<\/p>\n

    Views opportunities as basically equal<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Essentialist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Thinks almost everything is nonessential<\/p>\n

    Distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many<\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 4: TRADE-OFF: Which Problem Do I Want?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs. It\u2019s about deliberately choosing to be different. \u2014Michael Porter<\/p>\n

    \u201cEssentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, \u201cWhat do I have to give up?\u201d they ask, \u201cWhat do I want to go big on?\u201d The cumulative impact of this small change in thinking can be profound.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cA trade-off involves two things we want. Do you want more pay or more vacation time? Do you want to finish this next e-mail or be on time to your meeting? Do you want it done faster or better? Obviously, when faced with the choice between two things we want, the preferred answer is yes to both. But as much as we\u2019d like to, we simply cannot have it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Southwest Airlines\u2019 example illustrates this principle. \u201cKelleher (the leader) was totally clear about what the company was\u2014a low-cost airline\u2014and what they were not.\u201d As he said: We\u2019re not going to do a thousand different things that really won\u2019t contribute much to the end result we are trying to achieve.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

    Straddling strategy for organizations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cStraddling means keeping your existing strategy intact while simultaneously also trying to adopt the strategy of a competitor.\u201d<\/p>\n

    But \u201cignoring the reality of trade-offs is a terrible strategy for organizations. It turns out to be a terrible strategy for people as well\u201d<\/p>\n

    Explore: Discern the Vital Few from the Trivial Many<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cOne paradox of Essentialism is that Essentialists actually explore more options than their Non Essentialist counterparts.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cEssentialists spend as much time as possible exploring, listening, debating, questioning, and thinking. But their exploration is not an end in itself. The purpose of the exploration is to discern the vital few from the trivial many.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 5: ESCAPE: The Perks of Being Unavailable<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Without great solitude no serious work is possible. \u2014Pablo Picasso<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen did you last take time out of your busy day simply to sit and think?\u201d<\/p>\n

    Our life gets busier and we need to make space to escape.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe faster and busier things get, the more we need to build thinking time into our schedule. And the noisier things get, the more we need to build quiet reflection spaces in which we can truly focus\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe need space to escape in order to discern the essential few from the trivial many.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cIn order to have focus we need to escape to focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

    We need to create a space for unencumbered thought and this to make one\u2019s highest point of contribution on task.<\/p>\n

    The author \u201cblocked off eight hours a day to write: from 5:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., five days a week. The basic rule was no email, no calls, no appointments, and no interruptions until after 1:00 P.M. and by creating space to explore, think, and write, he not only got his book done faster but gained control over how he spent the rest of his time\u201d.<\/p>\n

    \u201cJeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, for example, schedules up to two hours of blank space on his calendar every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cCEO Bill Gates regularly takes a regular week off from his daily duties at Microsoft simply to think and read.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The author recommends three spaces:<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Space to design<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Space to concentrate<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Space to read<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The Nonessentialist is too busy to think about life.<\/p>\n

    The Essentialist creates space to escape and explore life.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 6: LOOK: See What Really Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? \u2014T. S. Eliot<\/p>\n

    The author recommends us to become a journalist of our own lives. Humans are forgetful creatures and journaling can help us gain perspective on our past experiences. \u201cThink of a journal as like a storage device for backing up our brain\u2019s faulty hard drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cBy training yourself to look for \u201cthe lead,\u201d you will suddenly find yourself able to see what you have missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 7: PLAY: Embrace the Wisdom of Your Inner Child<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men. \u2014Roald Dahl<\/p>\n

    \u201cAs we get older [\u2026] we are introduced to the idea that play is trivial. Play is a waste of time. Play is unnecessary. Play is childish.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cFar too few companies and organizations foster play; many unintentionally undermine it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Play can be described as \u201canything we do simply for the joy of doing rather than as a means to an end\u201d<\/p>\n

    Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute for Play conducted an interesting study on play. He concluded that \u201cplay has the power to significantly improve everything from personal health to relationships to education to organizations\u2019 ability to innovate. \u201cPlay,\u201d he says, \u201cleads to brain plasticity, adaptability, and creativity.\u201d As he succinctly puts it, \u201cNothing fires up the brain like play.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cPlay doesn\u2019t just help us to explore what is essential. It is essential in and of itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 8: SLEEP: Protect the Asset<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Each night, when i go to sleep, i die. and the next morning, when i wake up, i am reborn. \u2014Mahatma Gandhi<\/p>\n

    We can be an overachiever, multiplying the projects we handle but our health still prevails over everything. Our health is our wealth.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cOne of the most common ways people\u2014especially ambitious, successful people\u2014damage this asset is through a lack of sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe way of the Nonessentialist is to see sleep as yet another burden on one\u2019s already overextended, overcommitted, busy-but-not-always-productive life. Essentialists instead see sleep as necessary for operating at high levels of contribution more of the time. This is why they systematically and deliberately build sleep into their schedules so they can do more, achieve more, and explore more.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cA solid body of research demonstrated that a good night\u2019s sleep actually makes us more productive, not less.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhile sleep is often associated with giving rest to the body, recent research shows that sleep is really more about the brain. Indeed, a study from the Luebeck University in Germany provides evidence that a full night\u2019s sleep may actually increase brain power and enhance our problem-solving ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cOur highest priority is to protect our ability to prioritize\u201d<\/p>\n

    Essentialism the disciplined pursuit of less CHAPTER 9: SELECT: The Power of Extreme Criteria<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    An inner process stands in need of outward criteria. \u2014Ludwig Wittgenstein<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf it isn\u2019t a clear yes, then it\u2019s a clear no.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Before eliminating the unnecessary, we have to select the most important thing.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf the answer isn\u2019t a definite yes then it should be a no.\u201d<\/p>\n

    For example, the author mentions Derek Sivers who \u201clives this principle himself. When he wasn\u2019t blown away by any of the candidates he interviewed for a job, he said no to all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The 90 percent rule<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    When you make a choice, try to find the most important criteria then score each choice on a 1 to 10 scale. The 9s and 10s should be kept. Every choice under 7 should be automatically out. The author highlights how liberating it is to consider the 7s and 8s as a no too.<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou can think of this as the 90 Percent Rule, and it\u2019s one you can apply to just about every decision or dilemma. As you evaluate an option, think about the single most important criterion for that decision, and then simply give the option a score between 0 and 100. If you rate it any lower than 90 percent, then automatically change the rating to 0 and simply reject it. This way you avoid getting caught up in indecision\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Nonessentialist:<\/h4>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Says yes to almost every request or opportunity<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Uses broad, implicit criteria like \u201cIf someone I know is doing it, I should do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Essentialist:<\/h4>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Says yes to only the top 10 percent of opportunities<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Uses narrow, explicit criteria like \u201cIs this exactly what I am looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Opportunity Knocks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cHere\u2019s a simple, systematic process you can use to apply selective criteria to opportunities that come your way.<\/p>\n

    First, write down the opportunity.<\/p>\n

    Second, write down a list of three \u201cminimum criteria\u201d the options would need to \u201cpass\u201d in order to be considered.<\/p>\n

    Third, write down a list of three ideal or \u201cextreme criteria\u201d the options would need to \u201cpass\u201d in order to be considered.<\/p>\n

    By definition, if the opportunity doesn\u2019t pass the first set of criteria, the answer is obviously no. But if it also doesn\u2019t pass two of your three extreme criteria, the answer is still no.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    ELIMINATE: How Can We Cut Out the Trivial Many?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to simply determine which activities and efforts don\u2019t make the best possible contribution; you still have to actively eliminate those that do not.\u201d<\/p>\n

    To read more on the power of routines, consult my article: \u201cThe Miracle Morning<\/strong><\/a>\u201d by Hal Elrod<\/p>\n

    To read more on how to create long-lasting habits, consult my article: \u201cThe Atomic Habits<\/strong><\/a>\u201d by James Clear<\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 10: CLARIFY: One Decision That Makes a Thousand<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    To follow, without halt, one aim: there is the secret to success. \u2014Anna Pavlova, Russian ballet dancer<\/p>\n

    \u201cOnly with real clarity of purpose can people, teams, and organizations fully mobilize and achieve something truly excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Essential intent<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cAn essential intent is both inspirational and concrete, both meaningful and measurable. Done right, an essential intent is one decision that settles one thousand later decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"Essential<\/p>\n

    Nonessentialist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Has a vague, general vision or mission statement<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Has concrete quarterly objectives but ones that fail to energize or inspire people to take their efforts to the next level<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Has a value set but no guiding principles for implementing them<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Essentialist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Has a strategy that is concrete and inspirational<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Has an intent that is both meaningful and memorable<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Makes one decision that eliminates one thousand later decisions<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen there is a serious lack of clarity about what the team stands for and what their goals and roles are, people experience confusion, stress, and frustration. \u201c<\/p>\n

    And \u201cWhen there is a high level of clarity, on the other hand, people thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen there is a lack of clarity, people waste time and energy on the trivial many.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Finally, \u201cWhen they have sufficient levels of clarity, they are capable of greater breakthroughs and innovations\u2014greater than people even realize they ought to have\u2014in those areas that are truly vital.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Living with Intent<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cEssential intent applies to so much more than your job description or your company\u2019s mission statement; a true essential intent is one that guides your greater sense of purpose, and helps you chart your life\u2019s path.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    CHAPTER 11: DARE: The Power of a Graceful \u201cNo\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Courage is grace under pressure. \u2014Ernest Hemingway<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing\u201d \u201cWhy is it so hard in the moment to dare to choose what is essential over what is nonessential?\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cOne simple answer is we are unclear about what is essential.\u201d \u201cThe right \u201cno\u201d spoken at the right time can change the course of history\u201d<\/p>\n

    Essentially awkward<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cIt is hard to choose what is essential in the moment because of our innate fear of social awkwardness. The fact is, we as humans are wired to want to get along with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe very thought of saying no literally brings us physical discomfort. We feel guilty. We don\u2019t want to let someone down. We are worried about damaging the relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cBut these emotions muddle our clarity. They distract us from the reality of the fact that either we can say no and regret it for a few minutes, or we can say yes and regret it for days, weeks, months, or even years.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Nonessentialist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Avoids saying no to avoid feeling social awkwardness and pressure<\/p>\n

    Says yes to everything<\/p>\n

    Essentialist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Dares to say no firmly, resolutely, and gracefully<\/p>\n

    Says yes only to the things that really matter<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \u201cSo how do we learn to say no gracefully? Below are general guidelines followed by a number of specific scripts for delivering the graceful \u201cno?\u201d<\/p>\n