Less, but Better
The other night we planned to watch a show before going to bed. We didn’t have anything specific in mind. I went to Netflix. We had about an hour before our normal bedtime. “What are you thinking? Do you want to watch something funny? Or something more serious? What about the Great British Baking Show?” This back and forth dialogue went on as I scrolled through hundreds of Netflix choices.
You probably won’t be surprised that 25 minutes later we were still looking for a show. And the hour we once had available had dwindled down to 30 minutes.
How often have you found yourself unintentionally wasting time? Or spending time doing something without much meaning, significance or impact? What if you were to step back and take an honest inventory of the way you spend the 24 hours you have in each day? How many “unconscious choices” do you make? Imagine if you suddenly got intentional about your time— which is a very precious commodity— do you wonder what you might do differently?
I spoke with a friend about this. She was expressing frustration about how she packs lunches for her three kids every morning before school. Even though she is trying to do something helpful for them, everyday the kids change their mind about what they want, they complain and argue, and it sets the day off on the wrong foot for the whole family. So we brainstormed something she could do to switch up her frustrating routine. The next morning the kids came downstairs and found all their lunch options on the counter, with a sign that said, “Pack whatever you’d like!” They immediately became excited to pick different items from the selections on the counter. This new process ended up taking less time for my friend, was more fulfilling for the kids, and the arguing and bickering stopped altogether. This is now how they do it. She made a conscious choice, and in doing so, she changed the course of her family’s day.
Many of us wish we had more time in the day, yet still opt to do things that provide little satisfaction. Or we are in a rut with processes that don’t serve us any longer— like the lunch packing— and find ourselves in need of a change.
I recently read the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. It’s great. In it he explains that if you want to be an “essentialist,” you need to look at all the ways your time gets spent. You need to ask yourself over and over the important question, “Is this task/project/choice essential? Will doing this make my life happier and more fulfilled?” If the answer is no, then the essentialist would choose to no longer do it.
What if you could switch up your mundane routine, or even gain back some minutes in your day that are currently being wasted? According to McKeown, an essentialist does less, but better. “You can do anything, but you don’t have to do everything.” A non-essentialist is always adding more to his or her plate. An essentialist is constantly eliminating unnecessary or dissatisfying things in an effort to simplify life. What if less could actually be better?
If this is true, what would you start to eliminate today?
This Week’s Resources
Navigating Life’s Ups and Downs
I don’t need to remind you that life has its ups and downs. The Lokai Bracelet offers a symbolic reminder of how to find a balance between life’s highs and lows. The company’s message is simple: “Sometimes you’re on top; stay humble. Sometimes you’ve hit a low; stay hopeful.” When you purchase one of their colorful bracelets, ten percent of each purchase goes to charity. Lokai has donated more than $8M so far! If you’re a fan of a particular cause, theme, or historical leader, Lokai probably has a bracelet for you. Check them out here: www.lokai.com
Essentialism
If you’re interested in learning more about “The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,” then here’s the link to Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism: https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382
Who Doesn’t Love Baseball?
If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for someone who happens to be a baseball fan, take a look at these one-of-a-kind wallets that are made from vintage baseball gloves. FC Goods creates these special products and they’re also terrific quality: https://fcgoods.com/collections/classics
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