April Moyo: Few and Better - What I learned from “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown
by: April Moyo
April Moyo is the Library Campus Manager at the Harris Campus of Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is currently enjoying her 6th year of librarianship. April earned her Masters of Library and Information Science from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. April started her career as a librarian in the public school setting, working as an elementary school and high school Media Specialist in Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, before leaping into her role as a librarian in higher education at CPCC. April enjoys reading, traveling, photography, home decor, journaling, blogging her musings, and spending time with her family. Find April on Twitter: @libonthemove
Choice. A noun or adjective depending on how it’s used, choice is also something we often forget that we possess. We all have choices in life. However, in this life we spend a majority of our time at work. After reading “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown, I found myself sending messages on Twitter that validated my thoughts about spending a majority of my time at work practicing “few and better” for quite some time. I just didn’t have a specific name for it or a book about it. Essentialism, or what I’ve deemed focusing on a few things that actually matter to you, aids in having a well and healthy mindspace, especially in the workplace. As the book states, we have the power to make “decisions by design,” or the power to make the right choices during the course of our days, weeks, and lives as opposed to trying to do all the things at the same time. This is not to say you’ll blow off your boss’ requests, or do whatever you want in regards to your work. This is instead focusing on how you manage your time and the things that need to be done.
No more wasted hours
Take back your calendar! Look at where your time is spent and figure out how to manage it more effectively. Are you prioritizing what needs to get done in your day? Are meetings overflowing and in conflict with each other? If so, make changes.
Here’s another simple word that we can all use more: No! Outlook, Google Calendar or whatever system you use probably has a function built-in for accepting, declining, or even choosing “maybe” or “tentative” as a response to an invitation. You don’t have to reply “Yes” to every invitation you receive. Be selective. Ask yourself if this meeting or appointment is essential. Do you have to be there in person? Can you attend via phone? Or WebEx? Do you even have to be there at all? Can you receive notes or a follow-up after this event is over? Don’t let other people hijack your day. The end of the workday will show up on your clock and you’ll wonder where your time went.
Set boundaries and limitations
Escape. Think. Plan. Execute. More words to ponder that will help you become more selective with your time. McKeown’s book also highlights the notion that once you really hone in on what things are actually essential, you can then take time to escape; you’ll have the space to think through ideas and other possibilities. You can give your brain time to explore creative solutions and expand upon thoughts or ideas that you didn’t have time for prior to your escape. You don’t have to physically remove yourself (though you can), but essentially carve out boundaries for what you will work on. You’ll start to see the big picture, versus getting stuck in the weeds of anything. You can also spend more quality, thoughtful time on projects, which results in a greater output and more valuable contributions. Set aside distraction-free time (no emails, notifications, social media or phone calls). Give yourself the space to be great. Make decisions that protect your time and your work so at the end of the day you are living by design and not default.
Overestimate how long a task will take
Thinking back to managing your calendar and your to-do list, we often have lofty, ambitious goals for what we think we can accomplish in a day. I’ve gotten myself into the habit of creating lists, working on those lists throughout the week, and by Friday figuring out a fresh list to conquer on Monday. This does not mean I always finish everything I set out to do, or that I throw a fit if things are left on the list by Friday afternoon. My tasks get shifted from one day to the next, or even one week to the next. I also practice leaving this list at work and not bringing this home to invade my thoughts and time for myself and with my family (again, boundaries). Being flexible with my mindset means that I know certain tasks may, and usually do, end up taking way more time than I think they should. Even in the best scenario of carving out space to think, focusing on what’s in front of me, only attending meetings that are absolutely necessary, and so on, things just happen. Such is life. You make adjustments. You prioritize tasks and get the essential things done. When you overestimate how long a task will take, you have already built in some room for flexibility, instead of stressing to submit that oh-so-important document at the eleventh hour.
Discipline - the main takeaway
McKeown makes note that if we don’t maintain the disciplined pursuit of less, we continue the “undisciplined pursuit of the non-essential.” Trim your list, see the big picture, remove obstacles, and eliminate that which you don’t absolutely need to do. Period. Be mindful about your time. You are providing a day’s work and in that day, you want to give your best self. Discipline yourself to design your days.
Once I got toward the end of the book, my thoughts wandered toward Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; more specifically, the need for self-actualization. This section of the hierarchy is more or less a microscope on self-fulfillment and our need to reach our full potential. No matter your theoretical beliefs, I’m sure you would happily sign up for less stress and more fulfillment in your work and life pursuits. Doing less does not equate to being lazy or unproductive. The exact opposite will occur once you create space for a few essentials. More productivity and diligence will shine through.