Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

This term, coined by Daniel Kahneman in 1979, refers to people’s tendency to underestimate how long a task will take, even when they have actually done the task before.

“Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work,”

Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, “What do I have to give up?” they ask, “What do I want to go big on?”

while we may not always have control over our options, we always have control over how we choose among them.

“less but better”

“I would very much like to but I’m overcommitted,”

“If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?”

A second reason why it is hard to choose what is essential in the moment is as simple as an innate fear of social awkwardness. The fact is, we as humans are wired to want to get along with others.

Motivation and effort are not enough because they are limited resources. To truly make progress on the things that matter, we need a whole new way to work and live. A way that eases life’s inevitable burdens. A way to achieve extraordinary results, without burning out.