This edition of Tim’s book club is not so much a book about money, but one that has been impactful on how I organise all aspects of my life and forward planning. Hopefully you find it helpful too.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown outlines an approach that pursues ‘less but better’ in various aspects of life. The book focusses on the core tenant of the discipline of elimination. It’s not about doing more things but it’s about doing more of the right things. By focusing on what is essential, we can direct our time and attention to those things that really matter to us.
"Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it's about how to get the right things done. It's about doing less, but better."
I’m sure you’re like me where you like your life is full of good things but you just feel busy a lot of the time. It’s important to take the time to define what your desired outcomes are (work, money, family, hobbies etc) – ‘What is the win?’ in these areas of your life. You can then analyse what you might need to give up in order to achieve the win.
There may also be things you really want to do, but you’re in a season of life where it doesn’t make sense to pursue that…it’s not high enough on the priority list. Once you think through these things, it becomes a lot easier to know how you should be spending your time and what things you’re wasting your time on. You can more confidently say no, so you can focus on what truly matters.
"Non-essentialism is the philosophy of doing everything and fooling yourself that you’re getting somewhere."
The main goal of the book is to help you live a more intentional and fulfilling life, which is a noble goal to aim for, for yourself but also for those people in your life.
A great aspect of the book is that it doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach, which a lot these genre of books do. It requires work and self-reflection for sure. There are no quick fixes and saying no to things in your life is difficult.
"Saying no to the lesser is the only way to make room for the best. It’s the only way to live life on your own terms."
Let me know when you’ve read this book and I’d love to know what your essentials are. Financial planning starts with knowing what you want to achieve – what is your ideal life. We can then help you put in place things to get you closer to that goal. It’s not always about money either. What do you want your relationships to look life..? What are your career goals..? How do you most want to spend your time in retirement..? There’s so many areas of life that essentialism is important to consider. Hopefully it enriches your life and helps you focus on what matters most.
Here’s to our continuing improvement and growth.
Cheers
Tim
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