Essentials for the Way of Less

Essentials(əˈsen(t)SHəl) for the Way of Less

By Leo Babauta

The Way of Less is not really about saying no to everything or tossing(täs,tôs) everything out or doing nothing. Sometimes it involves those things, but that’s not what it’s about.

It’s about saying yes to what really matters. Paring down to the essentials that matter most to you, and making space for those.

What matters most: What are your essentials? My list might look something like this:

My mission (work, including writing and teaching)
My loved ones
Learning
An active, healthy, mindful life

The last one might seem like a cheat(CHēt), but it’s flexible: it includes meditation but could include walking, hikes(hīk), sports, lifting weights, yoga, cycling(ˈsīk(ə)liNG), swimming, surfing(ˈsərfiNG) or more.

What are your essentials?

Possessions(pəˈzeSHən): You can also make a list of essential possessions. Mine might include:

A minimal(ˈminəməl) amount of clothes(klō(T͟H)z) for a week
A dozen(ˈdəzən) books or so (I have more than that right now, but am paring down)
Exercise equipment & a yoga mat(mat)
My computer & phone
And of course things like dishes(diSH), towels(ˈtoul), a bed, sheets, etc.

Projects & doing: How much do you have on your plate(plāt)? If you could whittle(ˈ(h)widl) it down to the essentials, what would it look like? For me, it might look like:

My mission — one project at a time
Cultivating(ˈkəltəˌvāt) the communities of my programs (including responding to messages once a day)
Learning project
Doing things with my loved ones

I’m not saying these are the only things I ever do, but they’ve become my “projects & doing” essentials lately.

Digital essentials: How much do you do online? What do you read and watch? How often are you responding to messages or checking social media? If you had to pare(pe(ə)r) it down to your essentials, what would it be?

For me, it’s email and the online communities for my programs, along with team and client messages. I also check a few news websites but those aren’t essentials for me. I also often do my learning projects using online reading.

It’s not about cutting everything out of your life, but about contemplating(ˈkäntəmˌplāt) what your essentials are.

https://zenhabits.net/way-less/