If you’re reading this, you have an internet connection. That means you view daily messaging about dieting, weight, and body image. We’re bombarded constantly. Magazines at the check-out aisle, pop up ads on websites, Instagram reels, and TikTok beauty influencers are all implanting the idea in your mind that you should – at all times – have “achieving bodily perfection” as a top priority. Apparently, it needs to be a top priority for absolutely everyone. Why should it be a priority? ….Because! When I was growing up in the early 2000s, there was very little messaging to counter this idea. By now, there’s been a backlash in the form of…
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Although I often share minimalism inspiration and decluttering tips on this site, I also like to explore how those concepts can be applied to our broader lives and even our psyches. Our lives are not only cluttered with material possessions. Our minds are also cluttered with unhelpful beliefs, habits, and thought patterns. Could the principles of essentialism and minimalism help us clear out mental and emotional clutter, as well? One tool that can be very useful in exploring this topic is personality typology. I’ve written about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) before – exploring how knowing our personality type can help us narrow down which decluttering advice will actually work…
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I’ve written before about how essentialism compares to similar concepts explored on this site, such minimalism and intentional living. But I want to use this post to provide a simple and straightforward definition for “essentialism.” I’ll provide a summary of the definition of essentialism and how it can change your life here. But I highly recommend that you read Greg McKeown’s book for a full picture. It was powerful enough for me that I used the term in the title for this site, after all. What is McKeown’s Definition of Essentialism? The short definition is in the book’s subtitle: “the disciplined pursuit of less.” It’s an engaging title because it seems…
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Do you constantly grapple to get control over your time management and goals? Tell me if this sounds familiar: You start your day with a to do list, stay busy all day, and somehow by evening only a portion of it was done. Or you start your year with a list of goals or resolutions only to reevaluate months later and realize you’ve only made minor progress toward any of them. If so, you probably mentally berate yourself for your lack of organization, laziness, or any number of other shortcomings. Well, here I’m going to share the secret to managing your time and accomplishing all your goals. You are not…
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Defining terms: Essentialism vs. Minimalism vs. Intentional Living This blog includes “essentialism” in the title, but you’ll notice that I often write about minimalism and intentional living. This post defines these terms and demonstrates how they intersect in a purposeful and authentic approach to life. What Is Essentialism? The most succinct definition for this term is in subheading of the 2014 book, Essentialism, by Greg McKeown. That is, simply, “The disciplined pursuit of less.” A longer explanation from the book goes like this: Essentialism is not a way to do one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a way of thinking…. There are…
