Inspired Essentialism is about helping us discover what is most important to us in order to live more intentional lives. Personality typology is a theme I touch on often because it’s such a useful tool for each of us as individuals to narrow down our purpose. These systems give us a framework for analyzing our motivations and gaining the self-knowledge required to sort out what’s important to us versus what others have told us is important. The Enneagram is one of those tools. I’ve written about the Enneagram types through the lens of minimalism and essentialism before. But you may be wondering what books about the enneagram you should read to learn more. To summarize, the Enneagram describes nine personality types, each based on a core fear and…
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So, you want to live a more intentional life? Your first baby step is to journal. Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection. Setting aside dedicated time to ponder a question and write out your answer can lead to some fascinating discoveries. If you already have a journaling habit, you know that your answer to a prompt can really surprise you! I crafted the self-reflection journal prompts below to address questions we all need to ask, but most of us avoid. I’ve written before about the importance of sorting your top priorities from lower-value activities you spend time and energy on. That sounds simple, but it’s no easy task. Many of your “fluff” activities are valuable and enjoyable in their own ways. It’s nonetheless…
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I think all of us can admit that we have relationships with our phones that are…not the healthiest. In his book, Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport refers to the concept of a “cell phone as a vital appendage.” This definitely used to be true for me – I rarely even walked from one room to another without my phone. Catherine Price, in her book, How to Break Up with Your Phone, quotes a variety of alarming statistics. Americans spend an average of 4 ours per day on their phones, which amounts to 56 full days per year. They check their phones about 47 times per day, and that number shoots up to…
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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…
