Essentialists challenge the Nonessential logic that play is trivial. Instead, they celebrate play as a vital driver of creativity and exploration.
The Nonessentialist: The Essentialist:
Thinks play is trivial Knows play is essential
Thinks play is an unproductive waste of time Knows play sparks exploration
Sleep: Protect the asset
Sleep will enhance your ability to explore, make connections, and do less but better throughout your waking hours.
The Nonessentialist thinks: The Essentialist knows:
One hour less of sleep equals one more hour of productivity One more hour of sleep equals several more hours of higher productivity
Sleep is for failures Sleep is for high performers
Sleep is a luxury Sleep is a priority
Sleep breeds laziness Sleep breeds creativity
Sleep gets in the way of “doing it all” Sleep enables the highest levels of mental contribution
Select: The power of extreme criteria
Making our criteria both selective and explicit affords us a systematic tool for discerning what is essential and filtering out the things that are not.
The Nonessentialist: The Essentialist:
Says yes to almost every request or opportunity Says yes to only the top 10 percent of opportunities
Uses broad, implicit criteria Like “If someone I know is doing Uses narrow, explicit criteria like “Is this exactly what I am looking for?”
it I should do it.”