How to Identify Essentials

Tags: philosophy

Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating if something is essential:

What are your values? The principles you live by.
What are your goals? Short and long term. What do you want to achieve in life?
What do you love? Who do you love spending time with?
What is important to you? In life, in work, etc
What has the biggest impact? When choosing between projects
What has the most long term impact?
Needs vs wants. Most wants can be eliminated
Eliminate the nonessential - work backward eliminating the nonessential first, what's left is more essential. May take several passes
Keep editing - things change, so will your essentials list. Don't keep doing something that has become nonessential. Make a first pass, come back in a week and make another pass, keep doing this until you're happy you only have essential work