I love to garden so I find this time of year a bit sad.
Although many of my plants and bushes have turned into pretty shades of brown, yellow, orange, and rust color, it still is upsetting that winter will soon be here.
I also can’t stand pulling out my vegetable plants that are all scraggly after the first frost has happened especially when they produced such delicious vegetables all summer.
Now that my thoughts and energy are focused more on the inside of my house, I have been giving serious consideration into what I can weed out there.
Besides all the paperwork that can be tossed, I am thinking about what other things do not have a place anymore.
As an example, do I really need more than a dozen everyday glasses or 20 cat figurines of cats?
Ok – I am exaggerating a bit or am I being blind to all this stuff?
In the book, Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, bestselling author Greg McKeown addresses not only physical things that clog up our lives but more importantly the way we spend our time which can also bog us down if not managed effectively.
The first chapter really spells out the reasons why we think we can “have it all” which as he states is a myth that has been around for way too long.
Part of it is social pressure but aren’t we the ones who let that pressure affect us? 
This is not just about items to buy, vacations to go on, and restaurants to try but it is unfortunately also others who feel the need to voice their unsolicited opinions on a course of action we may want to pursue, such as ways to exercise, invest, relax, etc.
This happens not only in our personal lives, but it also occurs in the workplace.
I have heard many times from leaders that when they have finished a report or presentation, their well-meaning boss or colleague “makes a suggestion” and now they question what they have produced.
This can create anxiety, decrease self-confidence, and can even increase employee burnout.
We also may experience the sunk cost feeling which is that we have invested so much time, energy, and/or money into something we don’t want to let it go but now are questioning our decisions.
The majority of the book discusses the power to choose.
In other words, we have the ability to decide what should be essential in our lives and what is not. The problem is our actual decision-making process can be flawed.
Most of it comes down to asking the right questions from the start but when we are pressed for time, feel pressure from senior leaders, or are hesitant to make the wrong choice because there may be repercussions, we don’t think through all the options.
McKeown does state that the selection criteria may be too broad which is a valid point so instead of thinking about all the options, he suggests “thinking about the single most important criterion for that decision and then giving the option a score between 0 and 100. If you rate it lower than 90, reject it”.
By flipping your mindset that way, it narrows down the options and creates clarity that’s much faster.
The question I always ask myself is “how will I feel about this project, client, item, activity, etc. a month from now?”
If the project is uninteresting or I have done it so many times I will be bored, I will turn it down.
If the potential client does not seem like a person I can partner with effectively then I will refer them to someone else who I feel better aligns with their personality.
If the item is not something I truly need, I will take the money I would have spent and put it in my savings account. The list could go on but you get the point.
Saying “no” to friends, family, and coworkers is a bit trickier but having boundaries is important for self-care.
If I do say “no” then I do offer an alternative for either a later date or a different type of activity.
The person may be disappointed or even mad but the limited time you have in your life is precious so if it is not essential (or not essential right now) then like the song “Let It Go”.
Just like my garden, weeding out is important so that new growth can occur.