Essentialist Principle: Transforming My Work and Life

I want to share with you how the Essentialist principle has genuinely changed my approach to work, business, and daily life. If you're often overwhelmed, stressed or anxious because of the relentless busyness of life—trust me, I’ve been there—and this could be a game changer for you.

As a serial entrepreneur, I used to pride myself on juggling multiple businesses at once. But, truthfully, I was spreading myself and my team far too thin. Even with good systems and structures in place, I realised that having so much going on simply doesn't make sense from an essentialist perspective.

What is the Essentialist Principle?

The core of the Essentialist principle is straightforward: “Less is more”. In practice, it means doing what is truly essential and cutting out what is non-essential. This sounds easy but can be really tough to implement, especially when you’re used to saying ‘yes’ to everything and taking pride in your busyness.

Applying Essentialism to My Businesses

I gave my strategic goals for the quarter a good, hard look. Despite thinking I was focused, I was still spreading efforts across multiple businesses. So, I made a big change—I decided to concentrate on only one primary business this quarter and put others on the back burner. By eliminating those distractions, I’ve given myself and my team a clear, meaningful direction. The impact on our focus and effectiveness has been immediate.

Essentialism and Enjoyment

Here’s something else I realised: if you truly dislike a task, there’s a good chance it’s not essential for you—or maybe you need to find a better way to handle it. For instance, I loathe marketing (except for this vlog, which nurtures my mental health), so I rethought our business objectives. Rather than grinding through endless sales calls and client meetings for my startup, we’re now focusing on partnerships and collaborations. The new model allows me and my team to work on what we excel at, eliminating those draining elements and turning the business into something that better fits my strengths and preferences.

Essentialist Principle in Personal Life

It’s not just about work. The Essentialist mindset applies to your personal life as well. Ask yourself: Is this really essential? Does it align with my values? If not, it’s okay to say no. In fact, it’s necessary.

In Summary

Less is more: do what’s essential, ditch what isn’t. Understand your values, set your essentialist goals, and be ruthless with the non-essential. For me, making these changes has brought more clarity, happiness and progress, both professionally and personally. If you’re ready for more focus and less stress, give essentialism a try!

And remember—my mission continues: I vlog every day, running round-the-world barefoot-style, to raise money and save children’s lives. Every view, like, and share helps make a difference.

Stay positive, stay happy. I’ll see you again tomorrow!