Everything is either essential or it’s not. The ESSENTIALISM LIFESTYLE is a lifestyle staffing brice rd columbus ohio of UN-essentialism, where you’re free to live your life in pursuit of what makes you happy and fulfilled rather than what’s on the list, an “essentials checklist,” or pre-approved by society. With the power to declare your preferences from the comfort of your own home, there are no more limits.
1. EVERYTHING IS ESSENTIAL OR IT’S NOT
I think we can all agree that at some point in life, perhaps in recent years but almost certainly decades ago, a consumer on a quest for all the latest and greatest, television camera-ready beauty products and all the rest that you see on infomercials, said to us this nagging question: “Is it really worth it?”
As a consumer of mass-produced products from big brands we may have asked ourselves this question many times. In fact, it’s been one of our guiding questions throughout our professional lives as designers.
2. CONSUMER LIFESTYLE
Our design work was guided by the idea that it wasn’t really about the products, but rather, about developing a lifestyle for the consumer. Our approach was holistic; we defined systems and needs that had to be met without focusing on specific features. We designed from a person’s point of view (Jobs and I have always been huge fans of anthropomorphism) with our products as an outgrowth of that thinking.
3. OUTLOOK
Essentialism isn’t about a checklist, but rather, it is an outlook and mind-set—it’s not what you don’t do; it’s about what you do do. It is the philosophy of doing less, but better. It is the power of “no.”
Essentialism can be applied to almost anything. You see it in the design of a product, in the art of programming or marketing, and even in how you approach your day and your life.
4. THE ESSENTIALISM MINDSET
THE ESSENTIALISM LIFESTYLE is about developing an ESSENTIALISM MIND-SET in everything you do, from the presentations you make to how you design your products. In this way, your design becomes not only about features but about the person using them.
The Essentialism Lifestyle is all about making choices to help you pursue what is essential and setting priorities so that you get the most happiness, meaning and value from life. Everything that we’ve done in our lives up until this point has been leading up to this moment.
5. FREE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE
With THE ESSENTIALISM LIFESTYLE, you’re free to live your life in pursuit of what makes you happy and fulfilled rather than what’s on the list, an “essentials checklist,” or pre-approved by society. With the power to declare your preferences from the comfort of your own home, there are no more limits.
How do we achieve this state of freedom? With a mind-set that says: EVERYTHING IS ESSENTIAL OR IT’S NOT. Everything is either essential or it’s not. The ESSENTIALISM LIFESTYLE is a lifestyle of UN-essentialism, where you’re free to live your life in pursuit of what makes you happy and fulfilled rather than what’s on the list, an “essentials checklist,” or pre-approved by society. With the power to declare your preferences from the comfort of your own home, there are no more limits.
6. THE BEAUTY
The beauty of this philosophy is that it helps you make decisions about what to do with everything you do as opposed to when you do it.
7. ESSENTIALISTS
Essentialists are people who choose to recognize that everything they do is either essential or it’s not. How we get there is arbitrary and subjective; it’s our choice. If we don’t choose to be essentialists, then the choices we make often end up being largely emotional and irrational, at the mercy of society’s “no” lists.
8. THE CHECKLIST
The philosophy of THE ESSENTIALISM LIFESTYLE means that we don’t want to ask you what you want in life; we want you to tell us. We don’t want to give you a lengthy set of restrictions and an “essentialism” checklist; we want you to share your preferences with us. We don’t want to tell you what’s essential and what’s not; we want you to show us.
9. THE DECISION
The philosophy of THE ESSENTIALISM LIFESTYLE means that we don’t want to tell you what you should do or shouldn’t do, it’s not our place, it’s yours! The thing is, there is no right way or wrong way when it comes to being essential or non-essential—the decision is up to YOU.
Summary:
Essentialism isn’t about a checklist, but rather, it is an outlook and mind-set—it’s not what you don’t do; it’s about what you do do. It is the philosophy of doing less, but better. It is the power of “no.”
