Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

I’ve read many books about the pursuit of less. I truly believe you can’t take it with you—so why do we accumulate so much? Every year, I’m surprised by how much I manage to collect, even though I consider myself pretty frugal. It’s clear: we all need to take an honest look in the mirror more than just once a year—or once in a lifetime.

One of my biggest personal challenges is proving to myself that I can handle it

. More work? Sure. More friendships? Absolutely. More responsibility? Bring it on. I’ve always prided myself on being able to say “no” to things I don’t want. But the harder part? Saying no to things I do want.

In 2022, everything came to a head. I was working too much, drinking too much, eating too much—doing too much. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t take it anymore. So I walked away—from my marriage, my job, my home, my friends, my phone, and alcohol. I took with me only what truly mattered: my kids and my dogs. I set out on a journey to reclaim my time, my health, and my presence.

Now, less than three years later, I find myself in 2025 needing to dial things back again. That’s what brought me to read Essentialism.

From the perspective of a busy mom, I can’t say the book completely transformed me. Still, there were parts that stuck with me—lessons I hope to incorporate into my life more intentionally.

Here are a few ideas from Essentialism that stood out:

Essentialism isn’t about how to get more done—it’s about how to get the right things done.

It’s not just about doing less for the sake of less.

It’s about investing your time and energy wisely to operate at your highest level of contribution.

Live by design, not by default.

If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.

Clarity of purpose enables us to succeed.

But then comes the hard part:

How do we find clarity of purpose?

How do we reduce the noise of “too many choices”?

Just flipping back through this book reminded me why I need to reread it. I remember thinking,

I wish I could narrow down my life like this. I wish I could be more focused.

I struggle with decisions every day. I’m constantly overwhelmed by options. Narrowing things down feels like a skill I haven’t quite mastered yet.

So, yes—I’m going to reread this one.

Because at the heart of all of this is one question I still wrestle with:

“What do I really want?”