Hello there Mom Bosses! It's Book Review time for our latest read and this past month's book is one of my all time FAVORITES that I first picked up a few years ago. It's not too often that I keep a book in the front of my bookshelf to read over and over again, but this one is a MUST for reading repeatedly.
If you're new here, WELCOME! Once a month for the Mom Boss Book Club, we go through a book together based on Personal or Business Development. If you haven't joined yet (it's FREE), I'd love to invite you to join us! One book per month - that's it!
I understand how life can get crazy, and busy, and tiring, but if there's anything I wish I would have prioritized more when our kiddos were younger, it would be reading for my own continued education, and not just Red Fish, Blue Fish or The Berenstain Bears for storytime. ;-) Just 10-15 minutes per day is all you need. Join us below and give it a try for a month!
Now if there's anything a Mom Boss knows, it's that discipline is crucial to success. In Greg McKeown's book Essentialism, he tackles The Discipline Pursuit of LESS.
Discipline.
It's not most people's favorite word. It's difficult to follow through consistently. But oh so rewarding.
You see this quote from the book here below?? ........it's the truth. (And YES. I write in ALL my books!)
If you don't prioritize your life and/or business, someone else will.....your boss, your spouse, partner, co-workers, kids, heck....even strangers.
Your life will be played out somehow or another.
I remember the very first time I read through Essentialism a few years ago, saw this illustration below and regretably thought, "That's EXACTLY how I feel." The photo of "energy" represented on the left. My energy being "wasted" in a sense. There was so much I need to learn.
I felt....
Scattered.
Pulled in a million directions.
Burnt out.
Tired, but unable to Relax.
Overcommitted.
Experiencing decision fatigue.
Feeling unaccomplished.
....and more.
I wanted to move more to that vision of energy and movement on the right, and go from feeling those things listed above to:
Energetic.
Clear Minded.
Accomplished.
Balanced.
Focused.
Purposeful.
Calm and Joyful.
Spontaneous.
More Engaged as a Listener.
....and more.
This is all very possible.
It has taken me a lot of time and patience (years to be honest), but I absolutely believe in a balanced "essentialist" lifestyle, and I think the BELIEF of it is the first step.
At some point I realized I couldn't keep letting life "happen to me" and live reactively, but had to rise up and take responsibility for living a more proactive life....one choice and one step at a time.
These habits, skills, and decisions are most definitely NOT a one time thing. We learn, implement, slip up, slide, and rededicate. It's a PROCESS, so be gracious with yourself and others!
Here is the Essentialist Model in a nutshell:
>>>>What side do you relate to more right now?
Honestly, if I could take a photo of every tidbit of advice, relatable stories, and more from this book, it would quite literally be almost the entire book.
I highly recommend it, and if you implement even a quarter of what is shared in Essentialism, I believe your life will be better for it!
NEXT UP......
The next book for our Mom Boss Book Club is going to be The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey To Self-Discovery.
"Ignorance is bliss - except in self-awareness. What you don't know about yourself can hurt you - and your relationships, and how you make your way in the world" (from the back cover of the book)
Life and business is all about relationships, so it only makes sense to tackle the understanding of personalities! I've found the Enneagram to be one of the few personality type systems to help me better understand myself, my spouse, and others.
I hope you'll join us!
From the Beach,
Anneke
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