The Minimalist Way Read online

  •On your phone, delete apps you don’t use and organize others into folders.

  BECOME THE BOSS OF YOUR EMAIL (INSTEAD OF LETTING IT BE THE BOSS OF YOU)

  •Unsubscribe from any newsletters and promotional emails you don’t regularly read. (All promotional emails should have fine print at the bottom saying, “unsubscribe” or “update your email preferences.” Click through and follow the prompts to unsubscribe.) Get in the habit of hitting “unsubscribe” the instant you open an unwanted message.

  •Work toward Inbox Zero (an inbox without any new mail) by reading, deleting, and archiving emails. Labeling your emails or filing them into folders can be helpful for very specific projects or topics, but just make sure you’re not labeling superfluously, as our goal is to be as efficient with email as possible. Many emails can easily be referenced later by using your email provider’s search feature.

  •Turn off desktop and phone notifications for new email. Unnecessary notifications are a distraction and erode your ability to focus.

  •Fight the distraction of email by scheduling designated time blocks to check email, and not allowing yourself to check your mail outside of those sessions. If you’re worried about any pushback to this approach, talk to your manager about establishing best practices. You can also set up a temporary auto responder or even add a line like this one to your email signature: “I check email twice day and will do my best to return your email during an upcoming session.”

  •Keep it short and sweet. Adopt the practice of sending off a quick reply to any emails that don’t need a lengthy response. Start thinking of email more as a messaging service than a snail mail replacement. A good rule of thumb is that if you find yourself spending more than fifteen minutes crafting a single email, pick up the phone instead.

  •Utilize the “canned responses” feature of your email service to create email templates for common responses. If you have incoming emails that you usually answer in the same way, save time and brainpower by creating a short reply you can select and send every time.

  Your Physical Space

  The eye needs to rest. It’s why artists and graphic designers work what they refer to as “negative space” into their designs, and why interior decorators intentionally leave some walls empty instead of filling them with artwork and accessories. Similarly, clutter bombards our minds with stimuli, forcing our senses to work overtime. Minimalism—especially in the workplace—is all about giving our attention to the most important things. Now that we’ve reduced the digital clutter in your work life, let’s move on to physical clutter. Let’s allow your eye (and your mind!) to rest.

  PAPER AND PAPER FILES

  The principles we talked about in the “Mail and Paperwork” section of chapter 3 apply just the same to the office. You need a system so simple that it becomes a reflex to immediately process any paperwork that comes in. You can (and should!) customize according to your workflow, but as a general rule, I find that the same three categories work for sorting paper at the office as well as at home: “paper to file,” “action required,” and “unopened.”

  Once your organization system is established, set up a regular time (daily or weekly, depending on the volume of incoming paper) to take further action on the materials in your “action required” pile. This is great to do during the post-lunch slump or at the end of the day, when your brain isn’t as sharp but you still want to tackle something on your to-do list.

  KEEP CLEAR SURFACES

  A clean workspace speaks to possibility. It reduces distraction and projects confidence. It sends a message about you—to you.

  First, ask yourself what absolutely needs to be on your desk or in your workspace, and what doesn’t. Consider books, files, office supplies, Post-its, calendars, coffee cups, food, and even photos. Store only your most essential supplies and current projects on your desk, and utilize drawers and cupboards for everything else.

  At the end of every day, set aside five minutes to clear off your work surface. There’s something therapeutic about the ritual of clearing your office space and putting work away. It signals to your brain that the workday is over. In the same way, the ritual of pulling your projects back out each morning signals to your brain that it’s time to dive back into work mode.

  BRING YOUR VALUES TO WORK

  This is my favorite part of the work chapter, because I love the idea of physically bringing our values into our workspaces. In 2013, LinkedIn published a photo series called “View From My Desk,” showing the desks of 50 influential people. Some are minimal, holding only a computer, a bottle of water, and a Homer Simpson figurine. Others are colorful and eclectic—a mix of sports memorabilia, stuffed college mascots, and coffee mugs with witty messages. Arianna Huffington’s office is open to the rest of the floor (a symbol of transparency, she says) and brimming with neatly arranged books.

  I think sometimes we focus more on what our workspaces are telling others about us than what our workspaces are reminding us about ourselves. Sure, you can use your space to share your personality, from your interests to your quirks, with your co-workers. But why not take it one step further and display your values—your purpose for getting up every day and coming into work? These visual touchstones can have a powerful impact on your ability to stay focused on your essentials.

  While I am all for keeping workspaces clear, what I think is even more important is knowing yourself and designing a workspace that suits your personality and your values. If, for example, one of your top three career values is “focus” or “efficiency,” an organized and systematic workspace will help you fulfill that. In contrast, if “creativity” is one of your top three work values, you might allow yourself more wiggle room. Maybe you’d bring in some artwork or colorful pens and notepads. Even if your personal space at work is currently a locker or a shelf, how can you make it reflect your career values? The point is, when your workspace reminds you of what you value, you’ll stay more motivated to build a career that follows suit.

  Visual Representations of Your Values

  Consider adding any of the following to your office area as a reminder of your values:

  •A piece of word art with one of your life mantras—or better yet, the three values that guide your career.

  •Photos of your family and friends.

  •A printout of your value tree from chapter 2.

  •A handmade gift from someone important in your life.

  •Artwork or photography that represents one of your values, like your passion for nature, travel, or a particular charitable endeavor.

  Time Management and Productivity

  A true minimalist is someone who knows her gifts and uses them, giving priority to work that aligns with those gifts because that is where she’ll make her greatest contribution. A true minimalist knows that no one can do it all; he’s given himself permission to prioritize the most important work and to let less important tasks fall as they will.

  Use the following strategies to help you prioritize your work and bring more focus to your most important tasks. And if your work happens to be more utilitarian at the moment, please feel free to apply any of these strategies to a project, side hustle, or hobby outside of your workplace.

  1. ASK YOURSELF WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO

  It may take years of studying yourself to be able to answer this question, but I believe we all have a set of gifts that are uniquely our own—and that we magnify our impact on the world when we discover and use those gifts. If you’re searching for your gifts, start by paying attention to the one thing I’ve found to be the most telling: your energy. You’ll know you’re working with your gifts—tapping into your unique strengths—when your work is giving you energy, not taking it away.

  When you put a finger on the kind of work that gives you energy, you’re able to prioritize it and make your greatest contribution within your place of work (and in my opinion, the world as a whole).

  2. PRIORITIZE YOUR ESSENTIAL TASKS

  In
vest half an hour into listing out all of your work-related tasks in a typical week. Circle the things that are essential that you do (not anyone else), making particular note of the areas where your tasks overlap with your gifts. That’s the work that matters most—and should be given the highest priority week after week.

  Next, analyze the list for anything you could remove or simplify. For example, could you let go of a social media account that isn’t generating any leads? Is there a weekly meeting that could become a simple email update? Is there something you can easily delegate to someone else? Simplifying your task list and devoting more time to the work that lights you up will keep you focused and aligned with your values at work—and happier and less stressed over time.

  3. ELIMINATE TIME DRAINS

  It takes significant mental acuity to do deep work—which we’ll define as any cognitively demanding task. Even the work you find fulfilling and energizing requires tremendous focus and willpower to get into that zone and stay there. Our brains often look for distractions—such as eating, shopping, playing video games, scrolling, or replying to texts and email—to resist getting into that place.

  Reduce your susceptibility to these time drains by identifying and limiting them. For three days, monitor yourself during your workday. Every time you flip away from your work and give in to a distraction, make a note of it. At the end of the three days, you’ll have a clear picture of your go-to distractions, allowing you to better monitor yourself and to set up some parameters to avoid these time drains. For example, if social media tends to pull you away from quality work, use your phone’s screen time monitoring feature to keep track of your time spent there, or download an app that blocks, limits, or tracks your social media use.

  4. SINGLE TASK

  Most of what we consider “multitasking” is actually the brain switching quickly from one task to another—and back again. Researchers call the time we lose between tasks the “switch cost,” and although the seconds we lose may seem insignificant, they add up when we’re continuously switching between tasks. For this reason, multitasking seems efficient on the surface but actually results in lost time and increased error. Additionally, multitasking uses up oxygenated glucose in the brain—the same fuel we need in order to focus on our most important work.

  When do you multitask at work? Do you listen to podcasts while doing your more administrative tasks? Do you chat with co-workers while counting cash at the end of your retail shift? Do you allow notifications to interrupt your creative flow? Save time and devote more focus to your most important work by doing less multitasking—and more single tasking.

  5. FREE UP SOME BRAIN SPACE

  There’s a reason many Silicon Valley executives wear the same outfit every day. The decisions we make, from how we dress to how we spend our time, wear us down. Researchers have even given it a name: “decision fatigue.” No matter how inconsequential the decision seems, fewer decisions means a lighter cognitive load—and more clarity inside.

  In contrast, turning something into a habit means putting it on autopilot and freeing up that cognitive load. What can you put on autopilot by turning it into a habit? In your work life, habits could range from the time of day you check your email to the food you eat at lunch to fuel your afternoon. A lighter cognitive load leaves you more space to pursue your gifts.

  6. OPTIMIZE YOUR WORKDAY BASED ON YOUR ENERGY

  Do you hit a wall after lunch? Do you do your best creative work first thing in the morning? Or late at night? Whether it means scheduling administrative meetings during your usual afternoon slump or carving out blocks of solo time for your strongest work, be mindful of your typical flow of energy when you plan your days.

  7. TAKE PURPOSEFUL BREAKS—OUTDOORS WHENEVER POSSIBLE

  Although up to this point we’ve mainly discussed how to get our brains into their “focused mode,” our brains have another mode—”diffuse mode”—that also contributes to us putting our best work into the world. In diffuse mode, the brain is free to wander, to daydream. Where once it was thought that the mind essentially shuts off while daydreaming, brain scans show that activity actually increases in some regions of the brain when our minds are allowed to wander. It’s why people often get their best ideas while vacuuming, showering, or driving on a long stretch of highway. The brain makes connections when it’s set free.

  To free your brain, take regular breaks, but be mindful of the quality of those breaks. Anyone who has worked in an office has felt the difference between taking a break on the stiff sofa in the lounge or getting outside for some movement and fresh air. Research supports that one is more restorative than the other, and I believe nature tends to spark better connections as well.

  Work Relationships

  I believe that relationships are the greatest predictor of life satisfaction. And professional relationships are no exception. Like most people, I’ve had many different kinds of work relationships. I’ve eaten lunch day after day with two of the kindest, brightest women I’ve ever known—the type of people who inspire you to be more than you are. I’ve listened to others tell unflattering stories of fellow co-workers—or worse, try to pit colleagues against each other. At times, my only “co-workers” have been other writers and online entrepreneurs, people I’ve come to think of as close friends but have never met in real life.

  The catch here is that while we have general control over the people we choose to spend time with in our personal lives, we don’t always have that same level of control in our work lives.

  Take a few minutes to think about each of your colleagues and what they bring out in you. Do they inspire you to put your energy into the work that matters most? Do they model the values you want to bring to your career? Or do they tend to complain, distract, gossip, and tear others down?

  Although we can’t change the people around us, we can take steps toward more fulfilling professional relationships, no matter the situation. If you have a peer, report, or even manager who’s detracting from the experience you want to create at work, consider trying any of these:

  •Experiment with ways you can bring out the positive in a troublesome colleague. Even the most difficult person can shine under the right circumstances. Maybe your pessimistic peer simply needs you to really hear him, or maybe a co-worker who’s always messing around needs to sense that his work is valued by the team. Focus on this person’s good qualities, and help him do the same.

  •Be willing to have a difficult conversation. You never know what a difference a few words, delivered with honesty and in the right spirit, can make. (And if no change comes of it, at least you’ll know you spoke your truth.)

  •Practice uncommon kindness. This person may never become easy to work with, but if an ongoing working relationship is unavoidable, better to keep the doors open through consistent courtesy than to shut them down altogether.

  •When all else fails, do what you can to spend more time working around the people who lift you up. Seek out new responsibilities that align you with another team, or even seek out a new role in your organization. Granted, a change like this might not happen overnight, but putting some long-term goals in place to eventually improve your work environment is always a good idea. You have the right to be protective of your time, feelings, and mental space and to be proactive in improving your day-to-day experience.

  Do You Work to Live or Live to Work?

  I was sitting in a coffee shop when an older gentleman asked if the seat across from me was taken. The request surprised me, because it was only a two-person table, and other, empty tables dotted the floor all around us. I smiled, pushed my laptop to the corner of the table, and invited him to sit. I was torn inside between wanting to get my work done and knowing that a conversation with this sharply dressed grandfather figure might just prove more valuable than the work I’d planned to get done that afternoon.

  He joked about how at his age, there was no reason not to ask whatever came to his mind, so he asked about my family, my hobbies, a
nd my work, while also sharing some short stories from his past. As he finished his coffee and gathered up his wallet and keys, he said something that has stayed with me:

  “What I wish I’d done when I was your age was zero in on the important stuff. I chased a lot of distractions—promotions I didn’t really even want, long hours that kept me away from home, more loyalty to my boss than to even myself. If I could do it again, I’d do it differently.”

  As he straightened up to his full height and wished me well, I thought about how I had no idea what the inside of his home looked like, but there standing in front of me was a minimalist. Life had given him a minimalist’s mind-set, even if it had taken him decades to understand.

  It’s never too late to start doing life the way you want to. I’m not saying you have to suddenly quit your job and start traveling the country in a van (although if that’s where your heart is leading you, then by all means, go for it!). But you can make small shifts toward the work/life balance you envision, from taking a class, to putting more energy into your side hustle, to blocking out time to travel, to simply spending more quality time at home—starting today.

  5

  family life

  At 11 years old, my oldest son has lost all of his baby chub; he’s traded it in for visible ribs and lengthening arms and legs. Recently, I sat in a camp chair facing the ocean, and he stepped in front of me to tell me something. I tugged at his hand, and he tucked himself happily into my lap. (Sadly, this is not a frequent occurrence anymore!)

  I stared at the horizon and savored the moment, rolling waves in front of me and my first baby wrapped inside my arms. He didn’t stay long, darting off to chase his siblings in the surf. As I felt the cool air rush in where his warm body had just been, I also felt a rush of gratitude for the many slow moments—like this one—that we’ve shared as a family.