How do you know what’s essential?

Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.

One rainy afternoon, I opened my laptop intending to do something productive-write an email, finish a project, or learn something new. Instead, I was immediately ambushed by chaos.

My desktop was a battlefield of random files: “finalfinal.doc,” “finalREALLYfinal.pdf,” and inexplicably, a photo of a llama I didn’t even remember downloading. My email inbox had 5,432 unread messages. Tabs were multiplying like rabbits. Somewhere in the digital mess, I realised, was my life. And it needed help.

I decided to declutter my digital world then and there. At first, I thought it would be quick-delete a few files, archive some emails, and be done. But as I started sorting through the mess, something emerged. It wasn’t just about cleaning up. It was about figuring out what was worth keeping. It was about finding what was essential.

Decluttering is an ancient struggle disguised in a modern physical or digital disguise. Even the Stoics, thousands of years ago, knew the importance of focus. Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations, “If you seek tranquillity, do less.”