365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

Day 352: On the Empowerment in Trade-Offs

Essentialists  see  trade-offs  as  an  inherent  part  of  life,  not  as  an

inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, “What do I have to give

up?” they ask, “What do I want to go big on?

—Greg McKeown

 

352

We’ve  discussed  that  it’s  essential  to  replace  “I  can’t  do  it”  with  “I

don’t do it” in order not to think of your resolutions as punishments. This

entry is about taking that even further: instead of asking yourself what you

have to give up, think of something more important that you want to gain.

In other words, frame your perception of giving up a harmful behavior as an

act of empowerment, not an act of sacrifice.

For example, if you want to start saving money, it’s not a question of

what  you  won’t  be  able  to  buy  anymore.  The  right  question  is  what  will

saving more money let you “go big on”? How about improving your peace

of  mind,  spending  less  time  shopping,  treating  your  family  to  a  nice

vacation, or (ultimately) perhaps even retiring early? In the grand scheme of

things, what does giving up some purchases mean in comparison to that ?

Approach each trade-off in the same way: ensure that you understand

deep  down  that  it’s  an  act  of  choosing  to  get  more  of  something  you

consider important, and not an act of sacrificing something to get something

else.

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