Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Beginning with the story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible, who advised Pharaoh to store a fifth of the harvest during years of plenty to prepare for years of famine, Chapter 15 discusses the concept of creating buffers to navigate life’s unpredictability. In the story of Joseph, storing away grain allowed Egypt to survive the famine, highlighting the power of buffers in ensuring resilience and success.

The chapter emphasizes the world’s unpredictability, personally, professionally, and globally; the only thing one can expect with certainty is the unexpected. By creating buffers, which act as a space between individuals and potential threats or challenges, they can respond and adapt effectively, reducing friction and stress. The chapter introduces examples, such as driving with a buffer zone between cars and the practice of extreme preparation, to demonstrate the benefits of buffers. It also addresses the planning fallacy, or the tendency to underestimate how long tasks will take, and suggests adding a 50% buffer to time estimates to account for unexpected delays or complications.

The chapter concludes by introducing scenario planning as a way to identify risks and vulnerabilities in projects and develop buffers accordingly. By investing in buffers, essentialists can proactively protect themselves against unforeseen events, reduce risks, and increase their ability to execute effortlessly.