1MW No. 217: The Power of Less, A 4-Day Workweek, and Redefining Productivity
Design a Life That Really Matters
A Decade of Essentialism: How One CEO Turned Overwhelm into Opportunity
A few years ago, Banks Benitez found himself in the grind so many of us know too well—endless workdays filled with back-to-back meetings, nonstop emails, and the constant chase for “more.” As CEO of Uncharted, a social impact firm in Denver, his life felt like it was on fast-forward, with no time to breathe.
But then he discovered Essentialism, and everything changed.
He began evaluating?every task, meeting, and email, asking, “Is this absolutely essential?” Soon, he was eliminating?the nonessential, reclaiming his time, and rediscovering his passion and purpose.
But Benitez didn’t stop there. “What if,” he wondered, “the principles of Essentialism could transform Uncharted, too?”?
His goal was revolutionary yet simple: achieve more by working less.
He led a bold experiment to transition Uncharted to a four-day workweek without sacrificing productivity or financial performance.
The results spoke volumes. Productivity soared, employee satisfaction hit an all-time high, and the company’s performance strengthened.
The story of Banks and Uncharted is one of my all-time favorites. It shows that less can be more when we focus on what’s essential and remove what’s not.
Listen
Want to hear the full story from Banks himself? Listen as Banks shares?the challenges, insights, and surprising benefits of focusing on what truly matters. Tune in to learn how this bold experiment reshaped a company—and what it could mean for your own work-life balance.
Listen now:?Banks Benitez on the Magic of the 4-day Workweek
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Learn
The Danger of Confusing Activity With Productivity
In a world obsessed with doing more, it’s easy to fall into the trap of equating busyness with productivity. This article from?Psychology Today?explores the rise of employee monitoring software (EMS) and how it fuels this dangerous mindset. But as we know, more activity doesn’t mean more impact. Discover why real progress comes from the quality of your actions, not the quantity.
Weekly Wisdom
“Working hard is important. But more effort does not necessarily yield more results. “Less but better” does.”?– Essentialism p. 43
Celebrate a Decade of Essentialism
For the past 10 years, Essentialism has inspired countless people to focus on what truly matters. Now, I'm excited to announce the release of the 10th anniversary edition, featuring a brand-new introduction. Whether you’re revisiting the book or discovering it for the first time, this edition is a must-have. Get your copy and continue your journey toward a life of less, but better. ?
Join over 185,000 others and get content like this delivered to your inbox for FREE each week. Learn simple strategies and concepts that will help you?design a life that really matters.?Subscribe today!?
Second-Half Purpose Coach. Pursue Your Life's Work. | 2x Certified Coach | Former Founder and CEO | Entrepreneur
6 个月Even the 4 day work week is based on the wrong metric: time. Companies need to do a better job defining performance. And if, I as an employee can perform that in who-cares-how-much-time, I should be able to call it quits for the day. We're still working off the Industrial Period where we're trying to maximize productivity out of a 40 hour standard. The reality is (I believe) you might be able to get 5 solid hours out of someone on an average day. Change the game to Performance, not hours.
Procurement Leader
6 个月The graphic so true - we need to change how we measure. Simple presence does not equal contribution, never mind success. This book? One of my personal favourites Greg McKeown. It’s definitely changed the way I view things. It’s so easy to over complicate, get lost in detail, or worry about things that just don’t contribute to anything… and as a result you accomplish nothing.
I Create Websites For You || Design Premium Websites That Build Your Brand And Attract High-Quality Leads || Freelancer & Web Developer at BoomXoom Agency || WordPress Expert || Woo-Commerce Elementor Crocoblock
6 个月Incredible to see how the principles of Essentialism can spark such transformative change. Banks Benitez’s story is a powerful testament to the impact of focusing on what truly matters.
Energy & Operations Expert | Maximising Asset Performance & Project Efficiency
6 个月It’s amazing to see how the principles of Essentialism resonate with so many and lead to profound changes.
?Co?mo cerrar negocios hasta 3x ma?s ra?pido si vendes tickets de alto valor?
6 个月I love this quote: "Do as little as needed, not as much as possible" - Tim Ferris Thanks for giving visibility to amazing case studies of Essentialism Greg McKeown ??