The final chapter turns essentialism from a technique into a way of being. It’s not a one-time declutter. It’s a repeated practice: clarify, choose, eliminate, execute—then repeat as life changes.
The risk is relapse. The world will keep offering “good” opportunities, and social pressure will keep rewarding availability. So the essentialist builds habits and identity around discernment, boundaries, and deliberate trade-offs.
To “be” an essentialist is to accept that life is always choosing. If you don’t choose, you drift. If you choose, you can build a life where your commitments match your values and your energy is spent on what you would defend publicly and privately.
The ending is quiet but strict: success without control is not success. A full calendar can still be an empty life. Essentialism is refusing that bargain.