A Summary of Do Less by Kate Northrup: Top Takeaways for High Achievers

Jan 30

Did you vow that this would be a year that you would slow down, ditch hustle culture and abandon the resolutions that too often have forced you into overwhelm, but somehow what began as a few innocent to-do lists have now multiplied and morphed into generational to do lists that have given birth to more to do lists. And you’re falling right back into your overachiever habits? Then today’s blog about my top takeaways from the book Do Less by Kate Northrup was written just for you.

In the fall of 2023 I was introduced to the book Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women by Kate Northrup. Thank goodness for divine timing! Granted it took me another four months and the accountability of making it our Women Empowering Women’s group book of the month to get around to reading it.

All joking aside, I have always had a to-do list. And while I have tried to slow down in 2023 and put the brakes on some of my ambitious habits, I wound up in the same exhausting cycle of spending most of my day in the weeds, only to sulk off to prep dinner and wind down just to start it all over on the next day. But, after reading Do Less, 2024 will be different.

Why Should You Read Do Less

I have reached a period in my life where I have a hard time losing weight, my energy is draining, and I am having more compassion for myself (after years of being hard on myself). Can you relate? Moreover, I am done with feeling overwhelmed from a to-do list, overstuffed from the things I should have said, sorry for the reactions I had from too much on my plate, and feeling the weight of all there is to do in my shoulders. Guess what – it doesn’t have to be that way!

The fact of the matter is, doing less creates the space to do more of what matters to you most.

Do Less is one of the best books I’ve read as a lifelong high achiever. It helped me weed whack my to do list and truly learn how to listen to my body. It gave me the permission I needed and plenty of practical examples on how to put myself first, and if you’re still here reading this, then you need these reminders too.

Kate Northrup offers 14 simple “experiments,” to incorporate the Do Less mindset. So, just in case reading isn’t your thing, or you’ve convinced yourself that you don’t have time to read 272 pages, I’m sharing my top takeaways and favorite experiments below.

Biggest Takeaways from Do Less by Kate Northrup

Did you know that women actually follow the lunar cycle? What I mean by this is that regardless of your age, your body feels differently every week of the month (whether you are a cycling female or not). Seriously! Moreover, there are seasons of life and seasons of projects that mirror the four weather seasons most of us experience in a year. One of the biggest takeaways that I gained from this book is that cyclical living is so helpful in avoiding burnout.

Adopting Cyclical Living

As women, we hormonally experience four distinct phases of productivity every ~28 days, each phase can coincide with the four seasons (and the phases of the moon): Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Learning to listen to those inner cycles can tell us when to best rest, start projects, socialize, and bring things to completion.

These are the four phases:

Menstrual (New Moon) = Winter, a time to rest, reflect, recharge

Follicular (Waxing Moon) = Spring, a time for creative brainstorming, planning, and initiating

Ovulation (Full Moon) = Summer, a time for communicating, pitching, and collaboration

Luteal (Waning Moon) = Autumn, a time for coordinating details, completing things, and focus

Winter (or the first days of your cycle) is the ‘fertile void’ or a period of creative winter and rest under the new moon. Spring as our hormones begin to rise, is a time when ideas are most likely to emerge and begin to take shape. Summer then is a time for peak magnetism or ‘visibility’. And then Fall (or the final days of your 28 day cycle) is the time to allow the ideas you planted throughout your cycle to take root, before starting the cycle all over again with a time to rest and reflect.

Unfortunately, too many of us (myself included I must admit) often skip over the “rest and reflect” phase and stay in a 24/7 hustle and grind mode. But, just like in nature, our goals and projects need to experience all four seasons in order to grow and be sustainable.

Here’s what one of the women from our Dallas based Women’s community group said during our book club discussion: “I didn’t realize that your body is different every week of the month. Now it makes so much sense and I pay more attention.” Kristi

Prioritizing Presence

Another one of my favorite takeaways was what the author refers to as becoming a time bender. It’s based on Einstein’s theory that time is relative to our experience of it.

In ancient Greece, they had two words for time; chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to chronological time, a linear measurement of time. Most of us are operating in Chronos linear time which is associated with time scarcity (i.e. you only have 24 hours in a day). But, Kairos is a timeless time, and experienced only when we are fully in the moment of an experience. Kairos it’s all about quality. The author, Kate Northrup, argues that when we find more moments in our days to fully inhabit the time (kairos), we actually end up creating more time.

Focusing on “bending time” through kairos not only releases the pressure of accomplishing everything on your to-do list by a certain time, but it opens the door to more meaningful, joyful memories throughout your day. As Jessica, one of our Women Empowering Women members said: “I liked when the book mentioned being present. It is back to quality over quantity. It was letting moms not be so hard on themselves.”

Making it Practical

If there is one thing you take away from this blog, I hope it’s this: don’t wait until you have a health scare to change your priorities, or wait until you have an empty nest to spend more time with your significant other, or do one more thing before you rest.

You are amazing and there is only one, unique and talented you. You do not have to work to oblivion to ‘earn’ rest. Damn it, do something that brings you sheer joy, take a nap, just sit still and do not turn on that phone one day a week.

Lastly, think about this, we spend our childhood wanting to grow up, to make adult decisions and to be considered an adult. Then as adults we long for the freedom to laugh, sing and to frolic ‘like the good ole days” as a kid.. Guess what, it doesn’t have to be that way. I challenge you to find and nourish your inner child.

Here are a few helpful hints to get started:

Trade places with a young child, niece, grandchild, neighbor for a few hours.
Go play, kick your shoes off, walk in the grass, the snow, the sand, any and all!
Instead of a to-do list, just get curious. Drift off on a topic just because you can.
Let go of expectations and the ‘should’ list.
Be surprised. Look at the day with new awe. Let the world surprise you for the good.
Imagine - just drift and dream. Remember what that was like as a kid. No RULES.