奇创岛

From «Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less»

Map My Energy Distribution

You'll take stock of where your energy has actually flowed over the past 1–3 months, apply the 'distinguish the essential from the non-essential' framework from *Essentialism*, identify which areas are draining your energy without meaningful output, and produce a personal energy distribution portrait.

Final work

My Energy Distribution Portrait

Estimated time

30–60 min

Submitted

…

Your final work

Purpose:To see clearly where your energy has actually gone over the past 1–3 months, identify non-essential drains that 'devour' you, and find the essential zones worth protecting before taking any subtractive action.

Parts:

  • An estimated energy distribution across six domains — work / family / hobbies / social / learning / rest
  • The single biggest 'devoured' scene — a concrete event, not a vague domain
  • A reverse self-assessment using the 90% rule: activities that score below 60 yet consume significant energy
  • A gap comparison between 'true priorities' vs. 'actual energy spent'
  • One micro-win: the single best energy decision you made in the past 1–3 months

Use cases:

  • · Use as a self-check before making personal decisions
  • · Use as a starting point for discussing family energy allocation with your partner or family members
  • · Use as the baseline data for building a subtractive action plan

Pick a topic

Pick the topic closest to you, or write a custom one when you submit.

Personal Life

Learning & Growth

Family & Parenting

Work & Projects

Communication & Relationships

Tools you'll use from the book

Energy Distribution Pie Chart (Actual vs. Ideal)

Estimate the percentage of energy you spend in each of the six domains — work / family / hobbies / social / learning / rest — and compare it with your ideal allocation.

How to use it here:

Use this as the first step of your portrait: don't calculate time — estimate the *mental energy* consumed. Ask yourself: does doing this leave you feeling empty or recharged? Mark the gap between the two pies (actual vs. ideal) — that gap reveals your essential blind spot.

Boundaries:

Exact numbers aren't needed; relative perceived proportions are sufficient. Don't equate 'how many hours I spent' with 'how much energy I consumed.'

90% Rule — Reverse Self-Assessment

The core tool from *Essentialism*: if something scores below 90 it's a No — applied in reverse to identify the low-scoring activities you're currently doing.

How to use it here:

List 10 activities that have consumed significant energy over the past 1–3 months. For each, ask: 'If it disappeared, would I feel relieved?' Score each 1–100. Activities below 60 become your candidate list of non-essential drains.

Boundaries:

Use this only to identify — not to immediately eliminate. Score based on your genuine feelings, not social expectations.

The Essentialist Three Questions

Is this necessary? Is now the right time? Am I the right person to do this?

How to use it here:

Apply these three questions to the biggest 'devoured' scene you've identified in your portrait. They help you judge whether this activity deserves your continued energy investment, or whether it can be delegated, postponed, or eliminated.

Boundaries:

The three questions are an exploration tool — not a way to justify saying no. Sometimes you'll still keep something after going through them, and that's a valid outcome.

True Priority Ranking

Compare what you *say* matters most against what you've *actually* given the most energy to — and find the real gap between your stated values and your lived behavior.

How to use it here:

Write down 'the 3 things I believe are most important,' then write 'the 3 things I actually gave the most energy to in the past month.' Compare the two lists. Anything in the second list but not the first is a signal that your energy has been hijacked.

Boundaries:

Reflect reality, not ideals. Don't substitute 'things that should theoretically matter' for 'things you genuinely believe matter.'

Progress Awareness (Micro-Win)

Essentialism emphasizes identifying where you've genuinely done things right, not just spotting gaps — a micro-win gives you the confidence to act.

How to use it here:

At the end of your portrait, find the single best energy decision you made in the past 1–3 months — even if it's just one. Describe why it worked: how much energy you invested, what came out of it, and how you felt afterward. This is your evidence that you can already practice essentialism.

Boundaries:

Don't inflate this moment's results. One specific sentence is more powerful than 'I made progress.'

Work rules

Your work MUST include

  • An estimated energy breakdown across six domains — work / family / hobbies / social / learning / rest
  • At least one concrete 'devoured' scene (with time, person involved, and how you felt — not just a vague domain)
  • A reverse 90%-rule self-assessment identifying at least 2 low-scoring activities
  • A gap comparison between 'true priorities' vs. 'actual energy spent'
  • One specific micro-win (concrete description, not an empty generalization)

Your work CANNOT just be

  • Don't write vague laments like 'I'm so busy' or 'there's never enough time' without specific details
  • Don't substitute your ideal energy allocation for your actual current reality
  • Don't just summarize concepts from the book without applying them to yourself
  • Don't let AI fabricate scenarios or feelings on your behalf
  • Don't turn the energy portrait into a 'next steps plan' — the portrait phase is about seeing clearly, not immediately changing

AI can help you here

Round 1: Help me choose a topic

When to use: You're not sure which 'devoured' scene to start with.

I'm working on the '{{route name}}' project using *{{book title}}*. Based on my situation, please help me choose the most fitting topic from the list below and explain why.

My situation:
[Fill in your background: occupation, family situation, the domain where you feel most drained lately]

Available topics:
[Paste the topic list from the page]

Please output:
1. The most recommended topic
2. Why it suits me
3. What kind of portrait this topic could produce in the end
4. Information I should prepare before starting (e.g., recall which types of events from the past month)

Yellow placeholders need you to fill in before using the AI.

AI can help you organize ideas, but cannot make final judgments for you. Don't let AI fabricate experiences, cases, or misleading content.

Round 2: Help me extract tools from the book

When to use: You've chosen a topic but aren't sure how to apply the book's tools to your own energy analysis.

My project is '{{route name}}' from *{{book title}}*.

My topic is:
{{topic}}

Please help me extract the core tools and frameworks from this book that are most useful for mapping an energy distribution portrait.

Requirements:
1. Don't summarize the entire book
2. Only extract content relevant to 'identifying non-essential energy drains'
3. For each tool, explain how to apply it specifically to my topic
4. Alert me to common portrait mistakes (e.g., using time as a proxy for energy, or substituting ideals for reality)

Please output:
- 2–3 tools from the book that fit this topic
- Concrete steps for translating each tool into the portrait
- Boundaries and common pitfalls

Yellow placeholders need you to fill in before using the AI.

AI can help you organize ideas, but cannot make final judgments for you. Don't let AI fabricate experiences, cases, or misleading content.

Round 3: Help me review my work

When to use: You've finished your draft and are ready to submit.

I'm submitting my Shufang Island project work.

Book: *{{book title}}*
Project route: {{route name}}
My topic: {{topic}}

My draft:
{{work draft}}

Please review my work against these criteria:
1. Is the energy distribution estimate based on genuine perception rather than an ideal?
2. Does the 'devoured' scene include concrete details (time / person / feelings)?
3. Are the low-scoring activities genuinely identified, rather than just 'things I should cut'?
4. Is the gap comparison honest (what I *say* matters vs. where I *actually* give energy)?
5. Is the micro-win specific (not vague phrases like 'I made progress')?
6. Does the portrait stop at the 'seeing clearly' stage without rushing to a solution?
7. Is it ready to submit?

Please output:
- Overall assessment
- What's already working well
- What must be revised
- What could be strengthened
- Suggested structure for the revised work

Yellow placeholders need you to fill in before using the AI.

AI can help you organize ideas, but cannot make final judgments for you. Don't let AI fabricate experiences, cases, or misleading content.

Submit my work