Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown is a self-help book published in 2014.

In today’s society, we are praised for doing more and more, constantly taking on additional tasks for our bosses, customers, family, and friends. However, an overextended lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean you will achieve greater results. Often, the more activities you are committed to, the more quality declines. BUT, when you clear your life of all unnecessary objects and commitments, you free up the mental space to work on the stuff that furthers your overall purpose. 

Essentialism is not about how to get more done; it’s about how only to get the right things done. McKeown advises on determining your purpose, cutting off anything that doesn’t relate, and making contributions as effortless as possible so you can live the most fulfilling life.

Essence

What is the core mindset of an essentialist?

• THE ESSENTIALIST
  • Focus on the right things, not just more things
  • Reject the undisciplined pursuit of more
  • More activities → decline in quality
  • Life fills with unnecessary commitments like a cluttered closet
  • “Less but better”
• THE FRAMEWORK
  • Explore: determine your purpose
  • Eliminate: cut irrelevant activities
  • Execute: make contributions effortless
• CHOOSE
  • Avoid default choices (e.g., grad school)
  • Choose intentionally, don’t let external pressures dictate
  • Believing you have no choice = learned helplessness
  • Giving up choice gives others power over you
• DISCERN
  • Identify what truly matters before committing
  • Avoid automatic decisions; reflect and prioritize
• TRADE-OFFS
  • Every choice involves trade-offs – you can’t have everything
  • Understand what you give up vs. what you prioritize
  • Trade-offs are natural, not negative

Explore

How can we discern the trivial many from the vital few?

• ESCAPE
  • Explore more by doing less
  • Saying “yes” to everything blocks time for what matters
  • Commit only to vital activities to create space for choice
  • Space must be designed; busyness increases the need
• LOOK
  • Focus on purpose and what’s important
  • Clarify to avoid nonessential efforts
  • Observe broader patterns, not just small changes
  • Incremental changes accumulate over time
• PLAY
  • Broadens options and reveals new possibilities
  • Reduces stress, stimulating creativity
  • Engages brain areas for logic and exploration
  • Essential historically (e.g., Newton, Watson & Crick)
• SLEEP
  • Vital for cognitive ability and decision-making
  • Deprivation = impaired judgment (like 0.1% BAC)
  • More sleep = better function
  • Treat yourself like your most valuable asset
• SELECT
  • Decision-making principle: “If it isn’t a definite yes, it’s a definite no”
  • Acknowledge trade-offs; choose by design, not default
  • Avoid settling now at the expense of future opportunities

Eliminate

How can we cut out the trivial many?

• CLARIFY
  • Know your purpose to align activities with meaningful goals
  • Eliminate activities that don’t support your mission
  • Lack of clarity → short-term focus, less fulfilling life, overvaluing nonessentials
  • “If we can truly be excellent at only one thing, what would it be?”
• DARE
  • Prioritizes what matters
  • Clear purpose enables confident decisions
  • Overcome social pressure
  • Short-term minor awkwardness builds long-term respect for time
• UNCOMMIT
  • Avoid sunk cost bias; don’t let past investments dictate future choices
  • Pretend you don’t own it to reduce attachment
  • Admit mistakes – a sign of wisdom
  • Seek neutral opinions for unbiased decisions
  • Test removing activities to see if progress is harmed
• EDIT
  • Highlight what truly matters; eliminate nonessentials
  • Subtraction increases focus and quality
  • Regularly compare activities to your purpose
  • Benefits of less: less effort, greater results, simplified focus
• LIMIT
  • Boundaries empower: set expectations, accountability, and outcomes
  • Without boundaries, they will be imposed on you
  • How: help without enabling, list deal-breakers. communicate boundaries clearly
  • Set boundaries in advance, not reactively

Execute

How can we make doing the vital few effortless?

• BUFFER
  • Prepare for the unexpected – uncertainty is constant
  • Create buffers to reduce stress and ensure smooth execution
  • Plan for worst-case scenarios
• SUBTRACT
  • Eliminate constraints and bottlenecks
  • Be clear about purpose
  • Identify the “slowest hiker”
  • Remove unnecessary activities
• PROGRESS
  • Start small and celebrate progress
  • “Done is better than perfect” – avoid overthinking
• FLOW
  • Create effective routines to reduce decision fatigue
  • Minimize distractions, focus energy
  • Schedule difficult tasks first
  • Make incremental changes to build lasting habits
• FOCUS
  • Concentrate on what you can control
  • Multitasking is a myth; do one thing at a time
  • Eliminate future distractions via a to-do list
  • Prioritize current tasks and complete them sequentially
• BE
  • Essentialism as a lifestyle prevents distraction from success
  • Without clarity, success can spread you too thin
  • Live an impactful life by focusing on what truly matters
  • Ensures time and energy are invested in meaningful pursuits