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.

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Enjoy!

Part I — ESSENCE
Part II — EXPLORE
Part III — ELIMINATE
Part IV — EXECUTE

Part I — ESSENCE

WHAT IS THE CORE MINDSET OF AN ESSENTIALIST?

The Essentialist

Goal:
- Focus on getting the right things done, not just more done
- Explore: Determine your purpose
- Eliminate: Cut off irrelevant activities
- Execute: Make contributions effortless
The Undisciplined Pursuit of More
- More activities = Decline in quality
- The idea that “you can have it all” leads to overload
- The same way your closet accumulates with clothes you don’t wear, life fills with commitments you don’t need for your best life
- “Less but better”

Choose

Avoid doing things by default (e.g., grad school, etc.)
Choose intentionally, don’t let external pressures dictate your choices
Believing you have no choice = Learned helplessness
- Giving up your right to choose gives someone else the power to choose for you

Discern

“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything”
John Maxwell

Avoid doing things by default (e.g., grad school, etc.)
Choose intentionally, don’t let external pressures dictate your choices
Believing you have no choice = Learned helplessness
Giving up your right to choose gives someone else the power to choose for you

Tradeoff

Every choice involves trade-offs — you can’t have everything
Understand what you’re giving up and what you’re choosing to go big on
Trade-offs are not negative, they’re a part of life

Part II — EXPLORE

HOW CAN WE DISCERN THE TRIVIAL MANY FROM THE VITAL FEW?

Escape

Explore more by doing less:
- Saying “yes” to everything fills up time, preventing exploration for what really matters
- Commit only to vital activities for time to assess and pick the right opportunities
- Space to escape is needed — we don’t get it by default, only by design
- The busier things get, the more we need space to think

Look

Focus only on your purpose and what’s important
Not clarifying leads to nonessential efforts
Pay attention to broader patterns, not just small changes
- Incremental changes can have a cumulative effect over time

Play

Benefits of play:
- Broadens available options and helps see new possibilities
- Reduces stress, which stifles creativity and exploration
- Stimulates parts of the brain involved in both logical reasoning and exploration
- Play is essential (e.g., Newton, Einstein)

Sleep

Sleep is vital for peak cognitive ability and decision-making
Sleep deprivation = Impaired decision-making (similar to a 0.1% BAC)
- More sleep = Better cognitive function
The best asset we have for making a contribution is ourselves
- You wouldn’t misuse one of your machines so don’t misuse yourself

Select

Decision-Making:
- “If it isn’t a definite yes, it’s a definite no”
- Acknowledge trade-offs – make decisions by design, not default
- Don’t settle now at the cost of future opportunities

Part III — 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 leads to:
- Short-term interests over long-term goals
- A less fulfilling life
- Overvaluing nonessentials
Key Questions:
- “If we can truly be excellent at only one thing, what would it be?”
- “How do we know when we have succeeded?”

Dare

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing”
Stephen Covey

The Importance of Saying No:
- Saying “no” helps prioritize what matters most
- Social pressure often leads to accepting nonessentials
- Clear purpose allows confident decision-making
Why Is It Hard?
- Lack of clarity on purpose
- Fear of social awkwardness
Impact of Saying “No”:
- Short-term: Minor impact on relationships
- Long-term: Shows respect for your time, builds boundaries, further your purpose
8 Ways to Say “No”:
- The Awkward Pause
- The Soft No
- “Let me check my calendar and get back to you”
- Email Bounce-backs
- “Yes, what should I deprioritize?”
- Say it with humor
- “You’re welcome to ____, I’m willing to ____”
- “I can’t ___, but ____ might be interested and has the capability to help you”

Uncommitt

Avoiding Sunk Cost Bias:
- Don’t let past investments keep you from cutting your losses
- Pretend you don’t own it yet to overcome emotional attachment
You HAVE to admit your mistakes
- Admitting failure is a sign of wisdom
- Neutral outside opinions can help you make unbiased decisions
- Test the impact of removing an activity to see if it harms progress

Edit

Highlight what truly matters in your life
- Eliminate nonessentials
- Subtraction increases focus and quality
- Regularly compare activities to your purpose to ensure alignment
- Benefits of Less:
  - Less effort for greater results
  - Simplifies and enhances focus

Limit

Boundaries Empower You:
- Set clear expectations, accountability, and outcomes
- If boundaries aren’t set, they’ll be imposed on you
- How to Set Boundaries:
  - Don’t rob others of their problems – help without enabling
  - Make a list of your deal-breakers
  - Communicate boundaries clearly to others
  - Set boundaries in advance, not during the moment

Part IV — EXECUTE

HOW CAN WE MAKE DOING THE VITAL FEW THINGS ALMOST EFFORTLESS?

Buffer

Prepare for the Unexpected:
- The only certainty is the unexpected
- Create a buffer to reduce stress and ensure smoother execution
- Avoid assuming the best-case scenario; always plan for the worst
Tips:
- Add 50% to time or resource estimates
- Conduct scenario planning – identify risks and their social and financial impacts

Subtract

Eliminate Constraints:
- Obstacles can hold back the entire system
- Identify and remove the bottlenecks
- How to Find and Remove Obstacles:
  - Be clear about your purpose
  - Identify the “slowest hiker” in the process
  - Remove unnecessary or counterproductive activities

Progress

Start Small, Celebrate Progress:
- Major changes often require small steps first
- The most effective motivation is progress, no matter how small
Techniques:
- Focus on minimal viable progress
- “Done is better than perfect” — avoid overthinking
- Reward yourself for completing small milestones

Flow

Create Effective Routines:
- Routines eliminate decision fatigue
- With the right routine, distractions are minimized, and energy is focused
Key Tips for Routine Design:
- Center your routine around essentials
- Schedule difficult tasks first thing in the day
- Make incremental changes to your routine to build lasting habits

Focus

Focus on What You Can Control:
- Multitasking is a myth — focus on one thing at a time for better results
- Ask yourself, “What’s important now?”
How to Focus:
- Eliminate future distractions by creating a to-do list for the future
- Prioritize your current tasks and work through them one by one

Be

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life”
Socrates

Essentialism as a Lifestyle:
- Success can lead to distractions if not managed well
- Without clarity of purpose, success can unintentionally cause failure by spreading you too thin
Living an Impactful Life:
- Focus on what truly matters to avoid regrets
- An essentialist lifestyle ensures that your time and energy are invested in meaningful pursuits

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