Book Summary, Highlights, and Quotes from Essentialism by Greg McKeown
I had heard about the book Essentialism; The Disciplined Pursuit of Less directly from Greg McKeown himself on The Tim Ferriss Podcast Episode #355.
Greg’s ideas and mantras that he talks about on the show, made it an immediate must read and must buy on my Amazon cart.
The book did not disappoint. Perhaps I just needed to the specific message at the time. As a too-busy CEO, I was drowning in nonessential activities, and even though I do my very best to be as productive as possible and work less than 40 hours a week, I was still struggling.
Reading Essentialism, helped lead me to clearer thinking and less clutter in my life.
AR’s Book Score: 9 out of 10
Key book highlights from Essentialism:
- Eliminate all nonessentials
- When you try to accomplish too much, there are trade-offs being made
- Hell Yeah! or No! – “If it is not a clear yes, it’s a clear no”
- Chose to do only a few things that really matter
- Explore: Create space to escape and explore life
- Execute: By doing less, you can be more productive and live life with more purpose.
Best Quotes from Essentialism:
Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
This requires, not just haphazardly saying no, but purposefully, deliberately, and strategically eliminating the nonessentials.
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
The faster and busier things get, the more we need to build thinking time into our schedule. And the noisier things get, the more we need to build quiet reflection spaces in which we can truly focus.
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
The effect of our success has been to undermine the very clarity that led to our success in the first place.
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
What is the “slowest hiker” in your job or your life? What is the obstacle that is keeping you back from achieving what really matters to you?
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
Every choice we make to pursue the essential and eliminate the nonessential builds on itself, making that choice more and more habitual until it becomes virtually second nature.
Greg McKeown – Essentialism
More Greg McKeown:
- Websites: gregmckeown.com and essentialism.com
- Twitter: @GregoryMcKeown
- Youtube: @gregorymckeown
- Podcast: What’s Essential
- Additional Books: Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most
- Videos/Interviews:
Similar books that assist with mastering the essentials:
- The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker
- The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
- Hell Yeah! or No by Derek Sivers
- The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch