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Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most
The New York Times bestselling author of Essentialism takes on the holy grail of human performance: How can we make it easier to get the right things done?
Is there a goal you want to make progress on, if only you had the energy? Do you assume that anything worth doing must take tremendous effort? Have you ever abandoned a hard but important activity for an easy but trivial one? Are you often overwhelmed by the complexity that's expanding everywhere?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you might be making life much harder for yourself than it needs to be.
In the New York Times bestseller Essentialism, Greg McKeown urged readers to eliminate nonessential activities and focus on the few that truly matter. He's since talked with thousands of readers about the challenges they face in putting those ideas into practice. The problem, he's found, is that the complexity of modern life has created a false dichotomy between things that are "essential and hard," and things that are "easy and trivial." But what if the trivial tasks became harder and the essential ones became easier? If the important projects became enjoyable, while the trivial distractions lost their appeal entirely?
In Effortless, McKeown offers proven strategies for making the most important activities the easiest ones. For example:
- Streamline your process by mapping out the minimum number of steps.
- Prevent problems later by solving them before they happen.
- Let Go of perfectionism by finding the "courage to be rubbish."
- Accelerate your learning by leveraging the best of what others know.
By making the toughest tasks just a little bit easier, we can accomplish more of what matters, without burning out.
Is there a goal you want to make progress on, if only you had the energy? Do you assume that anything worth doing must take tremendous effort? Have you ever abandoned a hard but important activity for an easy but trivial one? Are you often overwhelmed by the complexity that's expanding everywhere?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you might be making life much harder for yourself than it needs to be.
In the New York Times bestseller Essentialism, Greg McKeown urged readers to eliminate nonessential activities and focus on the few that truly matter. He's since talked with thousands of readers about the challenges they face in putting those ideas into practice. The problem, he's found, is that the complexity of modern life has created a false dichotomy between things that are "essential and hard," and things that are "easy and trivial." But what if the trivial tasks became harder and the essential ones became easier? If the important projects became enjoyable, while the trivial distractions lost their appeal entirely?
In Effortless, McKeown offers proven strategies for making the most important activities the easiest ones. For example:
- Streamline your process by mapping out the minimum number of steps.
- Prevent problems later by solving them before they happen.
- Let Go of perfectionism by finding the "courage to be rubbish."
- Accelerate your learning by leveraging the best of what others know.
By making the toughest tasks just a little bit easier, we can accomplish more of what matters, without burning out.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 27, 2021
2704 people are currently reading
27217 people want to read
About the author
Greg McKeown
23 books2,176 followersGreg McKeown is a business writer, consultant, and researcher specializing in leadership, strategy design, collective intelligence and human systems. He has authored or co-authored books, including the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter (Harper Business, June 2010), and journal articles.
Originally from England, he is now an American citizen, living in Southern California. Greg holds a B.A. in Communications (with an emphasis in journalism) from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Stanford University.
The World Economic Forum inducted Greg into the Forum of Young Global Leaders.
Greg is currently CEO of McKeown, Inc., a leadership and strategy design agency. He has taught at companies that include Apple, Google, Facebook, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, and VMware. Prior to this, Greg worked for Heidrick & Struggles' Global Leadership Practice assessing senior executives around the world. His work included a project for Mark Hurd (then CEO of Hewlett Packard) assessing the top 300 executives at HP.
Greg is an active Social Innovator and currently serves as a board member for Washington D.C. policy group, Resolve, and as a mentor with 2Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. And he is a regular keynote speaker at non-profits groups including The Kauffman Fellows Program, St. Jude and the Minnesota Community Education Association.
Originally from England, he is now an American citizen, living in Southern California. Greg holds a B.A. in Communications (with an emphasis in journalism) from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Stanford University.
The World Economic Forum inducted Greg into the Forum of Young Global Leaders.
Greg is currently CEO of McKeown, Inc., a leadership and strategy design agency. He has taught at companies that include Apple, Google, Facebook, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, and VMware. Prior to this, Greg worked for Heidrick & Struggles' Global Leadership Practice assessing senior executives around the world. His work included a project for Mark Hurd (then CEO of Hewlett Packard) assessing the top 300 executives at HP.
Greg is an active Social Innovator and currently serves as a board member for Washington D.C. policy group, Resolve, and as a mentor with 2Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. And he is a regular keynote speaker at non-profits groups including The Kauffman Fellows Program, St. Jude and the Minnesota Community Education Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,437 reviews
May 2, 2021
Effortless state
-Physically rested, emotionally unburdened, mentally energized
-Aware, present, attentive, focused on what matters most with ease
Invert
-Ask, what if this could be easy?
-Find indirect approaches
Enjoy
-Pair most essential with most enjoyable
-Work & play together
-Turn tedious into meaningful rituals
Release
-Release emotional burdens
-Focus on what you have to get what you lack
-Each time you complain to say something you are grateful for
Rest
-Art of doing nothing
-Essential work into 3 x 90 min sessions
Notice
-Heightened awareness
-Focus on the important
-To see others more clearly, put their truths above your own
-Clear clutter in physical environment before clutter in your mind
Effortless action
-Accomplishing more by trying less
-Stop procrastinating by taking first obvious step
-Pace yourself
Define
-What done looks like
-Visualize desired outcome
-Done for the day list
Start
-First action most obvious one
-Name concrete steps
-Start w/ 10 mins of focused activity
Simplify
-Remove steps
-Maximize steps not taken
-Measure progress
Fail cheaply
Create pace
Effortless results
-Learn principles
-Stand on the shoulders of giants/leverage what they know
-Develop unique knowledge
-Use teaching to leverage impact
-Teach others to teach
-Tell stories easily understood and repeated
Automate
-Free up space in brain
-Automate as many essential tasks as possible
-Make checklists
-Single choices to eliminate future decisions
Trust
-Make right hires once
-Hire for integrity, intelligence, initiative
-Clarify results, resources, rules, roles, rewards
Prevent
-Solve problems before they happen
-Simple actions can prevent complications
-Measure twice, cut once
-Physically rested, emotionally unburdened, mentally energized
-Aware, present, attentive, focused on what matters most with ease
Invert
-Ask, what if this could be easy?
-Find indirect approaches
Enjoy
-Pair most essential with most enjoyable
-Work & play together
-Turn tedious into meaningful rituals
Release
-Release emotional burdens
-Focus on what you have to get what you lack
-Each time you complain to say something you are grateful for
Rest
-Art of doing nothing
-Essential work into 3 x 90 min sessions
Notice
-Heightened awareness
-Focus on the important
-To see others more clearly, put their truths above your own
-Clear clutter in physical environment before clutter in your mind
Effortless action
-Accomplishing more by trying less
-Stop procrastinating by taking first obvious step
-Pace yourself
Define
-What done looks like
-Visualize desired outcome
-Done for the day list
Start
-First action most obvious one
-Name concrete steps
-Start w/ 10 mins of focused activity
Simplify
-Remove steps
-Maximize steps not taken
-Measure progress
Fail cheaply
Create pace
Effortless results
-Learn principles
-Stand on the shoulders of giants/leverage what they know
-Develop unique knowledge
-Use teaching to leverage impact
-Teach others to teach
-Tell stories easily understood and repeated
Automate
-Free up space in brain
-Automate as many essential tasks as possible
-Make checklists
-Single choices to eliminate future decisions
Trust
-Make right hires once
-Hire for integrity, intelligence, initiative
-Clarify results, resources, rules, roles, rewards
Prevent
-Solve problems before they happen
-Simple actions can prevent complications
-Measure twice, cut once
July 29, 2021
Effortless got off to a slightly slow start, and I didn’t think I would like it as much as Essentialism. However, it picked up,and I was pleased to be learning skills that can help me keep my focus on the things that really matter. In fact, I put some of his advice to the test today and was pleased with the results!
I love Greg McKeown’s heart for helping people keep their lives focused on the people and activities they love. His teachings really have improved my day-to-day life.
I love Greg McKeown’s heart for helping people keep their lives focused on the people and activities they love. His teachings really have improved my day-to-day life.
September 19, 2021
#Effortless Thank you to #NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!
Simplicity is key.
Effortless is filled with intriguing examples of people finding shortcuts or ways to make things easier. This is an inspiring book about not giving up and instead finding easier, “effortless” ways of doing things that once seemed difficult.
McKeown focuses on the theme of working smarter not harder, using interesting case studies and giving gems of advice along the way. This book has given me some useful habits to try out and opened me up to the idea that working harder and harder isn’t always the solution to our problems.
This book is full of practical advice on improving productivity and how to work on big projects to achieve “effortless results” with so many small changes to take on and include in our day to day lives.
Definitely an interesting read and the narration by Greg himself was great and it was enjoyable to listen to. This is a book to come back to every now and then when you’re in a bit of a rut and need a boost or reminder of habits that could help.
Solid 4.5/5
Simplicity is key.
Effortless is filled with intriguing examples of people finding shortcuts or ways to make things easier. This is an inspiring book about not giving up and instead finding easier, “effortless” ways of doing things that once seemed difficult.
McKeown focuses on the theme of working smarter not harder, using interesting case studies and giving gems of advice along the way. This book has given me some useful habits to try out and opened me up to the idea that working harder and harder isn’t always the solution to our problems.
This book is full of practical advice on improving productivity and how to work on big projects to achieve “effortless results” with so many small changes to take on and include in our day to day lives.
Definitely an interesting read and the narration by Greg himself was great and it was enjoyable to listen to. This is a book to come back to every now and then when you’re in a bit of a rut and need a boost or reminder of habits that could help.
Solid 4.5/5
May 12, 2021
It’s been a tough year or so, and now that so many of us are contemplating the “new normal,” there are lots more things to make us anxious. And anxiety can cause us to just shut down. Greg McKeown’s Effortless is just the guide you need to help ease you into recognizing that instead of “pushing yourself harder, you find an easier path.” McKeown sets the tone in the introduction, titled “Not Everything Has to Be So Hard” (which I love, and have adopted as my internal mantra). The rest of the book is broken into three parts: 1) The Effortless State, 2) Effortless Action, and 3) Effortless Results. As a yoga practitioner, I was already familiar with Iyengar’s notion of “effortless effort”—that is, a deliberate, well-intentioned practice, without strain or aggressiveness. This is very similar to the state that McKeown suggests we get to so “we get the highest return on the least effort.” McKeown pulls examples from the world of sports, entertainment, and even the military to help readers understand how they can reduce friction and get good traction in the pursuit of getting the important stuff done. Back matter includes copious notes, index, and an excerpt from McKeown’s earlier title, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.
April 25, 2021
Wow. This is an absolutely inspiring read full of hope and possibility. Imagine what life would feel like if everything we did – all our essential endeavours – were effortless.
Well Greg McKeown shows us how this is absolutely possible in his new book, Effortless. In it we learn how to choose the lighter road – the road (sadly, for us) lesser travelled. We are too quick to believe that work and progress requires the hard slog, that anything worthwhile will inevitably be difficult – we even wear our struggles as a badge of honour.
McKeown proposes a way to escape this and in doing so live a more enjoyable, productive and rewarding life.
I haven’t read Mckeown’s previous work on Essentialism, but I plan to skip my lighter path right to his website after I’ve written this review, so I can find out more about that too. Effortless is an extension of his thinking about ’Essential Living’ but it works perfectly well alone too. This book really spoke to me and utterly makes sense.
Even reading it felt effortless – I was totally engaged in Mckeown’s conversational style and really fascinated by its content. It takes lots of ideas, some that I have heard of, know well or seem familiar, and pulls them together with new clarity.
For example, the effortless state he writes about reminds me of the idea of ‘flow’ in play theory - the sense of getting into the zone where anything is possible, everything feels easy. It’s not necessarily new thinking but what I like about this book is that it applies this thinking in new ways, giving hands-on insight into how this ‘state’ might be translated beyond sport or play or talent (where we see it often) and into the day to day.
How can it help us get around to the household tasks we put off, add enjoyment to the mundane or increase productivity in our working lives? And, most importantly, how do we achieve it? How can we make these things feel more effortless? It suggests ways to successfully find the reward in the task - or add one - like listening to your favourite podcast as you exercise and much, much more. It’s an extensive exploration that I don’t want to oversimplify. It is in fact, three stages full of anecdotes and suggestions.
It was invigorating to start thinking how I could apply this and I began to implement some of the learning in my day to day. Again, it doesn’t feel like it’s entirely new to me - but it has clarity in its purpose and lots of practical suggestions.
What is probably most helpful in the book – and in keeping with the effortless journey – is how McKeown summarises the key learning at the end of each section pulling all the anecdotes, actions and good advice into a clear understanding that you can easily begin to implement in your life.
I powered through the book for the purposes of the ARC review, but I will go back and spend a little more time with it now. It’s one of those texts where you can read a section and then actively begin to implement the learning in your life before moving on to the next section. Section three could even be saved for a point where you have tried out all the learning and had chance to start feeling the change.
I’ve definitely felt the shift in my mindset and how I approach my work and play and I’m eager to try more!
I – 100% – recommend this fantastic book. It feels like there are lots of take away opportunities for everyone, from mothers/parents just taking steps back to working life (like me), to those at the top of their game. Anyone who needs to find a positive work/ play balance and who wants to enrich their life a little.
Well Greg McKeown shows us how this is absolutely possible in his new book, Effortless. In it we learn how to choose the lighter road – the road (sadly, for us) lesser travelled. We are too quick to believe that work and progress requires the hard slog, that anything worthwhile will inevitably be difficult – we even wear our struggles as a badge of honour.
McKeown proposes a way to escape this and in doing so live a more enjoyable, productive and rewarding life.
I haven’t read Mckeown’s previous work on Essentialism, but I plan to skip my lighter path right to his website after I’ve written this review, so I can find out more about that too. Effortless is an extension of his thinking about ’Essential Living’ but it works perfectly well alone too. This book really spoke to me and utterly makes sense.
Even reading it felt effortless – I was totally engaged in Mckeown’s conversational style and really fascinated by its content. It takes lots of ideas, some that I have heard of, know well or seem familiar, and pulls them together with new clarity.
For example, the effortless state he writes about reminds me of the idea of ‘flow’ in play theory - the sense of getting into the zone where anything is possible, everything feels easy. It’s not necessarily new thinking but what I like about this book is that it applies this thinking in new ways, giving hands-on insight into how this ‘state’ might be translated beyond sport or play or talent (where we see it often) and into the day to day.
How can it help us get around to the household tasks we put off, add enjoyment to the mundane or increase productivity in our working lives? And, most importantly, how do we achieve it? How can we make these things feel more effortless? It suggests ways to successfully find the reward in the task - or add one - like listening to your favourite podcast as you exercise and much, much more. It’s an extensive exploration that I don’t want to oversimplify. It is in fact, three stages full of anecdotes and suggestions.
It was invigorating to start thinking how I could apply this and I began to implement some of the learning in my day to day. Again, it doesn’t feel like it’s entirely new to me - but it has clarity in its purpose and lots of practical suggestions.
What is probably most helpful in the book – and in keeping with the effortless journey – is how McKeown summarises the key learning at the end of each section pulling all the anecdotes, actions and good advice into a clear understanding that you can easily begin to implement in your life.
I powered through the book for the purposes of the ARC review, but I will go back and spend a little more time with it now. It’s one of those texts where you can read a section and then actively begin to implement the learning in your life before moving on to the next section. Section three could even be saved for a point where you have tried out all the learning and had chance to start feeling the change.
I’ve definitely felt the shift in my mindset and how I approach my work and play and I’m eager to try more!
I – 100% – recommend this fantastic book. It feels like there are lots of take away opportunities for everyone, from mothers/parents just taking steps back to working life (like me), to those at the top of their game. Anyone who needs to find a positive work/ play balance and who wants to enrich their life a little.
March 25, 2021
Greg McKeown set the bar high with his first book, Essentialism so when I got an opportunity to read an advance copy of Effortless, I jumped at the chance. Effortless is a solid follow up to for anyone who loved reading Essentialism as it builds off the foundation McKeown built of living a life focusing on what's essential. That said, this book also stands alone on its own merit--you don't have to have read his first book to be able to shift your thought patterns or take action on the many pieces of advice he shares in this new book. I highly recommend Effortless.
September 16, 2021
5 stars
A book I did not know I needed. For 3 years I have been making my way to being an essentialist and making my life effortless. So I have read a lot of material and given it a lot of thought. Still, what I read was enlightening. The book has it all - solid research, great anecdotes, and great suggestions to implement the concepts in our lives.
Another great book by the author. I will read whatever he writes.
A book I did not know I needed. For 3 years I have been making my way to being an essentialist and making my life effortless. So I have read a lot of material and given it a lot of thought. Still, what I read was enlightening. The book has it all - solid research, great anecdotes, and great suggestions to implement the concepts in our lives.
Another great book by the author. I will read whatever he writes.
August 28, 2022
This guy is absolute genius of productivity. Both this and Essentialism have one thing in common: easily digestible, joy to read and, well, perfect common sense approach. It's a bit strange that it takes something of a genius to convey something that should be common sense, but that's the age we live in. We kinda got lost in high tech and all sorts of complication. So me, I'm striving to get back to basics in everything. Not that I'm great at it, but I'm trying real hard. And books like this are great help.
November 4, 2022
This was really enjoyable and a good reminder of tools and tricks I already know to deal with stress and make things simpler. Listening I couldn't shake the feeling I had heard all of it before, but couldn't say how or why. Still a very good book to get into simplifying life a bit.
April 3, 2022
I really liked this book. Here’s my key takeaways:
1. "Challenge the assumption that the 'right' way is, inevitably, the harder one."
2. Define what done looks like on an essential project.
3. "Break the first obvious action down into the tiniest, concrete step."
4. Instead of simplify the steps of a process, simply remove them. Focus only on the steps that add value.
5. "Maximize the steps not taken." If you can meet your goal by doing less, do it.
6. Pace yourself. "Never less than X, never more than Y."
7. Learn first principles over facts and methods. Apply these principles again and again.
8. "Achieve far-reaching impact by teaching others to teach."
9. "Use checklists to get it right every time, without having to rely on memory."
10. "Follow the Three I's Rule: hire people with integrity, intelligence, and initiative."
1. "Challenge the assumption that the 'right' way is, inevitably, the harder one."
2. Define what done looks like on an essential project.
3. "Break the first obvious action down into the tiniest, concrete step."
4. Instead of simplify the steps of a process, simply remove them. Focus only on the steps that add value.
5. "Maximize the steps not taken." If you can meet your goal by doing less, do it.
6. Pace yourself. "Never less than X, never more than Y."
7. Learn first principles over facts and methods. Apply these principles again and again.
8. "Achieve far-reaching impact by teaching others to teach."
9. "Use checklists to get it right every time, without having to rely on memory."
10. "Follow the Three I's Rule: hire people with integrity, intelligence, and initiative."
July 25, 2021
Essential reading
May 6, 2021
Enlightening, practical and comforting. Should be read periodically to remind oneself how to live the good life.
Here's an excerpt from the end of the book:
Here's an excerpt from the end of the book:
Whatever has happened to you in life. Whatever hardship. Whatever pain. However significant those things are. They pale in comparison to the power you have to choose what to do now. The word now comes from a Latin phrase, novus homo, which means “a new man” or “man newly ennobled.” The spirit of this is clear: each new moment is a chance to start over. A chance to make a new choice.
April 26, 2021
Absolutely brilliant book and so timely. This is exactly what I needed to hear and I now have a note above my desk saying 'what if this could be easy?'
Clearly written and laid out with so much wisdom. In some ways it's nothing new, but it highlights how we labour under the misconception that, to achieve something, we have to struggle and sacrifice to get it when, in fact, the opposite is true.
Now excuse me while I go and read it again!
Clearly written and laid out with so much wisdom. In some ways it's nothing new, but it highlights how we labour under the misconception that, to achieve something, we have to struggle and sacrifice to get it when, in fact, the opposite is true.
Now excuse me while I go and read it again!
October 28, 2021
One of the best books I've read. There is always an easy way to success. We just need to find it. Strongly recommended.
July 20, 2021
Essentialism is one of my favorite books, and this follow-up book does not disappoint. I love that it approaches life in an entirely different way than how I often think: “what if this were easy?”
McKeown offers engaging anecdotes throughout the book, along with solid principles and suggestions of how to implement them. He also offers summaries of what he’s written throughout the book, which help distill his key points.
Some learnings:
-Enjoy - enjoy essential activities by pairing them with enjoyable ones (eat your favorite treat while reviewing your budget).
-Pace - Pace yourself without powering through so you can overachieve without overexerting. Create the right range: I will never do less than X, never more than Y. Don’t do more today than you can recover from tomorrow.
-Define - define what “done” looks like and write a “done for the day” list.
-Automate - Free up space in your brain by automating as many essential tasks as possible. Use checklists to get it right every time, without having to rely on memory.
McKeown offers engaging anecdotes throughout the book, along with solid principles and suggestions of how to implement them. He also offers summaries of what he’s written throughout the book, which help distill his key points.
Some learnings:
-Enjoy - enjoy essential activities by pairing them with enjoyable ones (eat your favorite treat while reviewing your budget).
-Pace - Pace yourself without powering through so you can overachieve without overexerting. Create the right range: I will never do less than X, never more than Y. Don’t do more today than you can recover from tomorrow.
-Define - define what “done” looks like and write a “done for the day” list.
-Automate - Free up space in your brain by automating as many essential tasks as possible. Use checklists to get it right every time, without having to rely on memory.
July 22, 2021
The perfect sequel to the book that changed my life last year—Essentialism.
This book challenges the notion that anything important or valuable has to be hard work.
Hard work is lovely, but it's wildly beneficial to us if we stop and ask: "What would it look like if this were easy?"
I'm a slow reader...and I flew through this in two days because I enjoyed it so much.
Biggest takeaways:
• Burnout is not a badge of honor.
• The more you complain, the more you have to complain about. The more grateful you are, the more you have to be grateful for.
• When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.
• Establish clear conditions for what ‘done’ means, then stop.
• There is no mastery without making mistakes. And there is no learning without the courage to be rubbish.
9.5/10
This book challenges the notion that anything important or valuable has to be hard work.
Hard work is lovely, but it's wildly beneficial to us if we stop and ask: "What would it look like if this were easy?"
I'm a slow reader...and I flew through this in two days because I enjoyed it so much.
Biggest takeaways:
• Burnout is not a badge of honor.
• The more you complain, the more you have to complain about. The more grateful you are, the more you have to be grateful for.
• When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.
• Establish clear conditions for what ‘done’ means, then stop.
• There is no mastery without making mistakes. And there is no learning without the courage to be rubbish.
9.5/10
October 26, 2021
Nothing earth-shattering, but this was an enjoyable read, with a few good takeaways I can action:
1) Before I start, define what done looks like. When I get there, stop.
2) Determine my goal, design the systems to get me there, then automate those systems and forget the goals.
3) Never more than 3 x 90 mins sessions per day for essential work. Leave something in the tank.
4) Every time I complain, say something I am thankful for.
recommended as a library borrow.
1) Before I start, define what done looks like. When I get there, stop.
2) Determine my goal, design the systems to get me there, then automate those systems and forget the goals.
3) Never more than 3 x 90 mins sessions per day for essential work. Leave something in the tank.
4) Every time I complain, say something I am thankful for.
recommended as a library borrow.
February 14, 2021
Don’t work harder, find the way of effortless.
Offering a variety of examples from sources as different as science, business, and even in ordinary life in your family. Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, explains the pattern or rhythm of life – you can do things the hard or easy way, or more accurately the effortless way.
I suggest you start at the end. There you will find out the secret for why this great book was written. The meaningful depiction you will find will prompt you to want to savour every hint Greg has to offer on why the effortless way is the way that life is meant to be lived.
Drawing on advice from greats such as Sir Isaac Newton, Berkshire Hathaway, Apple Computers, to lesser known examples like the race to the south pole, and McKeown’s own personal anecdotes. I couldn’t put this book down – it was enjoyable, and easy to read.
Thanks to Crown Publishing for an advance copy provided to me through NetGalley!
Offering a variety of examples from sources as different as science, business, and even in ordinary life in your family. Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, explains the pattern or rhythm of life – you can do things the hard or easy way, or more accurately the effortless way.
I suggest you start at the end. There you will find out the secret for why this great book was written. The meaningful depiction you will find will prompt you to want to savour every hint Greg has to offer on why the effortless way is the way that life is meant to be lived.
Drawing on advice from greats such as Sir Isaac Newton, Berkshire Hathaway, Apple Computers, to lesser known examples like the race to the south pole, and McKeown’s own personal anecdotes. I couldn’t put this book down – it was enjoyable, and easy to read.
Thanks to Crown Publishing for an advance copy provided to me through NetGalley!
April 21, 2025
Greg McKeown's Effortless is more or less the next level of the ideas introduced in his book Essentialism.
The premise of the book is pretty simple: things don't have to be so hard. In this book, Greg addresses how once we've gotten to the state of "essentials only" we sometimes still feel we have too much. There are ways to get the results we want and need without putting so much effort out. It is amazing looking around and seeing how often effort or time is associated with a good result. We're finally starting to not view things so black and white in society, but there is still a long way to go. Greg does a great job addressing this and suggesting practical ways to do more with less effort. The book is broken down into 3 sections: Effortless State, Effortless Action, and Effortless Results. The sections each offer practical advice that can be easily applied.
I really enjoyed this book and can highly recommend that if you've read Essentialism you need to read this as well.
The premise of the book is pretty simple: things don't have to be so hard. In this book, Greg addresses how once we've gotten to the state of "essentials only" we sometimes still feel we have too much. There are ways to get the results we want and need without putting so much effort out. It is amazing looking around and seeing how often effort or time is associated with a good result. We're finally starting to not view things so black and white in society, but there is still a long way to go. Greg does a great job addressing this and suggesting practical ways to do more with less effort. The book is broken down into 3 sections: Effortless State, Effortless Action, and Effortless Results. The sections each offer practical advice that can be easily applied.
I really enjoyed this book and can highly recommend that if you've read Essentialism you need to read this as well.
August 20, 2022
In the beginning, I wasn't sure if this would get the same high rating as Essentialism, but by the end, he had won me over yet again, particularly because there were a few stand-out sections that were literally paradigm-shifting for me in my personal life and in my work life. I've already recommended this to other small business owners, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a valuable framework for how to make the most important things the easiest ones to actually get around to.
May 11, 2022
I LOVED this book. It’s right up there with Atomic Habits. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a good book on personal growth. The author is also a Christian, which I really appreciated.
February 21, 2025
Effortless offers actionable advice for making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out.
Essentialism was about doing the right things; Effortless is about doing them in the right way.
Effortless
It’s about a whole new way to work and live. A way to achieve more with ease—to achieve more because you are at ease. A way to lighten life’s inevitable burdens, and get the right results without burning out.
The Book is divided into three sections:
Part I reintroduces you to your Effortless State.
Part II shows how to take Effortless Action.
Part III is about achieving Effortless Results.
The Effortless Way
There is an ebb and flow to life. Rhythms are in everything we do. There are times to push hard and times to rest and recuperate. But these days many of us are pushing harder and harder all the time. There is no cadence, only grinding effort.
We live in a time of great opportunity. But there is something about modern life that’s like trying to hike at high altitude. Our brains are foggy. The ground beneath our feet seems unsteady. The air is thin and it can feel surprisingly exhausting to make even an inch of progress. Perhaps it’s the endless fear and uncertainty about the future. Perhaps it’s the loneliness and isolation. Perhaps it’s financial worries or hardships. Perhaps it’s all the responsibilities, all the pressures that can suffocate us on a daily basis.
“Whatever the cause, the result is that we’re often working twice as hard only to achieve half as much.”
Effortless
We all want to do what matters. We want to get in shape, save for a home or for retirement, be fulfilled in our careers, and build closer relationships with people we work and live with. The problem isn’t a lack of motivation; if it were, we would all already be at our ideal weight, live within our means, have our dream job, and enjoy deep and meaningful relationships with all the people who matter most to us.
Motivation is not enough because it is a limited resource. To truly make progress on the things that matter, we need a whole new way to work and live.
“Instead of trying to get better results by pushing ever harder, we can make the most essential activities the easiest ones.”
Part I: Effortless State
When our brains are at full capacity, everything feels harder. Fatigue slows us down. Outdated assumptions and emotions make new information harder to process. The countless distractions of daily life make it difficult to see what matters clearly.
Part II: Effortless Action
Once we are in the Effortless State, it becomes easier to take Effortless Action. But we may still encounter complexity that makes it hard to start or advance an essential project. Perfectionism makes essential projects hard to start, self-doubt makes them hard to finish, and trying to do too much, too fast, makes it hard to sustain momentum.
Part III: Effortless Results
When we take Effortless Action, we make it easier to get the results we want.
There are two types of results: linear and residual.
Whenever your efforts yield a one-time benefit, you are getting a linear result. Every day you start from zero; if you don’t put in the effort today then you don’t get the result today. It’s a one-to-one ratio; the amount of effort you put in equals the results received. But what if those results could flow to us repeatedly, without further effort on our part?
With residual results you put in the effort once and reap the benefits again and again. Results flow to you while you are sleeping. Results flow to you when you are taking the day off. Residual results can be virtually infinite.
Effortless Action alone produces linear results. But when we apply Effortless Action to high-leverage activities, the return on our effort compounds, like interest on a savings account. This is how we produce residual results.
Producing a great result is good. Producing a great result with ease is better. Producing a great result with ease again and again is best.
Effortless Inversion
Effortless Inversion means looking at problems from the opposite perspective. It means asking, “What if this could be easy?” It means learning to solve problems from a state of focus, clarity, and calm. It means getting good at getting things done by putting in less effort.
There are two ways to achieve all the things that really matter. We can
(a) gain superhuman powers so we can do all the impossibly hard but worthwhile work or (b) get better at making the impossibly hard but worthwhile work easier.
Once we invert the question, even everyday tasks that seem too overwhelming to tackle become easier.
Create Habits with a Soul
Rituals are similar to habits in the sense that “when I do X, I also do Y.” But they are different from habits because of one key component: the psychological satisfaction you experience when you do them.
“Habits explain “what” you do, but rituals are about “how” you do it. Rituals make essential habits easier to sustain by infusing the habits with meaning. ”
Effortless State
The Effortless State is an experience many of us have had when we are physically rested, emotionally unburdened, and mentally energized. You are completely aware, alert, present, attentive, and focused on what’s important in this moment. You are able to focus on what matters most with ease.
INVERT
Instead of asking, “Why is this so hard?,” invert the question by asking, “What if this could be easy?”
Challenge the assumption that the “right” way is, inevitably, the harder one.
Make the impossible possible by finding an indirect approach.
When faced with work that feels overwhelming, ask, “How am I making this harder than it needs to be?
ENJOY
Pair the most essential activities with the most enjoyable ones.
Accept that work and play can co-exist.
Turn tedious tasks into meaningful rituals.
Allow laughter and fun to lighten more of your moments.
RELEASE
Let go of emotional burdens you don’t need to keep carrying.
Remember: When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.
Use this habit recipe: “Each time I complain I will say something I am thankful for.”
Relieve a grudge of its duties by asking, “What job have I hired this grudge to do?
REST
Discover the art of doing nothing.
Do not do more today than you can completely recover from by tomorrow.
Break down essential work into three sessions of no more than ninety minutes each.
Take an effortless nap.
NOTICE
Achieve a state of heightened awareness by harnessing the power of presence.
Train your brain to focus on the important and ignore the irrelevant.
To see others more clearly, set aside your opinions, advice, and judgment, and put their truth above your own.
Clear the clutter in your physical environment before clearing the clutter in your mind.
Effortless Action
Effortless Action means accomplishing more by trying less. You stop procrastinating and take the first obvious step. You arrive at the point of completion without overthinking. You make progress by pacing yourself rather than powering through. You overachieve without overexerting.
If you want to make something hard, indeed truly impossible, to complete, all you have to do is make the end goal as vague as possible. That’s because you cannot, by definition, complete a project without a clearly defined end point. You can spin your wheels working on it. You can tinker with it. You can (and likely will) abandon it. But to get an important project done it’s absolutely necessary to define what “done” looks like.
DEFINE
To get started on an essential project, first define what “done” looks like.
Establish clear conditions for completion, get there, then stop.
Take sixty seconds to focus on your desired outcome.
“Write a “Done for the Day” list. Limit it to items that would constitute meaningful progress.
START
Make the first action the most obvious one.
Break the first obvious action down into the tiniest, concrete step. Then name it.
Gain maximum learning from minimal viable effort.
Start with a ten-minute microburst of focused activity to boost motivation and energy.
SIMPLIFY
To simplify the process, don’t simplify the steps: simply remove them.
“Recognize that not everything requires you to go the extra mile.
Maximize the steps not taken.
Measure progress in the tiniest of increments.
PROGRESS
When you start a project, start with rubbish.
Adopt a “zero-draft” approach and just put some words, any words, on the page.
Fail cheaply: make learning-sized mistakes.
Protect your progress from the harsh critic in your head.
PACE
Set an effortless pace: slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
“Reject the false economy of “powering through.”
Create the right range: I will never do less than X, never more than Y.
Recognize that not all progress is created equal.
Effortless Results
You’ve continued to cultivate your Effortless State. You’ve started to take Effortless Action with clarity of objective, tiny, obvious first steps, and a consistent pace. You are achieving the results you want, more easily. But now you want those results to continue to flow to you, again and again, with as little additional effort as possible. You are ready to achieve Effortless Results.
LEARN
Learn principles, not just facts and methods.
Understand first principles deeply and then apply them again and again.
Stand on the shoulders of giants and leverage the best of what they know.
Develop unique knowledge, and it will open the door to perpetual opportunity.
LIFT
Use teaching as a lever to harness the strength of ten.
Achieve far-reaching impact by teaching others to teach.
“Live what you teach, and notice how much you learn.
Tell stories that are easily understood and repeated.
AUTOMATE
Free up space in your brain by automating as many essential tasks as possible.
Use checklists to get it right every time, without having to rely on memory.
Seek single choices that eliminate future decisions.
Take the high-tech path for the essential and the low-tech path for the nonessential.
TRUST
“Leverage trust as the engine oil of frictionless and high-functioning teams.
Make the right hire once, and it will continue to produce results again and again.
Follow the Three I’s Rule: hire people with integrity, intelligence, and initiative.
Design high-trust agreements to clarify results, roles, rules, resources, and rewards.
PREVENT
Don’t just manage the problem. Solve it before it happens.
Seek simple actions today that can prevent complications tomorrow.
Invest two minutes of effort once to end recurring frustrations.
Catch mistakes before they happen; measure twice, so you only have to cut once.
Reduce the Lag Indicator
It’s no secret that many essential activities that are not particularly joyful in the moment produce moments of joy later on. If you exercise and eat better, you will eventually be healthier and lose weight. If you read every day, you will eventually develop expertise. If you meditate regularly, you will eventually develop a greater sense of calm in your life. But these are all lag indicators—meaning, you experience the reward after the action has taken place, sometimes weeks, months, or years afterward.
But essential activities don’t have to be enjoyed only in retrospect. We can also experience joy in the activity itself. We simply reduce the lag time between the action and satisfaction by pairing the essential activity with a reward.
Essentialism was about doing the right things; Effortless is about doing them in the right way.
Effortless
It’s about a whole new way to work and live. A way to achieve more with ease—to achieve more because you are at ease. A way to lighten life’s inevitable burdens, and get the right results without burning out.
The Book is divided into three sections:
Part I reintroduces you to your Effortless State.
Part II shows how to take Effortless Action.
Part III is about achieving Effortless Results.
The Effortless Way
There is an ebb and flow to life. Rhythms are in everything we do. There are times to push hard and times to rest and recuperate. But these days many of us are pushing harder and harder all the time. There is no cadence, only grinding effort.
We live in a time of great opportunity. But there is something about modern life that’s like trying to hike at high altitude. Our brains are foggy. The ground beneath our feet seems unsteady. The air is thin and it can feel surprisingly exhausting to make even an inch of progress. Perhaps it’s the endless fear and uncertainty about the future. Perhaps it’s the loneliness and isolation. Perhaps it’s financial worries or hardships. Perhaps it’s all the responsibilities, all the pressures that can suffocate us on a daily basis.
“Whatever the cause, the result is that we’re often working twice as hard only to achieve half as much.”
Effortless
We all want to do what matters. We want to get in shape, save for a home or for retirement, be fulfilled in our careers, and build closer relationships with people we work and live with. The problem isn’t a lack of motivation; if it were, we would all already be at our ideal weight, live within our means, have our dream job, and enjoy deep and meaningful relationships with all the people who matter most to us.
Motivation is not enough because it is a limited resource. To truly make progress on the things that matter, we need a whole new way to work and live.
“Instead of trying to get better results by pushing ever harder, we can make the most essential activities the easiest ones.”
Part I: Effortless State
When our brains are at full capacity, everything feels harder. Fatigue slows us down. Outdated assumptions and emotions make new information harder to process. The countless distractions of daily life make it difficult to see what matters clearly.
Part II: Effortless Action
Once we are in the Effortless State, it becomes easier to take Effortless Action. But we may still encounter complexity that makes it hard to start or advance an essential project. Perfectionism makes essential projects hard to start, self-doubt makes them hard to finish, and trying to do too much, too fast, makes it hard to sustain momentum.
Part III: Effortless Results
When we take Effortless Action, we make it easier to get the results we want.
There are two types of results: linear and residual.
Whenever your efforts yield a one-time benefit, you are getting a linear result. Every day you start from zero; if you don’t put in the effort today then you don’t get the result today. It’s a one-to-one ratio; the amount of effort you put in equals the results received. But what if those results could flow to us repeatedly, without further effort on our part?
With residual results you put in the effort once and reap the benefits again and again. Results flow to you while you are sleeping. Results flow to you when you are taking the day off. Residual results can be virtually infinite.
Effortless Action alone produces linear results. But when we apply Effortless Action to high-leverage activities, the return on our effort compounds, like interest on a savings account. This is how we produce residual results.
Producing a great result is good. Producing a great result with ease is better. Producing a great result with ease again and again is best.
Effortless Inversion
Effortless Inversion means looking at problems from the opposite perspective. It means asking, “What if this could be easy?” It means learning to solve problems from a state of focus, clarity, and calm. It means getting good at getting things done by putting in less effort.
There are two ways to achieve all the things that really matter. We can
(a) gain superhuman powers so we can do all the impossibly hard but worthwhile work or (b) get better at making the impossibly hard but worthwhile work easier.
Once we invert the question, even everyday tasks that seem too overwhelming to tackle become easier.
Create Habits with a Soul
Rituals are similar to habits in the sense that “when I do X, I also do Y.” But they are different from habits because of one key component: the psychological satisfaction you experience when you do them.
“Habits explain “what” you do, but rituals are about “how” you do it. Rituals make essential habits easier to sustain by infusing the habits with meaning. ”
Effortless State
The Effortless State is an experience many of us have had when we are physically rested, emotionally unburdened, and mentally energized. You are completely aware, alert, present, attentive, and focused on what’s important in this moment. You are able to focus on what matters most with ease.
INVERT
Instead of asking, “Why is this so hard?,” invert the question by asking, “What if this could be easy?”
Challenge the assumption that the “right” way is, inevitably, the harder one.
Make the impossible possible by finding an indirect approach.
When faced with work that feels overwhelming, ask, “How am I making this harder than it needs to be?
ENJOY
Pair the most essential activities with the most enjoyable ones.
Accept that work and play can co-exist.
Turn tedious tasks into meaningful rituals.
Allow laughter and fun to lighten more of your moments.
RELEASE
Let go of emotional burdens you don’t need to keep carrying.
Remember: When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.
Use this habit recipe: “Each time I complain I will say something I am thankful for.”
Relieve a grudge of its duties by asking, “What job have I hired this grudge to do?
REST
Discover the art of doing nothing.
Do not do more today than you can completely recover from by tomorrow.
Break down essential work into three sessions of no more than ninety minutes each.
Take an effortless nap.
NOTICE
Achieve a state of heightened awareness by harnessing the power of presence.
Train your brain to focus on the important and ignore the irrelevant.
To see others more clearly, set aside your opinions, advice, and judgment, and put their truth above your own.
Clear the clutter in your physical environment before clearing the clutter in your mind.
Effortless Action
Effortless Action means accomplishing more by trying less. You stop procrastinating and take the first obvious step. You arrive at the point of completion without overthinking. You make progress by pacing yourself rather than powering through. You overachieve without overexerting.
If you want to make something hard, indeed truly impossible, to complete, all you have to do is make the end goal as vague as possible. That’s because you cannot, by definition, complete a project without a clearly defined end point. You can spin your wheels working on it. You can tinker with it. You can (and likely will) abandon it. But to get an important project done it’s absolutely necessary to define what “done” looks like.
DEFINE
To get started on an essential project, first define what “done” looks like.
Establish clear conditions for completion, get there, then stop.
Take sixty seconds to focus on your desired outcome.
“Write a “Done for the Day” list. Limit it to items that would constitute meaningful progress.
START
Make the first action the most obvious one.
Break the first obvious action down into the tiniest, concrete step. Then name it.
Gain maximum learning from minimal viable effort.
Start with a ten-minute microburst of focused activity to boost motivation and energy.
SIMPLIFY
To simplify the process, don’t simplify the steps: simply remove them.
“Recognize that not everything requires you to go the extra mile.
Maximize the steps not taken.
Measure progress in the tiniest of increments.
PROGRESS
When you start a project, start with rubbish.
Adopt a “zero-draft” approach and just put some words, any words, on the page.
Fail cheaply: make learning-sized mistakes.
Protect your progress from the harsh critic in your head.
PACE
Set an effortless pace: slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
“Reject the false economy of “powering through.”
Create the right range: I will never do less than X, never more than Y.
Recognize that not all progress is created equal.
Effortless Results
You’ve continued to cultivate your Effortless State. You’ve started to take Effortless Action with clarity of objective, tiny, obvious first steps, and a consistent pace. You are achieving the results you want, more easily. But now you want those results to continue to flow to you, again and again, with as little additional effort as possible. You are ready to achieve Effortless Results.
LEARN
Learn principles, not just facts and methods.
Understand first principles deeply and then apply them again and again.
Stand on the shoulders of giants and leverage the best of what they know.
Develop unique knowledge, and it will open the door to perpetual opportunity.
LIFT
Use teaching as a lever to harness the strength of ten.
Achieve far-reaching impact by teaching others to teach.
“Live what you teach, and notice how much you learn.
Tell stories that are easily understood and repeated.
AUTOMATE
Free up space in your brain by automating as many essential tasks as possible.
Use checklists to get it right every time, without having to rely on memory.
Seek single choices that eliminate future decisions.
Take the high-tech path for the essential and the low-tech path for the nonessential.
TRUST
“Leverage trust as the engine oil of frictionless and high-functioning teams.
Make the right hire once, and it will continue to produce results again and again.
Follow the Three I’s Rule: hire people with integrity, intelligence, and initiative.
Design high-trust agreements to clarify results, roles, rules, resources, and rewards.
PREVENT
Don’t just manage the problem. Solve it before it happens.
Seek simple actions today that can prevent complications tomorrow.
Invest two minutes of effort once to end recurring frustrations.
Catch mistakes before they happen; measure twice, so you only have to cut once.
Reduce the Lag Indicator
It’s no secret that many essential activities that are not particularly joyful in the moment produce moments of joy later on. If you exercise and eat better, you will eventually be healthier and lose weight. If you read every day, you will eventually develop expertise. If you meditate regularly, you will eventually develop a greater sense of calm in your life. But these are all lag indicators—meaning, you experience the reward after the action has taken place, sometimes weeks, months, or years afterward.
But essential activities don’t have to be enjoyed only in retrospect. We can also experience joy in the activity itself. We simply reduce the lag time between the action and satisfaction by pairing the essential activity with a reward.
January 13, 2023
This book is filled with excellent advice on focusing on the essentials and finding simpler ways of doing things. I suggest reading the summary at the end of the chapter and then start at the beginning of the chapter. Some of the concepts are better summarized at the end than described in the chapter with analogies that don't quite fit. A good tip is to replace "why is this so hard" with "how can this be easier". So instead of fixing something that was poorly designed, come up with something new that is easy and simple.
June 4, 2021
This was EXCELLENT. Full review here: https://everyday-reading.com/2021-sum...
May 10, 2021
An easy effortless read. When essentialism helped you find the right things to do, effortless will help you get these done.
It combines ideas from a lot of different books I’ve picked up In the past. Compounding interest, going slow to go fast. Making breaks. Breaking up task in micro chunks and just get going.
Greg really has a great writing style. Enjoyed this shortwhile read - while not being overly impressed by a lot of new things I’ve hadn’t heard / read before.
It combines ideas from a lot of different books I’ve picked up In the past. Compounding interest, going slow to go fast. Making breaks. Breaking up task in micro chunks and just get going.
Greg really has a great writing style. Enjoyed this shortwhile read - while not being overly impressed by a lot of new things I’ve hadn’t heard / read before.
May 5, 2021
Not as good as Essentialism, yet extremely helpful to validate my own thoughts about the "it's not worth it unless it's hard and I need to suffer my way through it.
June 16, 2021
Effortless didn't make as strong of an impression on me as Essentialism but I still enjoyed it greatly. A lot of the ideas in this book I've run across before in other self-help books, youtube videos, or podcasts but it was nice to be reminded. I think the concept I'll take away and use the most is the "never less than x, never more than y" idea. This is basically putting a time minimum and maximum for something you want to make progress on without becoming burned out. For example, for school I am doing the "never less than 2 hours a day, never more than 4 hours a day," so that I get work done but I never am spending an entire day working on school work. It works with fun activities too. My reading for the day is "never less than 2 hours a day, never more than 5." I noticed in the past when I would do a read-a-thon and try to read for 8+ hours, I would just get wiped out and fatigued for days after.
September 24, 2021
Love, love McKeown — Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less was one of my favorite books of 2018. This book is almost as good, and he presents an interesting thought in the age of glorified busyness: life doesn't have to be so hard.
Simplicity is key.
Reframe the outlook/question from "Why is this so hard?" to "How can this be easier?"
Simplicity is key.
Reframe the outlook/question from "Why is this so hard?" to "How can this be easier?"
May 24, 2021
I like the way McKeown writes and presents ideas. Even if it’s something I’ve heard before, the way he shares it resonates with me.
Effortless wasn’t as game changing (for me) as Essentialism, but I still took a lot from this one. It has me looking at everything throughout the day and wondering if there’s a way to make it easier.
Effortless wasn’t as game changing (for me) as Essentialism, but I still took a lot from this one. It has me looking at everything throughout the day and wondering if there’s a way to make it easier.
May 29, 2021
I chose to read this self help book by Greg Mckeown because a number of reviews lured me in. I went into it with the expectation of learning more than I knew, although that doesn't mean I am good at getting all the essentials done in my life. In the end, this turned out to be largely commonsense, although commonsense presented well and in a simplified manner. It begins with an introduction named Not Everything Has to be so Hard, and the rest of the material is divided into three sections, the effortless state, effortless action and effortless results. McKeown illustrates his methods with real life examples from our contemporary world, such as from those that have done well, the military and successful sports people. I can see many people finding this helpful to get what needs to be done in their lives, its just that for me, I wanted and expected more, something that surprised me more. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
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