Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

by Greg McKeown

The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default.

If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.

Once an Australian nurse named Bronnie Ware, who cared for people in the last twelve weeks of their lives, recorded their most often discussed regrets. At the top of the list: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

“If you could do only one thing with your life right now, what would you do?”

Working hard is important. But more effort does not necessarily yield more results. “Less but better” does.

As economist Thomas Sowell wrote: “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.”

If his people are too busy to think, then they’re too busy, period.

“If you think you are so tough you can do anything I have a challenge for you. If you really want to do something hard: say no to an opportunity so you can take a nap.”

You can train leaders on communication and teamwork and conduct 360 feedback reports until you are blue in the face, but if a team does not have clarity of goals and roles, problems will fester and multiply.

productivity in my experience consists of NOT doing anything that helps the work of other people but to spend all one’s time on the work the Good Lord has fitted one to do, and to do well.”

Becoming an Essentialist means making cutting, condensing, and correcting a natural part of our daily routine—making editing a natural cadence in our lives.

LIFE IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN THE PRESENT MOMENT. IF YOU ABANDON THE PRESENT MOMENT YOU CANNOT LIVE THE MOMENTS OF YOUR DAILY LIFE DEEPLY. —Thich Nhat Hanh

“There is a difference between losing and being beaten. Being beaten means they are better than you. They are faster, stronger, and more talented.” To Larry, losing means something else. It means you lost focus. It means you didn’t concentrate on what was essential. It is all based on a simple but powerful idea: to operate at your highest level of contribution requires that you deliberately tune in to what is important in the here and now.

Lao Tzu: “In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”

BEWARE THE BARRENNESS OF A BUSY LIFE. —Socrates

We can all live a life not just of simplicity but of high contribution and meaning.

would we rather see a long laundry list of “accomplishments” that don’t really matter or just a few major accomplishments that have real meaning and significance?

The life of an Essentialist is a life of meaning. It is a life that really matters.

The life of an Essentialist is a life lived without regret.

whatever decision or challenge or crossroads you face in your life, simply ask yourself, “What is essential?” Eliminate everything else.