Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most

by Greg McKeown

What is a problem that irritates me repeatedly? What is the total cost of managing that over several years? What is the next step I can take immediately, in a few minutes, to move toward solving it?

find the most annoying thing that can be solved in the least amount of time.

invert the question by asking, “What if this could be easy?”

Pair the most essential activities with the most enjoyable ones.

“What job have I hired this grudge to do?”

Make the first action the most obvious one.

ten-minute microburst of

Seek single choices that eliminate future decisions.

We needed to find ways to make every day a little easier.

If your job is to keep the fires burning for an indefinite period of time, you can’t throw all the fuel on the flames at the beginning.

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.

In each moment, we have a choice: Do I choose the heavier or the lighter path?

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