Essentialism Paperback – 1 January 2021

Essentialism by Greg McKeownBook Summary : Essentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost effortless.1. 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.” Essentialism is about pausing constantly to ask, “Am I investing in the right activities?2. Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.3. The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the non-essentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. The way of the Essentialist is the path to being in control of our own choices. It is a path to new levels of success and meaning. It is the path on which we enjoy the journey, not just the destination.4. If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. "When we don’t purposefully and deliberately choose where to focus our energies and time, other people – our bosses, our colleagues, our clients, and even our families – will choose for us, and before long we’ll have lost sight of everything that is meaningful and important.5. Before saying yes to anything, ask yourself, “Will this activity or effort make the highest possible contribution towards my goal?”6. Essentialists ask, “What do I feel deeply inspired by?” and “What am I particularly talented at?” and “What meets a significant need in the world?7. Essentialists invest the time they have saved into creating a system for removing obstacles and making execution as easy as possible.8. Essentialism is not a way to do one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a way of thinking.9. There are three deeply entrenched assumptions we must conquer to live the way of the Essentialist: ‘I have to,’ ‘It’s all important,’ and ‘I can do both.’ To embrace the essence of Essentialism requires we replace these false assumptions with three core truths: “I choose to,” “Only a few things really matter,” and “I can do anything but not everything. Ask yourself, “If you could do only one thing with your life right now, what would you do?”10. To become an Essentialist requires a heightened awareness of our ability to choose. When we forget our ability to choose, we learn to be helpless. Drip by drip we allow our power to be taken away until we end up becoming a function of other people’s choices—or even a function of our own past choices.”11. A non-Essentialist thinks almost everything is essential. An Essentialist thinks almost everything is non-essential. We live in a world where almost everything is worthless and a very few things are exceptionally valuable. Many capable people are kept from getting to the next level of contribution because they can’t let go of the belief that everything is important.12. Trade-Off—Which Problem Do I Want? : A non-Essentialist approaches every trade-off by asking, ‘How can I do both?’ Essentialists ask the tougher but ultimately more liberating question, ‘Which problem do I want? Instead of asking, ‘What do I have to give up?’ Essentialists ask, ‘What do I want to go big on?’”13. To discern what is truly essential we need space to think, time to look and listen, permission to play, wisdom to sleep, and the discipline to apply highly selective criteria to the choices we make.”14. Look—See What Really Matters : “Being a journalist of your own life will force you to stop hyper-focusing on all the minor details and see the bigger picture. One of the most obvious and yet powerful ways to become a journalist of our own lives is simply to keep a journal.”15. Our highest priority is to protect our ability to prioritise. Select -The Power of Extreme Criteria : The 90 Percent Rule: “As you evaluate an option, think about the single most important criterion for that decision, and then simply give the option a score between 0 and 100. If you rate it any lower than 90 percent, then automatically change the rating to 0 and simply reject it. If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.16. The killer question when deciding what activities to eliminate is: “If I didn’t have this opportunity, what would I be willing to do to acquire it?17. Dare—The Power of a Graceful “No” : “Only once we separate the decision from the relationship can we make a clear decision and then separately find the courage and compassion to communicate it.” Essentialists accept they cannot be popular with everyone all of the time.18. Uncommit—Win Big by Cutting Your Losses : Sunk-cost bias is the tendency to continue to invest time, money, or energy into something we know is a losing proposition simply because we have already incurred, or sunk, a cost that cannot be recouped. An Essentialist has the courage and confidence to admit his or her mistakes and uncommit, no matter the sunk costs.19. Don’t ask, “How will I feel if I miss out on this opportunity?” but rather, “If I did not have this opportunity, how much would I be willing to sacrifice in order to obtain it?” Similarly, we can ask, “If I wasn’t already involved in this project, how hard would I work to get on it? Essentialists accept the reality that we can never fully anticipate or prepare for every scenario or eventuality; the future is simply too unpredictable.20. Progress—The Power of Small Wins : “Instead of trying to accomplish it all—and all at once—and flaring out, the Essentialist starts small and celebrates progress. Instead of going for the big, flashy wins that don’t really matter, the Essentialist pursues small and simple wins in areas that are essential.”Whatever decision or challenge or crossroads you face in your life, simply ask yourself, “What is essential?” Eliminate everything else.

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Excellent book. Shows way of life with working less but better.Worth reading. Worth applying in life.Helps to enjoy life .

I am here after reading this book. I have got it from cocoblue seller. The copy is original and the page quality is super you can trust this seller. And the content of the Book is worth reading.

must read for to know what essential and what not.Help to organise our focus.Make you more organised.Great book

Essentialism: The disciplined pursuit of less, as a title, clearly encapsulates the concept of identifying, exploring, eliminating, and executing the most important task, with mindfulness & focus. The author does a good job of detailing each chapter/concept described by comparing non-essentialist vs. essentialist characteristics through the book. These tables form the crux of the storyline and having them ready to reference from time-to-time will help us apply the learning from the bookThough many of the concepts, pitfalls, opportunities, and examples are generally things we might already know of, the distinction that the author brings out through the tables mentioned above, make it interesting reading. Across a spectrum of work & family-based stories, examples, and experiences, the author has expressed his thoughts in a humble and vulnerable way. Looking forward to applying the concepts of essentialism! (as well as, Effortless, the next book by this author!)

It's a good book. A decent one. I would recommend this a friend. But personally, I felt it was kinda bland.Some parts were uninteresting and prolonged. Could've been better. There are other options to choose from, better ones i feel, on the similar kind of a topic.If you're looking for something good to read, if you're a beginner, suggest you to go for it since the language and writing style in easily understandable.

I don't write reviews often... But if something is worth sharing, then it should be shared with everyone... Whoever is considering purchasing this book and reading the reviews section, pls don't give a second thought.. Jus go for the book... I am sure, You won't regret..! This is one of the books that has changed a whole lot of my perspectives in personal as well as professional life...And you will undoubtedly be successful and stress-free if you adopt the essentialist mindsets that are described in this book!