Essentialism is a book I cannot recommend enough. I have listened to it 14 times and counting and have gifted it to others at least 15 times thus far. I even created a document in Evernote to write down my laundry list of favorite quotes, then explored how these concepts could be applied to my own life. I revisit these quotes often to help me continually refine what matters most and create a framework to realize my vision. This work is concise, entertaining, and well laid out. If you’re like I was, an overwhelmed yes person who lacked clear direction and felt like I needed to build Rome in a day, I would highly recommend you give this a read/ listen. I learned to say no, set boundaries, get clear on my deepest passions, and create routines that give me sustained energy and momentum. We have so many options in modern life; knowing how to create a personal filter for the truly essential is a superpower.
Find more information about the author, Greg McKeown, on his website.
My 7 favorite quotes from this book:
“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”
Greg McKeown
Greg writes about a Silicon Valley executive who felt overworked, describing himself as a yes person who was “majoring in minor activities”, began to take a different approach. The executive used this reflective question, “Is this the very most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now ?” If it wasn’t a definite yes, then it was a no and he’d move on. The result? “Instead of making just a millimeter of progress in a million directions, he began to generate tremendous momentum towards accomplishing the things that were truly vital.”
Greg McKeown
“Once an Australian nurse named Bronnie Ware, who cared for people in the last 12 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’.”
Greg McKeown
“We need space to think, time to look and listen, permission to play, and wisdom to sleep, and the discipline to apply highly selective criteria to the choices we make.”
Greg McKeown
“Clarity of purpose so consistently predicts how people do their jobs. …. The fact is, motivation and cooperation deteriorate when there is a lack of purpose.”
Greg McKeown
“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.”
Greg McKeown
“When faced with so many tasks and obligations that you can’t figure out which to tackle first, stop. Take a deep breath. Get present in the moment and ask yourself, what is most important this very second? Not what’s most important tomorrow, or even an hour from now. If you’re not sure, make a list of everything vying for your attention. Cross off anything that is not important right now.”
Greg McKeown
BONUS! If you’d like to see my technique for fully digesting the books, podcasts, and videos that impacted me, check out My Learning Process in the Toolshed.
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