Essentialism Summary

Summary of Essentialism Book by Greg McKeown

Name: Essentialism
Rating: 4.6 (13269 reviews)
Author: Greg McKeown

4.6 . 13269 reviews

Short summary

Are you often busy but not productive? Do you always get exhausted by stretching yourself too thin? Do you feel like your time is continually being hijacked by other people’s plans? If your answer to any of these is yes, then the way out is the Way of the Essentialist. As divulged by author, public speaker, and leadership strategist Greg Mckeown, the Way of the Essentialist revolves around getting the right things done; it's not about getting more done in less time. It is about investing your time and energy in the wisest possible way, in order to function at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential. Essentialism is a systematic approach for determining our goals, what really matters to us, then making the achievement of those goals almost effortless. “The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default.” ~ Greg McKeown

17 min

10 key points

9 insights

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Table of content

Summary of Essentialism
About the author
What is Essentialism about?
Who should read Essentialism
Topics in Essentialism

first key point

To be an essentialist, you must learn to cut of trivial things and focus on what truly matters

Listen the first key point

00:00

Our lives are so stuffed with tasks and responsibilities that we struggle to set our priorities straight; we often find it difficult to identify which of these tasks are the most important to us.

Even if we go through our to–do list and pick out the ones we should prioritize, we still end up having too much on our hands. These excessive activities massively hinder our productivity.

Fortunately, however, by adopting Essentialism, by focusing on a few important tasks, we can set our priorities straight.

There are four main points to Essentialism:
• Do less, but do it better. The basic principle of Essentialism is the endless task of identifying the less important things in your life to cut out, and excellently doing what’s left over.
• Discard the idea that you need to accomplish everything, and choose instead specific directions in which you can excel.
• Essentialism is not about making little progress in many areas. Rather, choose a particular area and make giant strides in the things that matter most to you.
• Question yourself regularly and update your plans subsequently. The process of determining what’s worth your time and what should be let go is continuous.

As an essentialist, you have to be in constant pursuit of less but better.

You should always decide whether what you're doing is worth it or if you should invest your time and energy in another area. Ultimately, once those few essential tasks have been extracted from the trivial many, an essentialist wastes no time in making sure the changes are put in place.

While all that might sound simple, most of us are really far from the mark. You’ll find out how far away most of us are from the essentialist approach in the next few sections.

second key point

If we let ourselves get swamped with tasks, we lose our ability to make choices for ourselves

Do you always say ‘’I have to” instead of “I choose to”? If so, then you are living the non–essential lifestyle. So many of us fail to take charge of our ability to choose through learned helplessness, that is, we've grown so familiar with the feeling of being overwhelmed that we approach our lives with utmost passivity.

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third key point

Be open to the idea of doing less and see trade–offs as a part of life

fourth key point

To learn to pick out the essential from the trivial, give yourself space to escape and see the bigger picture

fifth key point

Boost your creativity by playing and make sure you take some time to rest

sixth key point

Don’t let emotions get in the way of cutting out things that are not essential

seventh key point

Say no to non–essential tasks and plan the essential ones carefully

eighth key point

Withdrawing from failures and setting boundaries will help you stop doing unnecessary things

ninth key point

The best way to maintain the essentials is by preparing carefully and eliminating what slows you down

tenth key point

Conclusion

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What is Essentialism about?

In this thought-provoking book, the author challenges the prevailing notion that more is always better and advocates for a different approach to life and work. Through insightful anecdotes and practical advice, he encourages readers to focus on what truly matters, eliminate distractions, and make deliberate choices to simplify their lives. By embracing essentialism, readers can learn to prioritize their time and energy, leading to greater fulfillment and success.

Who should read Essentialism

Busy professionals seeking to simplify their lives and increase productivity.
Individuals overwhelmed by choices and seeking a more meaningful existence.
Entrepreneurs and leaders looking to streamline their decision-making process.

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