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Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Essentialism is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely necessary so we can make the highest possible contributions to what matters.

Chapter 1: The Essence of Essentialism

Essentialism is not about getting more things done but about getting the right things done. It's about making the greatest possible investment of your time and energy to operate at your highest point of contribution by focusing on only what is essential.
The core mindset of an essentialist is:

  • Individual Choices: We can choose how we spend our time and energy.
  • The Prevalence of Noise: Almost everything is noise, and very few things are exceptionally valuable. This justifies taking time to figure out what matters most.
  • The Reality of Trade-offs: We cannot have it all or do it all. If we could, there would be no reason to evaluate or eliminate options.

Chapter 2: Choose

Learned helplessness obscures our awareness of the fact that we have the option to choose. The non-essentialist says, "I have to", whereas the essentialist says, "I choose to".

Chapter 3: Discern

Working hard is important, but more effort doesn't always yield better results. Instead, adopt the Pareto Principle in your life — focus on the 20% that produces 80% of the results.

Chapter 4: Trade-offs

Don’t ask, "How can I do all/both?" Trade-offs represent a significant opportunity. By weighing our options strategically, we increase the chances of achieving the desired outcome.
Rather than asking, "What do I have to give up?" ask, "What do I want to go big on?"

Chapter 5: Escape (The Perks of Being Unavailable)

To discern what is essential, we need space to escape. Create time and space in your life to explore thoughts and opportunities. This can be done by escaping focus — for example, take time to sit, relax, and think.
Activities like reading, talking, exploring, and brainstorming all help in this process.

Chapter 6: Look (See What Really Matters)

Filter for the fascinating. We cannot explore every single piece of information we encounter. Find the essence.
Try these:

  • Keep a journal, go through it weekly, and highlight only important entries. Small incremental changes can have large cumulative effects.
  • Get out of your field — explore, compare, and contrast to refine your conclusions and decisions.
  • Clarify the question.

Chapter 7: Play

  • Play is NOT trivial. Imagination is the source of every human achievement.
  • Play is anything done for the joy of it, rather than as a means to an end.
  • Play improves health, relationships, and brain activity.
  • Play broadens the range of options available to us, helping us make connections and challenge old assumptions.
  • Play is an antidote to stress — the enemy of productivity — and fosters creativity.
  • Reflect: What did you enjoy doing as a child? How can you recreate that today?

Chapter 8: Sleep

The best asset for making a meaningful contribution is ourselves. Undervaluing ourselves by neglecting sleep harms the very tool needed to make our greatest contribution.

Chapter 9: Select

Be ultra-selective in all decisions in your life and go all-in. Say “yes” to the top 10% of all opportunities.

Chapter 10: Clarity

Have a strict strategy that is S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to eliminate unnecessary decisions later.

ESSENTIALISM PART TWO – EXECUTION

Chapter 15: Buffer

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.”
McKeown suggests planning buffer time to prepare for, spend extra time in, and recover from events.

Chapter 16: Subtract

“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.” ~Lao Tzu
Produce more by removing more.
Aristotle spoke of three kinds of work:

  1. Theoretical Work: The goal is the truth.
  2. Practical Work: The goal is action.
  3. Poetical Work: The goal is "bringing forth," which is the essentialist approach to execution.

Instead of focusing on what needs to be added, the essentialist focuses on what needs to be removed.
Steps:

  1. Be clear about the intent — Understand the outcome to identify obstacles.
  2. Make a list of obstacles before starting a project.
  3. Remove those obstacles.

Chapter 17: Progress (Daily Small Wins)

We don’t need to create major changes to achieve large goals. Instead, focus on small goals.

“Research shows that of all forms of human motivation, the most effective is progress. Small wins create momentum and affirm our faith in further progress.”

Chapter 18: Flow (Routine)

  • Escape the idea that things only get done under pressure.
    The essentialist designs a routine where achieving what is essential becomes a default behavior.
    Habits can become deeply unconscious. There is both danger and opportunity in this. We can develop new habits that serve us or ones that are counterproductive.

Overhaul Your Triggers:

  • Every habit is made up of a cue, routine, and reward. To change a habit, adjust the cue, not the habit itself.

Chapter 19: Focus

“Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment, you cannot live the moments of your life deeply.” ~Thich Nhat
Remember, there is only the now. Focus on the present and prepare for the future later.
There is no such thing as multitasking — only multi-focusing, which is an oxymoron.

Chapter 20: BE

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~Socrates
The way of essentialism is not just about productivity, but about living a life with meaning and purpose. When you look back, you will see a list of achievements, but only a few will be truly significant.

End.