“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.”
We all have the same amount of time in the day. How are we spending that time? Are we trying to get as much done as possible or are we focusing on getting the right things done according to our priorities? In Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown, the author looks at how there are two kinds of people and shows how you can work toward being a person who gets the right things done instead of just spinning your wheels trying to get everything done.
A friend recommended Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less to me as she was reading it for a book club. I put in on my holds list in Libby and had to wait a few weeks before it was available as an ebook from my library. The topic of the book interested me since I’m always looking to use my time in the best manner possible.
Essentialism is the practice of deciding what your priorities are so that you can then chose what you do with your time based on those priorities rather then let the world chose for you. A couple can say no to clubs that meet on Friday nights because they want to prioritize a date night. A worker can ask her boss which project to deprioritize when given a new project so she can do her best work on the priority project. Essentialism requires time to think and process, so that time must be blocked out in daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedules.
People seeking to live more intentionally will find valuable tips in Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. The book gives direct steps people can take to make priorities and then get rid of activities that don’t align with those priorities. This book is great for any high school age or adult reader. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to be more focused and enjoy their best life.
“In this example is the basic value proposition of Essentialism: 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.”