# Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Author:: Shortform
## Highlights
> The way out of this trap is to practice essentialism: “do less but better.” ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/484aeaf3-48d9-425c-a302-cf7a31b18394))
> Essentialism is defined as the consistent and focused pursuit of less but better. It’s not about being more efficient or doing more with less (or less with less), as many companies demand of employees. It requires stopping regularly to ask yourself whether you’re spending your time and resources on the right things. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/fb5ea53a-4c6f-4a2e-975e-c592a3f5ef58))
> It’s doing the right things as opposed to doing more things. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/0ac84993-6b8a-422d-b22a-5d8abb2f2c61))
> Before you start eliminating things, you must decide your intent or purpose, the highest contribution you’re trying to achieve that’s distinct from the many nonessential options and opportunities you could pursue. It should be specific and measurable. Ask yourself: What inspires me? What am I really good at? What would make the world better? ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/05763be4-7aee-41a9-b5ae-2cf74c026d5c))
> Three Phases of Essentialism ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/7d3fa873-9452-4f52-b441-9b032c7f7747))
> 1) Explore options ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/79ca1c79-3a85-4f32-acc6-0f3c48aec5f4))
> In your life, the key question is, is this activity essential to making my optimum contribution? ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/03a1e874-019b-4cae-b4d0-44898557c123))
> 2) Eliminate nonessentials: ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/9d21f5a6-e62f-441f-8f2a-16a20ee44780))
> 3) Execute routinely: For your closet to stay organized, you need a maintenance system that’s automatic. In your life, once you’ve decided what things to pursue (those that enable you to make your highest level contribution), you need a system to make doing the important things simple and routine. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/efb7d076-a6ca-4b3e-9d64-1bc693850d90))
> Learn to Say No ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/8a85b080-3dc8-461d-8880-f902c435de94))
> 1) Employ the pregnant pause: When someone makes a request, pause and wait for them to fill the silence, or just wait a few beats before saying no.
> 2) Make the rejection gentle: Say “No, but…” For instance, “I’d love to but I have other plans; let’s try it next month.”
> 3) Buy some time: Saying something like, “I’ll check my calendar and get back to you,” gives you time to think and ultimately reply that you’re unavailable. Just remember not to use this as as a noncommittal response — use it only if you genuinely have to think about it.
> 4) Use email auto-responses: Many people are accustomed to receiving email auto-responses when others are on vacation or holidays. You can use them more broadly. Indicate that you’re tied up with a project and temporarily unavailable.
> 5) Suggest someone else: If you know of someone else who might want to help, convey your regrets while suggesting another name. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/85279eb9-6100-4cd6-865e-593ec52a2b44))
> Essentialism is investing your time and energy only in what’s essential in order to make your optimum contribution to activities and projects that really matter. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/17df1395-2c06-4abb-bd75-0a94ac4fd592))
> Nonessentialism: All Things to All People
> You try to do many things at the same time, so you’re going in multiple directions. Because you’re not making choices, others make choices for you and you function by default.
> You flail and make only minuscule progress in multiple activities.
> You say things like: “I have to do it. I can do both. I can do it all.”
> You react to the immediate and most urgent.
> You say yes to virtually everything.
> You “muscle” or force projects through to completion.
> Results: You do too many things, none of them well; you feel out of control, overwhelmed, and exhausted. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/322e1ff5-2f0d-4163-a400-929b38050d12))
> In his 2009 book How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins examined why celebrated companies collapsed. He found that succumbing to “the undisciplined pursuit of more” was a key factor for many failures. Nonessentialism burns out both companies and people. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/680be3a8-16f7-4ae2-87fb-2ce23ad99332))
> There are several reasons we’re prone to failing this way.
> There are too many options. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/971ec1e3-f6e7-49d8-887c-b3acd96641cb))
> Social pressure keeps increasing. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/359c4e6f-8911-41a5-91f9-cc09748364a6))
> In his 2009 book How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins examined why celebrated companies collapsed. He found that succumbing to “the undisciplined pursuit of more” was a key factor for many failures. Nonessentialism burns out both companies and people. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d4208951-d15a-4fb1-bc4e-6dc2ec65f6ca))
> There are several reasons we’re prone to failing this way.
> There are too many options ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/1863f043-428f-406f-94f4-53279f485473))
> Social pressure keeps increasing. In addition to having a plethora of choices, we’re also under increasing pressure to make certain choices. Social media enable others to constantly weigh in on what we’re doing. We have both information and opinion overload. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/f10de28c-ec95-4020-80e6-0ec1fef7e6bb))
> We believe we can have and do everything. The idea of “having it all” has been around for a while and is pervasive in advertising, job descriptions with huge lists of required skills and experience, and university applications requiring myriad extracurricular activities. The idea that we can and should have it all is creating more stress as our options have multiplied and we keep stuffing more into our schedules.Companies contribute to the problem, espousing a work/life balance while expecting their employees to be available by phone and email 24/7. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d5c90dea-a8bb-4d6d-8866-4ca143ed6c1c))
> When we try to do everything, we make tradeoffs we’d never make as an intentional strategy. When we don’t actively choose what to focus on, bosses, colleagues, friends, and others choose for us — and their agendas end up controlling our lives. Soon, what’s meaningful and important to us falls by the wayside. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/9195dcae-6902-43bd-b466-27e2a70087f4))
## New highlights added September 6, 2023 at 1:10 PM
### Part 1: The Essentialist Mindset
> We’re constantly pulled toward the flawed logic of nonessentialism: I have to do it. Everything is important. I can do it all. The essentialist replaces these false assumptions with: I will or I won’t do it (it’s my choice). Few things are important. I can do it if it’s important. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/b655b1e8-d7c0-4b26-80d7-1dd7a66dbd02))
> Most people exhaust themselves trying to do everything because they believe everything is important. However, the opposite is true — almost everything is unimportant. If you don’t sort out which is which and focus on the important, you’re doomed to stress and misery. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d193ec68-4244-4500-ab97-01954aae3e5b))
> Doing less but better is more productive than doing more, although it seems counterintuitive given the way we were raised. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/e55b4603-9343-4845-a217-37faee04ab7f))
> The Way of the Essentialist
> To be an essentialist, you need to start looking aggressively for the vital few and eliminating the many; say no to good opportunities and yes to great ones. Invest time in exploring and evaluating all options; the time invested will more than pay off when you choose the most important things. Evaluate more so you can do less. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/65d57b6c-9620-41e7-aa7c-0e94b74217ff))
### Part 2: Explore Options
> Essentialists create space for exploring and pondering options. It can be a physical space, for example, a room that’s conducive to creativity or free from distraction. Or it can be a mental space, a block of thinking time created by eliminating email, phone calls, texts, and other interactions for a certain period. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/c494a740-38d8-4a6b-890c-da680a667fb3))
---
Title: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Author: Shortform
Tags: readwise, books
date: 2024-01-30
---
# Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Author:: Shortform
## AI-Generated Summary
None
## Highlights
> The way out of this trap is to practice essentialism: “do less but better.” ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/484aeaf3-48d9-425c-a302-cf7a31b18394))
> Essentialism is defined as the consistent and focused pursuit of less but better. It’s not about being more efficient or doing more with less (or less with less), as many companies demand of employees. It requires stopping regularly to ask yourself whether you’re spending your time and resources on the right things. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/fb5ea53a-4c6f-4a2e-975e-c592a3f5ef58))
> It’s doing the right things as opposed to doing more things. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/0ac84993-6b8a-422d-b22a-5d8abb2f2c61))
> Before you start eliminating things, you must decide your intent or purpose, the highest contribution you’re trying to achieve that’s distinct from the many nonessential options and opportunities you could pursue. It should be specific and measurable. Ask yourself: What inspires me? What am I really good at? What would make the world better? ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/05763be4-7aee-41a9-b5ae-2cf74c026d5c))
> Three Phases of Essentialism ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/7d3fa873-9452-4f52-b441-9b032c7f7747))
> 1) Explore options ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/79ca1c79-3a85-4f32-acc6-0f3c48aec5f4))
> In your life, the key question is, is this activity essential to making my optimum contribution? ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/03a1e874-019b-4cae-b4d0-44898557c123))
> 2) Eliminate nonessentials: ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/9d21f5a6-e62f-441f-8f2a-16a20ee44780))
> 3) Execute routinely: For your closet to stay organized, you need a maintenance system that’s automatic. In your life, once you’ve decided what things to pursue (those that enable you to make your highest level contribution), you need a system to make doing the important things simple and routine. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/efb7d076-a6ca-4b3e-9d64-1bc693850d90))
> Learn to Say No ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/8a85b080-3dc8-461d-8880-f902c435de94))
> 1) Employ the pregnant pause: When someone makes a request, pause and wait for them to fill the silence, or just wait a few beats before saying no.
> 2) Make the rejection gentle: Say “No, but…” For instance, “I’d love to but I have other plans; let’s try it next month.”
> 3) Buy some time: Saying something like, “I’ll check my calendar and get back to you,” gives you time to think and ultimately reply that you’re unavailable. Just remember not to use this as as a noncommittal response — use it only if you genuinely have to think about it.
> 4) Use email auto-responses: Many people are accustomed to receiving email auto-responses when others are on vacation or holidays. You can use them more broadly. Indicate that you’re tied up with a project and temporarily unavailable.
> 5) Suggest someone else: If you know of someone else who might want to help, convey your regrets while suggesting another name. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/85279eb9-6100-4cd6-865e-593ec52a2b44))
> Essentialism is investing your time and energy only in what’s essential in order to make your optimum contribution to activities and projects that really matter. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/17df1395-2c06-4abb-bd75-0a94ac4fd592))
> Nonessentialism: All Things to All People
> You try to do many things at the same time, so you’re going in multiple directions. Because you’re not making choices, others make choices for you and you function by default.
> You flail and make only minuscule progress in multiple activities.
> You say things like: “I have to do it. I can do both. I can do it all.”
> You react to the immediate and most urgent.
> You say yes to virtually everything.
> You “muscle” or force projects through to completion.
> Results: You do too many things, none of them well; you feel out of control, overwhelmed, and exhausted. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/322e1ff5-2f0d-4163-a400-929b38050d12))
> In his 2009 book How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins examined why celebrated companies collapsed. He found that succumbing to “the undisciplined pursuit of more” was a key factor for many failures. Nonessentialism burns out both companies and people. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/680be3a8-16f7-4ae2-87fb-2ce23ad99332))
> There are several reasons we’re prone to failing this way.
> There are too many options. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/971ec1e3-f6e7-49d8-887c-b3acd96641cb))
> Social pressure keeps increasing. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/359c4e6f-8911-41a5-91f9-cc09748364a6))
> In his 2009 book How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins examined why celebrated companies collapsed. He found that succumbing to “the undisciplined pursuit of more” was a key factor for many failures. Nonessentialism burns out both companies and people. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d4208951-d15a-4fb1-bc4e-6dc2ec65f6ca))
> There are several reasons we’re prone to failing this way.
> There are too many options ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/1863f043-428f-406f-94f4-53279f485473))
> Social pressure keeps increasing. In addition to having a plethora of choices, we’re also under increasing pressure to make certain choices. Social media enable others to constantly weigh in on what we’re doing. We have both information and opinion overload. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/f10de28c-ec95-4020-80e6-0ec1fef7e6bb))
> We believe we can have and do everything. The idea of “having it all” has been around for a while and is pervasive in advertising, job descriptions with huge lists of required skills and experience, and university applications requiring myriad extracurricular activities. The idea that we can and should have it all is creating more stress as our options have multiplied and we keep stuffing more into our schedules.Companies contribute to the problem, espousing a work/life balance while expecting their employees to be available by phone and email 24/7. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d5c90dea-a8bb-4d6d-8866-4ca143ed6c1c))
> When we try to do everything, we make tradeoffs we’d never make as an intentional strategy. When we don’t actively choose what to focus on, bosses, colleagues, friends, and others choose for us — and their agendas end up controlling our lives. Soon, what’s meaningful and important to us falls by the wayside. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/9195dcae-6902-43bd-b466-27e2a70087f4))
### Part 1: The Essentialist Mindset
> We’re constantly pulled toward the flawed logic of nonessentialism: I have to do it. Everything is important. I can do it all. The essentialist replaces these false assumptions with: I will or I won’t do it (it’s my choice). Few things are important. I can do it if it’s important. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/b655b1e8-d7c0-4b26-80d7-1dd7a66dbd02))
> Most people exhaust themselves trying to do everything because they believe everything is important. However, the opposite is true — almost everything is unimportant. If you don’t sort out which is which and focus on the important, you’re doomed to stress and misery. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d193ec68-4244-4500-ab97-01954aae3e5b))
> Doing less but better is more productive than doing more, although it seems counterintuitive given the way we were raised. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/e55b4603-9343-4845-a217-37faee04ab7f))
> The Way of the Essentialist
> To be an essentialist, you need to start looking aggressively for the vital few and eliminating the many; say no to good opportunities and yes to great ones. Invest time in exploring and evaluating all options; the time invested will more than pay off when you choose the most important things. Evaluate more so you can do less. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/65d57b6c-9620-41e7-aa7c-0e94b74217ff))
### Part 2: Explore Options
> Essentialists create space for exploring and pondering options. It can be a physical space, for example, a room that’s conducive to creativity or free from distraction. Or it can be a mental space, a block of thinking time created by eliminating email, phone calls, texts, and other interactions for a certain period. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/c494a740-38d8-4a6b-890c-da680a667fb3))