Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

We know there are a lot of books on the shelves that make similar promises. But "Essentialism" stands out because it offers a truly practical approach for making smarter choices about where you spend your time and energy. The book shows you how to live by design, not default.

The key lesson of the book is summed up perfectly by the author in the first chapter, when he says, "If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will." And we all know this to be true.

The book has received high praise from some notable reviewers, including professors at Stanford and the University of Michigan, and well-known authors like Daniel Pink and Chris Guillebeau.

Greg McKeown is a writer and global speaker on essentialism. He's presented at companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. He's one of the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review, and he holds an MBA from Stanford University.

So, keep listening to find out why trade-offs aren't the negative experiences we often think they are, how one question can help you determine your most valuable priorities, and several ways to say no gracefully.

"Essentialism" is divided into four parts, each of which covers a key element of the author's "four E" essentialist approach. These elements are essence, explore, eliminate, and execute.

Let's take a look at the first element, essence. Here, you get an in-depth look at how an essentialist thinks.

Essentialists remember that they have a choice. You can choose how to spend your energy and time.

This is something that we all know rationally, but very few of us understand emotionally. We often feel like we have to do something, even though we know we really shouldn't, because of time or energy constraints. Sometimes, we forget entirely that we can choose.

Essentialists also understand the concept of noise. The principle here is that almost everything is unimportant, and very few things are exceptionally valuable. Sometimes, what you don't do is just as important as what you do do.

This is why an essentialist takes time to explore all his or her options. It's an extra investment of time, but it's worth it because some things are so much more important than others, and they repay the effort ten-fold.

Essentialists also understand the reality of trade-offs. You can't have it all or do it all. You have to make tradeoffs with your choices.

For example, do you want to finish that email or be on time for your meeting? Do you want it done faster, or better? Non-essentialists ask, "How can I do both?" And therein lies the problem.

Essentialists ask, "Which problem do I want?" This question forces you to make deliberate trade-offs. And, this shouldn't be a negative question. Trade-offs represent opportunities. You're not asking, "What do I have to give up?" Instead, you're essentially asking, "What do I want to go big on?"

This is a subtle shift in thinking that can really change how you look at the trade-offs in your life.

These three concepts create the foundation of essentialist thinking. And, you'll see them come up again and again throughout the book.

Parts two, three, and four make up the real how-to of the book. Here, you find tips and strategies for identifying everything that's non-essential, and learn how to make smarter choices about what you say yes to.

Let's look at the next element in the author's four E approach: explore. There are several chapters here that help you learn how to tell the important from the trivial.

Essentialists explore a lot more than non-essentialists, even though at first it might sound like they don't. And it might be tempting to skip over this step because, after all, your goal is to pursue less, right? Why would you want to explore more options?

The author says that exploring is essential to the disciplined pursuit of less. To determine what's truly essential, we need space to think, time to look and listen, permission to play, wisdom to sleep, and the discipline to apply highly selective criteria to the choices we make.

So, how do you do this?

There are several ways you can weed out the non-essentials in your life.

One of these is to escape. This means giving yourself the time and space you need to think about what you want to do, and what direction you want to go in. You need to escape to focus.

The author says that the faster and busier our lives get, the more we need to build in time just to think.

Sound impossible? Remember, this is a choice, and it's a choice plenty of really busy people are making.

For example, Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, schedules up to two hours a day of blank space in his calendar, just to think and strategize. He says at first it felt like an indulgence, but it's become his single most valuable productivity tool.

Another good example is Bill Gates, who regularly takes a week off work to think, study technology, and read. He's done this since the 1980s, even during Microsoft's busiest times.

One way to escape is to read classic literature for the first 20 minutes of the day. The author does this himself, and he finds it broadens his perspective, and reminds him of themes and ideas that have withstood the test of time.

We think it doesn't matter what you do to escape. The point is that you need to slow down, period, and create space in your day to think. Find a way to do that, whether it's for five minutes or two hours. Turn off the phone, shut the door, leave your laptop closed, and just think.

Another way to weed out the non-essentials in your life is to look. In this context, learning how to look means knowing how to see the point of whatever situation you're in. It means being able to see the bigger picture, and hear what's not being said as well as what is.

One way to do this is to get out into the field. This means getting out of your office or your routine to really explore a problem.

Here's an example. A class at Stanford challenged design students to create a baby incubator for one percent of the traditional $20,000 cost. It was an important assignment, because in the developing world, four million low-birth-weight children die in the first 28 days because they don't have enough fat to regulate their body temperature.

If the students had approached this as a financial problem, they could have produced an inexpensive electric incubator. But that wouldn't have addressed the root of the problem, which wasn't immediately obvious. The students took time to figure out what that core problem was. They learned that in many developing countries, 80 percent of babies are born at home, with no electricity.

Students ended up designing a non-electric pod that will warm a baby for six hours at a time. By taking the time to look, they were able to make a bigger contribution.

The rest of part two covers other important elements you need to explore. These are play, sleep, and selection.

Once you've explored your options, you need to know how to eliminate what's trivial, so you can spend your time and energy on what truly matters. This is the focus of part three.

It can be hard to sift through projects and commitments to determine which ones are worth your time and energy. So, ask yourself this: "If I didn't have this opportunity, what would I be willing to do to acquire it?"

We think this is a really useful technique that anyone can use to help weed out unnecessary obligations and commitments.

You can also make a list of your priorities for the day, week, or month. Instead of asking, "What should I say yes to?" ask, "What will I say no to?"

Shifting the question to what you will turn down can really help clarify your priorities.

An important part of eliminating the noise in your life is learning how to say no, and there's a whole chapter on how to do this gracefully.

We think this is a really important addition, because all of us could use some instruction on how to say no to projects, people, and opportunities that just aren't that vital. But saying no isn't enough. We need to know how to say no in a way that preserves our relationships and builds respect.

No matter what the request, it takes a certain amount of courage to say no. We're scared to rock the boat or disappoint people. We might be afraid that we'll miss an opportunity if we say no, or that we'll burn a bridge.

But saying no can open us up to incredible opportunities, and even change our lives and relationships forever. There's a very moving story in this chapter told by the daughter of author Stephen Covey. If you want to see the power of saying no at the right time for the right reason, and what can happen as a result, don't miss it.

So, we know that saying no is really important. But, how do you do it?

One strategy is to separate the decision from the relationship.

The author says that requests and relationships are often confused. Denying the request doesn't mean you're denying the person making the request. When you understand this, it's easier to make a clear decision.

Another way you can gracefully say no is to realize you don't have to use the word "no."
Sometimes, of course, you'll have to tell the person a blunt "no." But most of the time, there are other ways to respectfully and gracefully decline a request.

One way is the "soft no," which is like saying, "No, but…"

For instance, a friend invites you to coffee but you're way too busy. You might say, "I'm sorry but I'm really busy with a project this month. Let me know if we could meet up at the end of the summer instead."

You're saying "no" to right now, but communicating that you do want to get together when you have more time.

Saying no to your boss or another leader presents its own challenges. Try this. When your boss makes a request that will compromise your ability to work effectively, say, "Yes, no problem. What should I de-prioritize to do this?"

This reminds your boss or other superior that you're going to have to neglect something else to accommodate their request.

There are several other strategies in this chapter that will help you say no more gracefully. We think all of them are really useful.

The last part of the book looks at execution – how to actually do the vital few things you've spent most of the book identifying. You learn how to create systems and processes that will help you execute the activities you care most about. The focus here is on simplicity. The author offers some great advice on creating systems that are as easy and frictionless as possible.

One way to do this is to build in buffers throughout your day. The author says that non-essentialists tend to assume a best-case scenario. They always think something will take less time than it actually does.

When this happens they're rushed for time, stressed out, and constantly reacting to what's happening around them. They might cut corners, or hand in work that's lower quality than what they could have accomplished with more time.

Essentialists take the opposite approach. They practice extreme preparation. This means that if you know you have a big project coming up, start preparing for it right now. Do a little bit at a time, instead of saving it all for the last minute.

So, what's our last word on "Essentialism"?

We think the book gives a very practical and easy-to-use framework for cutting out what's non-essential in your life so you can put your time, energy, and focus on what is essential.

Most of us can identify with the feeling that we're spreading ourselves too thin to be effective, or that we're too distracted to really focus on what's most important. Technology makes us reachable 24/7, and while this can bring convenience to life, it also makes it a lot more complex.

"Essentialism" stands out because it shows you, with powerful and honest simplicity, how to do more by doing less. The tips and strategies are practical and useful, and the lessons have the power to be transformational.

We have no trouble recommending this book because, even if you implement just one of the author's tips or suggestions, your life will be better for it. We could all use some advice on how to reduce the chaos and complexity of life, and fortunately there's a lot to be had in this book.

"Essentialism" by Greg McKeown, is published by Crown Business.

That's the end of this episode of Book Insights. Thanks for listening.