Book Review-Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

It is no surprise to me that Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less was an instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller. His book is very much on trend with consumer’s desire to make their lives less cluttered and less busy.

I don’t know about you, but I am bombarded daily with emails, promotions, and opportunities. It is essential that I stay focused and be discerning of where I want to put my energy. If you have asked yourself any of these questions that Amazon uses to describe Greg’s book, you too would benefit from this great read:

Have you ever felt the urge to declutter your work life?

 Do you often find yourself stretched too thin?
 
Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized?
 
Are you frequently busy but not productive?
 
Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?”

Amazon goes on to describe Greg’s book:
 
“If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.
 
The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter. By forcing us to apply a more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy – instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

 Essentialism is not one more thing – it’s a whole new way of doing everything. A must-read for any leader, manager, or individual who wants to do less, but better, and declutter and organize their own their lives, Essentialism is a movement whose time has come.”

This is a book that I took pages of notes from. I don’t have the exact words from one section of Greg’s book, but essentially (a little book humor there!), he wrote:
When you become successful, the way of the essentialist is critical. Everyone will want to collaborate with you and be part of your brand. You can become pulled in so many directions that you start to loose the edge that made you successful in the first place.

Wow! For me, this one thought was powerful. After reading it, I wrote down every one of the commitments that I was currently involved in and started to narrow down what was essential. With each item that I crossed off my list and each commitment I released myself from, I felt lighter and filled with creative energy to put toward the things that I really really cared about. Inspiring and nurturing creativity is that one essential item. Hopefully you will benefit from Greg’s help in my clarity.

I HIGHLY recommend reading this book. It was an easy read and very helpful. I can’t imagine that any of you wouldn’t also benefit from this book.

What Do You Think?

Have you read this book? What did you think? Did you have any big insights? Leave a comment.

You might also be interested in another book review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

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