Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Currency (2014), Edition: 1, 272 pages
Description
Business. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. Economics. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� More than one million copies sold! Essentialism isn�??t about getting more done in less time. It�??s about getting only the right things done. �??A timely, essential read for anyone who feels overcommitted, overloaded, or overworked.�?��??Adam Grant Have you ever: �?� found yourself stretched too thin? �?� simultaneously felt overworked and underutilized? �?� felt busy but not productive? �?� felt like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people�??s agendas? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist. Essentialism is more than 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 toward the things that really matter. By forcing us to apply 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. It�??s about doing less, but better, in every area of our lives. Es… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member StephenBarkley
When I first arrived at a new staff position in a former church, one of the well-meaning members caught up with me and asked me to participate in her project. It would only take an hour or so once every week. Under pressure to make a good impression I said yes. It didn't take me long to realize my
Pastors in multi-staff or small churches are pulled in hundreds of directions every week. Greg McKeown's book on Essentialism caught my eye. While he wrote the book for a business audience, I wondered how it could apply to pastoral leadership.
*** The Book In Brief ***
We have a limited amount of energy to spend in life. We can move an inch in thousands of directions, or a mile in one. The undisciplined pursuit of more is our default mode. In order to break out of it we need to learn three skills:
1. Explore: Rather than jump on opportunities and say, "yes," to everyone who asks, essentialists explore all their options and choose carefully where to apply their energy. We need space in order to make these decisions so time to retreat and reflect is critical.
2. Eliminate: Once we have clarified our purpose, we need to remove the other good but unessential tasks from our lives. McKeown uses the analogy of cleaning out a closet. Resist the temptation to hold on to those items that you think you might wear some day. We need to get rid of everything that does not align with our key purpose in life.
3. Execute: Once we know what to do and have eliminated the competing options from our life, it's time to make the execution of our main goal effortless. We remove obstacles and leverage the power of small wins and habits to achieve our goals.
McKeown's book is simple and direct. The value comes not so much in the ideas he presents, but in their application.
*** Pastoral Application ***
Pastoring is (or at least should be) different from corporate achievement. Our "success" is measured not by the goals we attain but by faithfulness to the Spirit of God. I think of God's commissioning of Ezekiel:
"But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house" (Ezekiel 3:27).
Ezekiel's success was not measured by the people's response to his message but by his faithfulness to deliver God's message.
Here is where essentialism comes into play for the Pastor: our most essential task is to be faithful to God. The exploration comes when we take times of regular retreat from the world to reflect on our main goal. This helps us to see the things (even the good things) that crowd their way into our pursuit of God allowing us to eliminate them. As for execution, we put habits into place: regular attention to spiritual disciplines that enable us to hear more clearly the Spirit's voice.
Ironically, being a godly "essentialist" might mean not pursuing one earthly goal at the expense of all others. Earlier this week, for example, God has interrupted my pursuit of preparation and teaching to help a woman find rent money so her and her children would evade eviction. The same day I prayed with a person in distress. If I were a business-style essentialist, I might be tempted to see those events as intrusions against my main calling. As a pastor, I need to constantly remember that my goal is to remain faithful to my Creator. This is essentialism at its finest.
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mistake. The opportunity was fine, but it was not what I was brought in to do.Pastors in multi-staff or small churches are pulled in hundreds of directions every week. Greg McKeown's book on Essentialism caught my eye. While he wrote the book for a business audience, I wondered how it could apply to pastoral leadership.
*** The Book In Brief ***
We have a limited amount of energy to spend in life. We can move an inch in thousands of directions, or a mile in one. The undisciplined pursuit of more is our default mode. In order to break out of it we need to learn three skills:
1. Explore: Rather than jump on opportunities and say, "yes," to everyone who asks, essentialists explore all their options and choose carefully where to apply their energy. We need space in order to make these decisions so time to retreat and reflect is critical.
2. Eliminate: Once we have clarified our purpose, we need to remove the other good but unessential tasks from our lives. McKeown uses the analogy of cleaning out a closet. Resist the temptation to hold on to those items that you think you might wear some day. We need to get rid of everything that does not align with our key purpose in life.
3. Execute: Once we know what to do and have eliminated the competing options from our life, it's time to make the execution of our main goal effortless. We remove obstacles and leverage the power of small wins and habits to achieve our goals.
McKeown's book is simple and direct. The value comes not so much in the ideas he presents, but in their application.
*** Pastoral Application ***
Pastoring is (or at least should be) different from corporate achievement. Our "success" is measured not by the goals we attain but by faithfulness to the Spirit of God. I think of God's commissioning of Ezekiel:
"But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house" (Ezekiel 3:27).
Ezekiel's success was not measured by the people's response to his message but by his faithfulness to deliver God's message.
Here is where essentialism comes into play for the Pastor: our most essential task is to be faithful to God. The exploration comes when we take times of regular retreat from the world to reflect on our main goal. This helps us to see the things (even the good things) that crowd their way into our pursuit of God allowing us to eliminate them. As for execution, we put habits into place: regular attention to spiritual disciplines that enable us to hear more clearly the Spirit's voice.
Ironically, being a godly "essentialist" might mean not pursuing one earthly goal at the expense of all others. Earlier this week, for example, God has interrupted my pursuit of preparation and teaching to help a woman find rent money so her and her children would evade eviction. The same day I prayed with a person in distress. If I were a business-style essentialist, I might be tempted to see those events as intrusions against my main calling. As a pastor, I need to constantly remember that my goal is to remain faithful to my Creator. This is essentialism at its finest.
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LibraryThing member Dilip-Kumar
A simple introduction to the art and practice of zeroing in on the essentials.
LibraryThing member Steve_Hinkle
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less invites the reader into a “whole new way of doing everything.” Essentialism is a discipline. Essentialism is figuring out what is essential and eliminating everything that is not.
I found this book to be packed full of great leadership skills and
Author Greg McKeown offers several great illustrations as well as comparisons on how both essentialists and non-essentialists operate and ultimately fail or succeed. The book begins by stating that “the way of the essentialist is the relentless pursuit of less but better.” I immediately began to think of some of the most successful ministry stories I’ve read about or witnessed and how those organizations, pastors, teams, and churches were focused churches who didn’t try to do many things “okay” but rather pursued a few essential core goals in ministering to others.
Each chapter of this book is filled with steps not on “how to get more things done” but rather, “how to get the right things done.” Our time and energy is best spent on those things that maximize our energy, time, and contributions. Some of my favorite quotes from the book include:
Getting used to the idea of ‘less but better’ may prove harder than it sounds, especially when we have been rewarded in the past for doing more . . . and more and more.
Instead of asking, ‘what do I have to give up?’ ask, ‘what do I want to go big on?’
The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves. If we underinvest in ourselves, we damage the very tool we need to make our highest contribution.
I believe that God calls each of as leaders within the church to give our best. If we want to do it right, we must keep focused and learn to be ministerial essentialists. If we want to make a difference, we need to define exactly what that means to us and see it through until we have made our greatest contribution and left behind our largest impact. Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review and I highly recommend this book to all leaders and to anyone wanting to create a life that matters.
I found this book to be packed full of great leadership skills and
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insight on how not just to do things right but how to do them best. As a pastor, I would highly recommend this book to other pastors and pastoral/elder leadership teams. If we want our churches to impact our community and if we want to make a marked difference in the lives of others, we must be churches of essentialism!Author Greg McKeown offers several great illustrations as well as comparisons on how both essentialists and non-essentialists operate and ultimately fail or succeed. The book begins by stating that “the way of the essentialist is the relentless pursuit of less but better.” I immediately began to think of some of the most successful ministry stories I’ve read about or witnessed and how those organizations, pastors, teams, and churches were focused churches who didn’t try to do many things “okay” but rather pursued a few essential core goals in ministering to others.
Each chapter of this book is filled with steps not on “how to get more things done” but rather, “how to get the right things done.” Our time and energy is best spent on those things that maximize our energy, time, and contributions. Some of my favorite quotes from the book include:
Getting used to the idea of ‘less but better’ may prove harder than it sounds, especially when we have been rewarded in the past for doing more . . . and more and more.
Instead of asking, ‘what do I have to give up?’ ask, ‘what do I want to go big on?’
The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves. If we underinvest in ourselves, we damage the very tool we need to make our highest contribution.
I believe that God calls each of as leaders within the church to give our best. If we want to do it right, we must keep focused and learn to be ministerial essentialists. If we want to make a difference, we need to define exactly what that means to us and see it through until we have made our greatest contribution and left behind our largest impact. Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review and I highly recommend this book to all leaders and to anyone wanting to create a life that matters.
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
I read this book for work, but it has many applications for my personal life as well. The general premise is that we should strive for essentialism: "a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost
The first section of the book is about distinguishing the trivial many from the vital few. McKeown suggests choosing our areas of focus based on passion, talent, and what meets a need in the world. He encourages us to make space to think and time to play in order to figure out our areas of highest contribution. He also encourages us not to say yes to opportunities just because they meet minimum criteria. Instead, "yeses" should be reserved for opportunities that are at least a 90% fit with extreme criteria. (This reminds me of the concept of saying "Hell Yes or No.")
The other two sections of the book are about how to eliminate the trivial and how to execute effortlessly on the vital few. I found fewer unique ideas in these two sections of the book. There was more general wisdom in this section (set boundaries, get out of commitments you regret), and fewer specific tips. Much of the general wisdom in this section is based on research evidence (e.g., the power of small wins), so that is a plus, and there may be more value-added from these sections for people who aren't aware of that evidence already.
But in the end, I often read books like this more for inspiration than for specific guidelines. I know that I would be happier and make more significant contributions if I could focus on a few key areas of contribution, but that does not stop me from saying yes to way too many opportunities. Books like this remind me of the benefits of continuing to fight against my tendency to overcommit. As McKeown reminds us, by becoming an essentialist, "life will become less about efficiently crossing off what was on your to-do list or rushing through everything on your schedule and more about changing what you put on there in the first place."
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effortless." McKeown argues that we can't have it all and suggests that trade-offs are an inherent part of life. Because of this, we shouldn't ask what we want to give up, but rather what we want to go big on. The first section of the book is about distinguishing the trivial many from the vital few. McKeown suggests choosing our areas of focus based on passion, talent, and what meets a need in the world. He encourages us to make space to think and time to play in order to figure out our areas of highest contribution. He also encourages us not to say yes to opportunities just because they meet minimum criteria. Instead, "yeses" should be reserved for opportunities that are at least a 90% fit with extreme criteria. (This reminds me of the concept of saying "Hell Yes or No.")
The other two sections of the book are about how to eliminate the trivial and how to execute effortlessly on the vital few. I found fewer unique ideas in these two sections of the book. There was more general wisdom in this section (set boundaries, get out of commitments you regret), and fewer specific tips. Much of the general wisdom in this section is based on research evidence (e.g., the power of small wins), so that is a plus, and there may be more value-added from these sections for people who aren't aware of that evidence already.
But in the end, I often read books like this more for inspiration than for specific guidelines. I know that I would be happier and make more significant contributions if I could focus on a few key areas of contribution, but that does not stop me from saying yes to way too many opportunities. Books like this remind me of the benefits of continuing to fight against my tendency to overcommit. As McKeown reminds us, by becoming an essentialist, "life will become less about efficiently crossing off what was on your to-do list or rushing through everything on your schedule and more about changing what you put on there in the first place."
Show Less
LibraryThing member shulera1
I purchased Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown on a whim. I was at the bookstore, they didn't have any of the books I came for (too old), and Essentialism was on my TBR list. Before you could say cheesy self-help, Essentialism was on my shelf.
I really wish I hadn't
McKeown says over and over again that Essentialism is all about focusing on the number one thing in your life to exclusion of all else. Not only is this impossible, it's unhealthy. It's ok to follow interests that aren't directly related to your core mission in life. It's ok to want to do things that aren't directly related to your career. And sometimes you have to do things that don't directly fit into your core mission because you're a freaking adult and not everything you have to do is something that you want to do.
The book is mostly filler and could have easily been condensed into a single strong article instead of bloated to an entire book. There are only so many times one needs to say "Say no to things that aren't central to your mission."
Get a head start on the Essentialist lifestyle and say "no" to this book.
I really wish I hadn't
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purchased the book. Essentialism is mediocre, even for a self-indulgent business book. I have a soft spot for books about productivity and time management, even though they are often kind of bad, but this one was not worth my time at all. And it's not worth yours either.McKeown says over and over again that Essentialism is all about focusing on the number one thing in your life to exclusion of all else. Not only is this impossible, it's unhealthy. It's ok to follow interests that aren't directly related to your core mission in life. It's ok to want to do things that aren't directly related to your career. And sometimes you have to do things that don't directly fit into your core mission because you're a freaking adult and not everything you have to do is something that you want to do.
The book is mostly filler and could have easily been condensed into a single strong article instead of bloated to an entire book. There are only so many times one needs to say "Say no to things that aren't central to your mission."
Get a head start on the Essentialist lifestyle and say "no" to this book.
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LibraryThing member bodhisattva
This is a book that either speaks to you, or doesn't (based on the previous reviews posted to LT).
The book title describes the book's theme well, and while ostensibly a business/management book, works great on the individual level.
Excellent work.
The book title describes the book's theme well, and while ostensibly a business/management book, works great on the individual level.
Excellent work.
LibraryThing member nicdevera
"-an executive I work with took on a new senior role in the company, he inherited a process his predecessor had gone to a huge effort to implement: a huge, highly visual report on a myriad of subjects produced for the other executives each week. It consumed enormous energy from his team, and he
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hypothesized that it was not adding a great deal of value to the company. So to test his hypothesis he ran a reverse pilot. He simply stopped publishing the report and waited to see what the response would be. What he found was that no one seemed to miss it; after several weeks nobody had even mentioned the report." Show Less
LibraryThing member PlanCultivateCreate
Good tips, but could have been shorter ;)
LibraryThing member Neale
Essentialism is a great concept and well explained and described in this book. Lots of examples and ways to include it in your life.
It is a different mindset and will take a while to implement and incorporate. I read this book with Deep Work, they compliment each other.
Highly recommend.
It is a different mindset and will take a while to implement and incorporate. I read this book with Deep Work, they compliment each other.
Highly recommend.
LibraryThing member byebyelibrary
This book offers very concise, very useful advice.
LibraryThing member nicholasjjordan
August 2016 first read:
Really good, the kind of book that you see affecting your thinking, planning, approach to life. I'll need to re-read it a few years from now.
September 2018 reread:
Dropped a star down to 3 stars. It was so helpful two years ago, but now it seems too simple and repetitive now.
Really good, the kind of book that you see affecting your thinking, planning, approach to life. I'll need to re-read it a few years from now.
September 2018 reread:
Dropped a star down to 3 stars. It was so helpful two years ago, but now it seems too simple and repetitive now.
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Hopefully that is due to some growth in leadership and productivity knowledge and skills in that time period. Show Less
LibraryThing member debnance
It is a simple idea: focus your attention on the most important things, eliminate the nonessential, and you will achieve great success. It is a book we need, don't we? Our parents never had the choices for using our time that we have; their problems were a lack of options. We suffer today from the
Focus. On. The. Important. Thing.
Great wisdom here.
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opposite problem. We have too many choices. We can't do everything and when we try to do everything, we end up not doing much of anything.Focus. On. The. Important. Thing.
Great wisdom here.
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LibraryThing member spinsterrevival
Finally listened to this after hearing about it forever. Ironically was also on my boss’s bookshelf, but now after reading I see she didn’t put any of it in to practice. Good information and a lot of things to ponder, yet I kept thinking about the author’s place of privilege in the world.
LibraryThing member Daniel.Estes
"If you don't prioritize your life, others will." I love this quote. The version I've been repeating for years is this, "If you don't write your own life's script, someone else will do it for you."
LibraryThing member SGTCat
Interesting. I'm not attempting to downplay what's said in this book, but I think "Essentialism" is just Japanese "Minimalism" applied also to human activity and business practices instead of just possessions. That being said, I wish more company executives practiced what McKeown preaches,
I agree with other reviewers that the book was overly long and repetitive considering its message is Essentialism.
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especially in terms of clarity of purpose for teams in both goals and performance evaluation. This should be required reading for all managers.I agree with other reviewers that the book was overly long and repetitive considering its message is Essentialism.
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LibraryThing member rynk
Manufacturing a few more hours in the day has been ruled out, so when things get busy it's time to say no, or to stop doing things and see if anyone notices. Labor-saving devices are largely ignored by this middle-management confection, which argues that most labor is too trivial to pursue-or at
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least its value is untested, as in overbuilt software. Managers know much of this, but may still benefit from the chance to contemplate the time and money freed up by skimming all the nice-to-haves from their next project. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
As someone who tries to do all of the things, I found myself taking notes during this one. I have a hard time saying no, and I’m grateful for the advice of how to focus and decide what’s really important instead of saying yes to everyone. I found this one helpful for both my personal and
“If I didn’t already own this how much would I spend to buy it?”
“Multitasking is not the enemy of essentialism, pretending we can multifocus is.”
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professional life. “If I didn’t already own this how much would I spend to buy it?”
“Multitasking is not the enemy of essentialism, pretending we can multifocus is.”
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LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Today’s world is an increasingly complex place. Many of us feel like we live disintegrated lives and are pulled in many directions. Yet people who have the highest societal impact tend to have the ability to focus, and throughout the centuries, writers like Henry David Thoreau have reminded us to
Some might say that there is nothing new in this book, and in one sense, they will be right. Most “self-help” books focus on finding the good and amplifying it as much as possible. This book does the same. Yet its examples are very interesting and fit more with contemporary life than many of the more classic works. Indeed, McKeown cites many of the classics along with modern scientific examples.
McKeown is a business writer who seeks to better the lives of modern workers. He also seems to genuinely care for his family and uses this philosophy to carve out a healthy space for them. He’s from the UK and holds an MBA from Stanford. The book itself seems to coalesce with his course taught at Stanford. His message especially tries to help executives and executive teams work better together by focusing on less instead of more.
This book has made an obvious impact on the business community, but that should not limit it. McKeown’s take borders on behavioral psychology and philosophy. Researchers who try to carve out a specialist’s niche will find this book relevant. The focus is more about getting the most out of life and work instead of how to benefit the bottom line. Because of this, even religious readers might find some benefit from reading this book. Thus, a wide variety of audiences can be engaged. In many ways, this book embodies McKeown’s philosophy: By focusing on less (i.e., the essence), it reaches a broader audience than it could by doing more. By my reading, it does its job with excellence.
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simplify instead of complicate. In this book, McKeown seeks to convey these timeless philosophical lessons in a more contemporary format, geared around modern business lives and personal well-being.Some might say that there is nothing new in this book, and in one sense, they will be right. Most “self-help” books focus on finding the good and amplifying it as much as possible. This book does the same. Yet its examples are very interesting and fit more with contemporary life than many of the more classic works. Indeed, McKeown cites many of the classics along with modern scientific examples.
McKeown is a business writer who seeks to better the lives of modern workers. He also seems to genuinely care for his family and uses this philosophy to carve out a healthy space for them. He’s from the UK and holds an MBA from Stanford. The book itself seems to coalesce with his course taught at Stanford. His message especially tries to help executives and executive teams work better together by focusing on less instead of more.
This book has made an obvious impact on the business community, but that should not limit it. McKeown’s take borders on behavioral psychology and philosophy. Researchers who try to carve out a specialist’s niche will find this book relevant. The focus is more about getting the most out of life and work instead of how to benefit the bottom line. Because of this, even religious readers might find some benefit from reading this book. Thus, a wide variety of audiences can be engaged. In many ways, this book embodies McKeown’s philosophy: By focusing on less (i.e., the essence), it reaches a broader audience than it could by doing more. By my reading, it does its job with excellence.
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LibraryThing member jpsnow
This book immediately made the shortlist that I consider my leadership canon. Put simply, essential is: less, but better. I immediately started using it to execute faster, focusing on first things first, and with minimal chaff.
LibraryThing member sami7
Repetitive, repetitive & repetitive. The title pretty much sums it up. Just try to do less of the non-essential stuff to have more time for the essentials.
LibraryThing member mimo
Author frequently references other management and nonfiction writers such as Drucker, Kahneman, Duhigg, whom I've read, and effectively pulls their best bits to illustrate his own point. Can't decide if this is more for management, or self-improvement. In the end it gushes too much like
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self-affirmations. Also, assumes that reader struggles with work/family balance, which is not necessarily the same thing as work/life balance. There were a few jewels that I would consider looking up the print book for. Audiobook read by the author. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
272 p.; 5.73 inches
ISBN
9780804137386