Essentialism — Greg McKeown
Core thesis: Less but better. You cannot have it all. The disciplined pursuit of less.
Trade-offs
- You cannot ignore the reality of trade-offs.
- Continental Airlines vs Southwest Airlines: good case study in straddled strategy — trying to be both is how you lose.
- You cannot value everything equally. Come decision time, you need a prioritised credo.
- Ask: What do I want to go big on? What am I willing to give up?
How to Choose
If the answer isn’t “hell yes,” it’s a no. Say yes to the top 10% of opportunities only.
Decision filter:
- Write down the opportunity
- List 3 minimum criteria it must pass
- List 3 extreme/ideal criteria it must pass
If it fails the minimum criteria → no. If it passes minimum but fails 2 of 3 extreme criteria → still no.
Eliminating
- Every time you fail to say no to a non-essential, you’re saying yes by default.
- Clarity of purpose is essential to performance.
- Essential intent: one concrete, inspirational decision that eliminates a thousand future decisions.
- Always ask: How will I know when I’m done?
Saying No
- Awkward pause
- “No, but…”
- “Let me check my calendar and get back to you”
- “Yes — what should I deprioritise?”
- “You’re welcome to X, I’m willing to Y”
- “I can’t, but [X] might be interested”
Uncommitting
- If not for sunk cost, would I still do this?
- What else could I do with this time and energy?
- Stop making casual commitments
- Pause before you speak
On Problems
- Their problem is not your problem
- Don’t rob others of their problems
- Find the dealbreakers
- Craft social contracts
Execution
- Create buffers — add 50% to your time estimate
- Practice extreme and early preparation
- Scenario plan: what risks, what worst case, what social/financial effects, how to invest to reduce risk?
- Remove the slowest hiker — what obstacle is keeping you from the essential?
Progress
- Start small, build to big
- Always identify the minimum viable product / minimum viable preparation
- Celebrate wins
Routine
- Make the essential the default
- Habits shift mental work to basal ganglia, freeing up brain real estate
- Habits = cue → routine → reward
- Focus on the hardest thing first
Focus
- What’s important NOW?
- Chronos (clock time) vs Kairos (the right moment)
- Multitasking is OK; multifocusing is not
See also: 4B-mental-models | adhd-voltage-model | 1A-values