9 quotes from Greg McKeown's Book Essentialism
1. "You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything."
Few things actually move the needle!Few things actually move the needle!
If you can identify those and focus on those ...you'll be ahead of90% of people.
2. "Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life.
There's always a trade-off when we make key decisions.There's always a trade-off when we make key decisions.
E.g. when you choose to eat healthy foods as part of your lifestyle you're willingly trading off the "sweet taste" of processed and junk foods which is their major marketing strength.
Get used to trading off the trivial for the vital few instead of shying away from trade-offs.
3. "If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no."
Tim Ferris popularized the "Hell yes, or nah" phrase.
If you're have doubt to making a decision, its always safer to use "no" as your default.
4. "There should be no shame in admitting to a mistake; after all, we really are only admitting that we are now wiser than we once were."
Never allow any mistake define you.
No failures, only lessons.
5. "What if instead we celebrated how much time we had spent listening, pondering, meditating, and enjoying time with the most important people in our lives?"
In our Hustle culture, its rare to find people talk about how much family time they're having or working towards.
While in reality, the family is what keeps the society sane.
6. "What if we stopped celebrating being busy as a measurement of importance?
There's no reward for being busy apart from impressing random people and giving a false impression.There's no reward for being busy apart from impressing random people and giving a false impression.
Instead of celebrating "busyness," lets learn to celebrate results.
7. "Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.
Realize, that people would always have one "urgency" or the other.Realize, that people would always have one "urgency" or the other.
Don't let this distract you from your mission.
You gotta choose what you want out of life or others make the decision for you.
8. "The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular.
It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years.It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years.
Today, most of us have several priorities and no more know what's important.
9. "Instead of asking, “What do I have to give up?” they ask, “What do I want to go big on?"
The real question is where you want to focus on.
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