Earlier this month I was at a gathering talking with a long-time business colleague. He shared that when he recently agreed to join a company’s board of directors, he requested that everyone on that board read the book “Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.”
In a society that seems to be about doing more, FOMO (fear of missing out), and stating how busy we are as a badge of honor – the appeal of “pursuing less” is super attractive but seems incongruent to professional success and business growth. Yet author Greg McKeown makes the case in the first chapter that “[essentialism] is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.”
McKeown shares a personal story, which led to his own discovery of the lesson that “if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.”
And, by prioritizing energy and resources on the right things, while deliberately eliminating the non-essentials, we define a path where we can “enjoy the journey, not just the destination.” The idea is to focus on the one thing that provides the highest level of contribution and eliminates the noise and distractions in order to pursue success.
Identifying and focusing on one thing seems daunting; however, McKeown guides readers on how to “discern the trivial many from the vital few,” and then “how to cut out the trivial many.” The final section focuses on execution and the ways we can “make the vital few things almost effortless.”
If you find yourself stretched too thin, resentful of something you committed to do, or are feeling busy but not productive, I encourage you to read “Essentialism” and consider, as McKeown wisely offers, “the relentless pursuit of less but better.”