Essentialism

Highlights §

• “Is this the very most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?” (Location 55)
• But by being selective he bought himself space, and in that space he found creative freedom. He could concentrate his efforts on one project at a time. He could plan thoroughly. He could anticipate roadblocks and start to remove obstacles. Instead of spinning his wheels trying to get everything done, he could get the right things done. (Location 63)
• In this example is the basic value proposition of Essentialism: only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter. (Location 74)
• There are far more activities and opportunities in the world than we have time and resources to invest in. And although many of them may be good, or even very good, the fact is that most are trivial and few are vital. The way of the Essentialist involves learning to tell the difference – learning to filter through all those options and selecting only those that are truly essential. (Location 93)
• Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the non-essentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. (Location 106)
• Put another way, success can distract us from focusing on the essential things that produce success in the first place. (Location 176)
• We can either make our choices deliberately or allow other people’s agendas to control our lives. (Location 211)
• not just getting rid of the obvious time wasters, but cutting out some really good opportunities as well. (Location 215)
• In your personal or professional life, the equivalent of asking yourself which clothes you love is asking yourself, “Will this activity or effort make the highest possible contribution towards my goal?” (Location 230)
• If you’re not quite there, ask the killer question: “If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?” (Location 235)
• “I choose to,” “Only a few things really matter,” and “I can do anything but not everything.” (Location 349)
• That is why the first and most crucial skill you will learn on this journey is to develop your ability to choose choice, in every area of your life. (Location 419)
• “What is the most valuable result I could achieve in this job?” (Location 454)
• Distinguishing the “trivial many” from the “vital few” can be applied to every kind of human endeavour large or small and has been done so persuasively by Richard Koch, author of several books on how to apply the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) to everyday life. (Location 474)
• Sometimes what you don’t do is just as important as what you do.” (Location 481)
• The reality is, saying yes to any opportunity by definition requires saying no to several others. (Location 548)
• A non-Essentialist approaches every trade-off by asking, “How can I do both?” Essentialists ask the tougher but ultimately more liberating question, “Which problem do I want?” An Essentialist makes trade-offs deliberately. (Location 586)
• Non-Essentialist Essentialist Thinks, “I can do both.” Asks, “What is the trade-off I want to make?” Asks, “How can I do it all?” Asks, “What can I go big on?” (Location 609)
• In other words, Newton created space for intense concentration, and this uninterrupted space enabled him to explore the essential elements of the universe. (Location 704)
• “monk mode” (Location 708)
• Here’s another paradox for you: the faster and busier things get, the more we need to build thinking time into our schedule. And the noisier things get, the more we need to build quiet reflection spaces in which we can truly focus. (Location 718)
• In every set of facts, something essential is hidden. (Location 772)
• “If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?” (Location 1248)
• “If I didn’t have this opportunity, what would I be (Location 1250)
• willing to do to acquire it?” (Location 1250)
• The first type of non-essential you’re going to learn how to eliminate is simply any activity that is misaligned with what you are intending to achieve. (Location 1282)
• productivity in my experience consists of NOT doing anything that helps the work of other people but to spend all one’s time on the work the Good Lord has fitted one to do, and to do well.” (Location 1455)
• The point is to say no to the non-essentials so we can say yes to the things that really matter. It is to say no – frequently and gracefully – to everything but what is truly vital. (Location 1462)
• Don’t ask, “How will I feel if I miss out on this opportunity?” but rather, “If I did not have this opportunity, how much would I be willing to sacrifice in order to obtain it?” (Location 1610)
• You can apply zero-based budgeting to your own endeavours. Instead of trying to budget your time on the basis of existing commitments, assume that all bets are off. All previous commitments are gone. Then begin from scratch, asking which you would add today. (Location 1656)
• After all, if you don’t set boundaries – there won’t be any. Or even worse, there will be boundaries, but they’ll be set by default – or by another person – instead of by design. (Location 1820)
• They know that clear boundaries allow them to proactively eliminate the demands and encumbrances from others that distract them from the true essentials. (Location 1827)
• The Essentialist looks ahead. She plans. She prepares for different contingencies. She expects the unexpected. She creates a buffer to prepare for the unforeseen, thus giving herself some wiggle room when things come up, as they inevitably do. (Location 1953)
• Think of the most important project you are trying to get done at work or at home. Then ask the following five questions: (1) What risks do you face on this project? (2) What is the worst-case scenario? (3) What would the social effects of this be? (4) What would the financial impact of this be? and (5) How can you invest to reduce risks or strengthen financial or social resilience? (Location 2026)
• The question is this: What is the “slowest hiker” in your job or your life? What is the obstacle that is keeping you back from achieving what really matters to you? By systematically identifying and removing this “constraint” you’ll be able to significantly reduce the friction keeping you from executing what is essential. (Location 2060)
• Ask yourself, “What are all the obstacles standing between me and getting this done?” and “What is keeping me from completing this?” Make a list of these obstacles. They might include: not having the information you need, your energy level, your desire for perfection. Prioritise the list using the question, “What is the obstacle that, if removed, would make the majority of other obstacles disappear?” (Location 2093)
• Ask him, “What obstacles or bottlenecks are holding you back from achieving X, and how can I help remove these?” Instead of pestering him, offer sincerely to support him. You will get a warmer reply than you would by just e-mailing him another demand. (Location 2112)
• It supports the sentiment attributed to Lao Tzu: “In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.” (Location 2483)
• Once you become an Essentialist, you will find that you aren’t like everybody else. When other people are saying yes, you will find yourself saying no. When other people are doing, you will find yourself thinking. When other people are speaking, you will find yourself listening. When other people are in the spotlight, vying for attention, you will find yourself waiting on the sidelines until it is time to shine. While other people are padding their résumés and building out their LinkedIn profiles, you will be building a career of meaning. While other people are complaining (read: bragging) about how busy they are, you will just be smiling sympathetically, unable to relate. While other people are living a life of stress and chaos, you will be living a life of impact and fulfilment. In many ways, to live as an Essentialist in our too-many-things-all-the-time society is an act of quiet revolution. (Location 2563)
• Life will become less about efficiently crossing off what was on your to-do list or rushing through everything on your schedule and more (Location 2606)
• about changing what you put on there in the first place. (Location 2607)
• whatever decision or challenge or crossroads you face in your life, simply ask yourself, “What is essential?” Eliminate everything else. (Location 2631)