At the suggestion of my financial planner, I started reading the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I would like to open with an excerpt from Chapter 1.

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. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we would now be able to have multiple “first “things. People and companies routinely try to do just that.

If everything is a priority, nothing is. 

This book has come at the right time for me because I have discovered that I need to upgrade the way that I work. What has served me in the past is no longer working for some reason. 

The opening chapter of the book illustrates essentialism by drawing a distinction between a nonessentialist and an essentialist. I’ll be the first to admit I’m operating as a nonessentialist.

THINKS

Nonessentialist: All things to all people

• “I have to.”
• “It’s all important.”
• “How can I fit it all in?”

Essentialist: Less but better

• “I choose to.”
• “Only a few things really matter.”
• “What are the trade-offs?”

DOES

Nonessentialist: The undisciplined pursuit of more

• Reacts to what’s most pressing
• Says “yes” to people without really thinking
• Tries to force execution at the last moment

Essentialist: The disciplined pursuit of less

• Pauses to discern what really matters
• Says “no” to everything except the essential
• Removes obstacles to make execution easy

GETS

Nonessentialist: Lives a life that does not satisfy

• Takes on too much, and work suffers
• Feels out of control
• Is unsure of whether the right things got done
• Feels overwhelmed and exhausted

Essentialist: Lives a life that really matters

• Chooses carefully in order to do great work
• Feels in control
• Gets the right things done
• Experiences joy in the journey

I’m looking forward to learning more about essentalism and how I can change my mindset and operate more as an essentialist to be more productive, less stressed, and bring back at least a modicum of joy to the work I do every day. More to come.