The Book in 3 Sentences

1. Essentialism means doing less, better.
2. So many people suffer from overcommitment and saying yes to everything.
3. By only doing what is essential you gain time, clarity and fulfilment.

Impressions

Good book with a really interesting theme. It did feel very dragged out though and didn’t warrant 300 pages. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to boost their productivity and/or live a more fulfilled life.

Top Quotes

Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.

You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.

If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.

Summary & Notes

Unless you LOVE something, don’t keep it.

“Will this activity make the highest possible contribution to my goal?”

Humans overvalue things that we already own. (Endowment effect)

“If I didn’t own this, how much $ would I buy it for?”

(Pareto principle - get rid of the 80%)

Essentialism isn’t a weekly, monthly etc. process, its a discipline. A way of thinking.

Chaper 2

Replace - “I have to”, “It’s all important”, “I can do both”,

With - “I choose to”, “only a few things matter”, “I can do anything but not everything”.

Options are things, choices are actions.

We always have the ability to choose.

We learn helplessness - forget our abillity to choose.

Remember to choose to. Or others will for you.

Chapter 3

Instead of going small on lots of mediocre bets, go big on a few big bets.

Power law theory - certain efforts produce exponentially more results than others.

We need to discern the vital few and the trivial many.

Don’t ignore tradeoffs - they can’t be escaped.

Create a statement of priorities in order so that when faced with a tradeoff you know straight away what to choose.

You can’t have it all.

Make deliberate tradeoffs and resist the urge to do both.

We neeed to be prepared to choose family, health, friends or work.

Chapter 4

i.e. how to discern the vital few from the trivial many.

Explore many options before commiting.

To discern what is essential we need - space, listening, playing, sleeping and selecting to be prioritised.

These are not trivial diversions, they help find trivial diversions.

Chapter 5

If you’re too busy to think, you’re too busy.

Step back to gain perspective and make sure you’re on the right track - create space to escape/explore life.

We need to escape to focus.

Isolate yourself for uninterupted periods to get stuff done.

Set aside time just to think.

Spend the first 20 minutes of your morning reading timeless old books → It can change your assumptions about what really matters.

Chapter 6

In every set of facts, something essential is hidden.

Stop hyperfocusing on the minor details and see the bigger picture.

This will help you find trends in your life.

Pay attention to the signal in the noise.

Hear what’s not being said.

Scan to find the essence of info.

Journal → helps you take control of your life. Apply less but better. Look over it every 90 days to find trends.

Get out into the field.

Look for unusual details.

Clarify the questions and don’t stray from it.

Chapter 7

Play - anything we do simply for the joy of doing rather than as a means to an end.

Play is essential.

• it leads to brain plasticity, adaptability, creativity,
• sparks exploration,
• broadens options,
• antidote to stress → allows clear thinking. Draw to reduce stress.
• helps executive function.

Chapter 8

Don’t sabotage yourself. Get at least 8 hours of sleep consistently.

One more hour of sleep equals several more hours of productivity.

Sleep breeds creativity.

If you’re an early bird or night owl, try taking naps to boost your creativity.

Chapter 9

If it isn’t a clear yes, its a clear no.

90 Percent rule - rank everything from 1-10 and then cut everything below 9.

Say yes to the top 10% of opportunities.

Use narrow, explicit criteria when discerning.

Chapter 10

Have a concrete and inspirational intent.

Make it meaningful and memorable.

Make one decision that eliminates thousands of later ones .

Live with intent.

Chapter 11

The right “no” spoken at the right time can change the course of history.

We struggle to say no because we lose sight of what is essential.

Learn to say no firmly.

Say yes only to the things that matter.

Separate the decision from the relationship. Don’t feel obligated to say yes to a friend.

You don’t have to use no:

“I am flattered that you thought of me but I’m afraid I don’t have the bandwidth.”

“I would very much like to but I’m overcommitted.”

Everyone is selling something in exchange for your time.

Saying no often requires trading popularity for respect.

A clear no is more graceful that a noncommittal yes.

The book includes a list of techniques for saying no: the awkward pause, the soft “no” (or “no but”), “let me check my calendar and get back to you”, use email bounce-backs, “Yes. What should I deprioritise?”, say it with humour, “You are willing to X. I am willing to Y”, suggest someone to do it.

Saying no is its own leadership capability.

Chapter 12

Sunk cost bias - the tendency to continue to invest into something we know is a losing proposition, simply because we have already incurred a cost that can’t be recouped.

You need to be comfortable with cutting losses.

Endowment effect - overvaluing things we already own.

Pretend you don’t own it yet to avoid this.

Get over the fear of waste.

Admit failure to begin success.

Don’t try to force something that isn’t working. Get a second opinion to remove sunk cost bias.

Status Quo bias - doing something simply because you have always done it.

Pause before you offer your services to make sure you don’t make a regrettable commitment.

Get over FOMO. Carry out a reverse pilot - remove something and see if it has any negative consequences.

Uncommitting is harder than not committing in the first place.

Chapter 13

Making things better often means subtracting something

When editing, eliminate the distracting words, images, and details.

Remove options to make decision easier.

Lower the ration of words to ideas when writing.

Not everything needs to be changed. Know when to show restraint.

Chapter 14

Set boundaries.

Boundaries are liberating.

Set rules in advance so that you don’t have to reject people as much.

Their problem is not your problem.

Make a list of “dealbrakers” - requests you simply refuse to say yes to. Whenever you feel violated by someone’s request, write it down. This is probably a dealbraker.

Chapter 15

Buffer - something that prevents two things from coming into contact and harming each-other.

Create buffers to reduce friction for execution. Don’t assume the best-case scenario.

Use good times to create buffers for the bad.

Prepare for all scenarios.

Add 50% to your time estimate.

Chapter 16

Find the point in a system that holds everything up and fix it.

Find this constraint in your own life. What obstacle is holding you back from achieving what really matters for you?

Don’t default to bandaid solutions.

Chapter 17

Positive reinforcement works better than punishment.

Start small and celebrate progress.

You don’t need do something big to make a major change in your life.

Progress is the most effective form of motivation.

“Done is better than perfect”

Focus on minimal viable progress.

Create visual indicators of progress.

Chapter 18

Design a routine that enshrines what is essential, making execution almost effortless.

Routine allows us to do hard things on autopilot. It also frees up mental space.

Be aware of when you fall into damaging routines.

Find your triggers and then find a way to associate them with another task.

Create new triggers to build productive habits.

Do the most difficult thing first.

Mix up your routines to avoid boredom.

Tackle your routines one by one.

Chapter 19

Keep your mind focused on the present - enjoy the moment.

Tune in to what is important right now.

Refocusing on the present will give you calmness and concentration.

Don’t diffuse efforts with distractions.

Multitasking is just quickly swapping focus. It doesn’t work so don’t do it.

Stop worrying about the future.

Practice mindfulness.

Write a list of essentials, prioritise them and go through them one by one.

Chapter 20

Essentialism is not just something you do. It is something you are.

Essentialism isn’t just about success; it’s about living a life of meaning and purpose.

Essentialism gets easier over time.

Essentialism has lost of benefits. Some examples: more clarity, more control, more joy in the journey.

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