Distinguishing Between the Trivial Many and the Vital Few

I have read a lot of books over the past few years, nearly 50 every year, and I can say that I have a new all time favorite. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown is amazing! It is packed with great lessons and ideas on how to live “the Essentialist life.” According to McKeown, “Life will become less about crossing off what is on your to-do list or rushing through everything on your schedule and more about what you put on their in the first place.”

I think that that statement sums up the book so well. The idea of Essentialism is not how to become more productive, and get more done. Rather it is the idea of taking on less, focusing only on what is truly essential, and eliminating everything else.

My One Takeaway

1. Less but better. Distinguish between the trivial many and the vital few. Many times as I read through a book I find all sorts of great lessons that I can apply, and this book is no different, but in keeping with the theme of the book I decided to narrow it down to the most essential take away. The overall theme of the book is to focus on “less but better” and to distinguish between the “trivial many and the vital few”. There are so many things in our lives that truly are not essential to what we want to accomplish. Whether it is an invitation to an event that we accept out of guilt, or taking on a  project at work that does not help us achieve our production objectives, we all have numerous things that we are faced with every day that are not essential. Most times they appear as if they are, but if you step back and take a minute to ask the question “What is truly essential?” you will realize how many thing fall into the category of the trivial many.

There are no words that I can add to sum up all the great things in this book. All I can say is that Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less will change the way you look at life.Essentialism is not just something that you do, it is something that you will become. Give it a shot and start becoming an Essentialist right away!

I can’t recommend this book enough. It is one of the best I have ever read. I would HIGHLY recommend picking it up and giving it a read!

Get it at Amazon or iBooks!

Below are some quotes I pulled from the book as I read:

• Less but better.
• If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.
• We can either make our choices deliberately or allow other people’s agendas to control our lives.
• Instead of asking, “Is there a chance I will wear this someday in the future?” you ask more disciplined, tough questions: “Do I love this?” and “Do I look great in it?” and “ Do I wear this often?
• Will this activity or effort make the highest possible contribution toward my goal?
• If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?
• Our options may be things, but a choice— a choice is an action.
• The ability to choose cannot be taken away or even given away— it can only be forgotten.
• When we forget our ability to choose, we learn to be helpless.
• The Essentialist doesn’t just recognize the power of choice, he celebrates it.
• Certain types of effort yield higher rewards than others.
• Working hard is important. But more effort does not necessarily yield more results. “Less but better” does.
• The overwhelming reality is: we live in a world where almost everything is worthless and a very few things are exceptionally valuable.
• We can either make the hard choices for ourselves or allow others— whether our colleagues, our boss, or our customers— to decide for us.
• We can try to avoid the reality of trade-offs, but we can’t escape them.
• Before you can evaluate what is and isn’t essential, you first need to explore your options.
• In order to have focus we need to escape to focus.
• Can you remember what it was like to be bored? It doesn’t happen anymore.
• The best journalists, as Friedman shared later with me, listen for what others do not hear.
• Play stimulates the parts of the brain involved in both careful, logical reasoning and carefree, unbound exploration.
• The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves.
• Our highest priority is to protect our ability to prioritize.
• In reality there are only a few things of exceptional value, with most everything else being of far less importance.
• If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.
• In other words, it’s not enough to simply determine which activities and efforts don’t make the best possible contribution; you still have to actively eliminate those that do not.
• The right “no” spoken at the right time can change the course of history.
• Of course, the point is not to say no to all requests. The point is to say no to the nonessentials so we can say yes to the things that really matter.
• Essentialists choose “ no” more often than they say no.
• The more we think about what we are giving up when we say yes to someone, the easier it is to say no.
• When we push back effectively, it shows people that our time is highly valuable. It distinguishes the professional from the amateur.
• We need to learn the slow ‘yes’ and the quick ‘no.’
• Nobody in the history of the world has washed their rental car!
• When we feel we “own” an activity, it becomes harder to uncommit.
• 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.
• Boundaries are a little like the walls of a sandcastle. The second we let one fall over , the rest of them come crashing down.
• When people make their problem our problem, we aren’t helping them; we’re enabling them.
• Whoever it is that’s trying to siphon off your time and energies for their own purpose , the only solution is to put up fences.
• Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.—Attributed to Abraham Lincoln
• What is getting in the way of achieving what is essential?
• An Essentialist produces more— brings forth more—by removing more instead of doing more.
• Research has shown that of all forms of human motivation the most effective one is progress.
• The key is to start small, encourage progress, and celebrate small wins.
• Routine is one of the most powerful tools for removing obstacles.
• Focus on the hardest thing first.
• There is a difference between losing and being beaten. Being beaten means they are better than you. They are faster, stronger , and more talented.
• We tend to think of transformations happening only in the mind. But as the proverb goes “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
• Essentialism is not just something I do. An Essentialist is something I am steady becoming.
• Focusing on the essentials is a choice.
• Life will become less about crossing off what is on your to-do list or rushing through everything on your schedule and more about what you put on their in the first place.
• “If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness.”
• The life of an Essentialist is a life of meaning. It is a life that truly matters.
• The life of an Essentialist is one lived without regret.
• Whatever decision or challenge or crossroads you face in your life, simply ask yourself, “What is essential?”
• Eliminate everything else.