Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Summary:

Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin?

Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized?

Are you often busy but not productive?

Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done.  It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.  

By forcing us to apply a more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy – instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

Essentialism is not one more thing – it’s a whole new way of doing everything. A must-read for any leader, manager, or individual who wants to learn who to do less, but better, in every area of their lives, Essentialism is a movement whose time has come. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This book was very interesting.  I have read things by the Minimalists previously, but that is more geared for life generally whereas this book is a little more focused on the business applications.  Even if you don’t think that you’re going to go towards the full Essentialist approach, I think this is a book that will help anyone hone in a little more towards what they’d really like to pursue, what they can get better about and what’s the most important.

This book was useful because it was not only focused on the theoretical, but also what applications can be immediately used in your life.  I listened to the book, which made for some very thoughtful walks, but I think this is one I need to also get in paperback! This will certainly be one that I’d like to be able to take notes and update my thoughts as I reference the book in the future.

Rating: 5 stars!

Who should read it? Anyone looking to be more efficient in their work-life and making sure you get the absolutely most out of your time.