Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – Greg McKeown

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Chapters

INTRODUCTION — Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – Greg McKeown — 1 min
The modern problem isn’t laziness. It’s overload: too many options, too many expectations, too many “good” opportunities that…
CHAPTER 1 — The Essentialist — 1 min
Essentialism starts as an identity shift. The nonessentialist says yes by default, then pays for it later in…
CHAPTER 2 — Choose: The Invincible Power of Choice — 1 min
The first move is to reclaim agency. Many people speak as if they “have to” do everything, when…
CHAPTER 3 — Discern: The Unimportance of Practically Everything — 1 min
Discernment is the skill of separating signal from noise. The book pushes an uncomfortable ratio: most things that…
CHAPTER 4 — Trade-Off: Which Problem Do I Want? — 1 min
Trade-offs are not a failure of planning; they are the structure of reality. You cannot do everything, so…
CHAPTER 5 — Escape: The Perks of Being Unavailable — 1 min
To see what matters, you need space away from the noise that insists everything matters. This chapter defends…
CHAPTER 6 — Look: See What Really Matters — 1 min
Essentialism requires a different kind of attention: not scanning for what’s loud, but looking for what’s true. The…
CHAPTER 7 — Play: Embrace the Wisdom of Your Inner Child — 1 min
Play is presented as a serious tool, not a childish indulgence. When life becomes only obligation and efficiency,…
CHAPTER 8 — Sleep: Protect the Asset — 1 min
Sleep is treated as an asset, not a luxury. When you’re depleted, you lose discernment: you say yes…
CHAPTER 9 — Select: The Power of Extreme Criteria — 1 min
Selection fails when your criteria are vague. If your standard is “pretty good,” you end up with too…
CHAPTER 10 — Clarify: One Decision That Makes a Thousand — 1 min
Elimination starts with clarity. If you are unclear about purpose, you will accept any request that sounds reasonable.…
CHAPTER 11 — Dare: The Power of a Graceful “No” — 1 min
Saying no is framed as a skill with a social cost—and a social payoff. The cost is short-term…
CHAPTER 12 — Uncommit: Win Big by Cutting Your Losses — 1 min
Essentialism requires the courage to stop—even when you’ve already invested time, money, or pride. The chapter targets the…
CHAPTER 13 — Edit: The Invisible Art — 1 min
Editing is the quiet practice of subtraction. In writing, it removes what weakens the message. In life, it…
CHAPTER 14 — Limit: The Freedom of Setting Boundaries — 1 min
Boundaries create freedom by reducing the number of battles you must fight. Without limits, requests expand to fill…
CHAPTER 15 — Buffer: The Unfair Advantage — 1 min
Plans fail when they assume a perfect world. This chapter argues for buffer: extra time, space, and margin…
CHAPTER 16 — Subtract: Bring Forth More by Removing Obstacles — 1 min
Execution becomes easier when you remove friction. Instead of asking people to push harder, this chapter asks you…
CHAPTER 17 — Progress: The Power of Small Wins — 1 min
Big change often fails because it demands heroics. This chapter argues for small wins: incremental progress that builds…
CHAPTER 18 — Flow: The Genius of Routine — 1 min
Routine is treated as genius because it removes negotiation. When deep priorities depend on daily willpower, they lose…
CHAPTER 19 — Focus: What’s Important Now? — 1 min
Even with clarity, life keeps presenting competing urgencies. This chapter offers a narrowing question: what is important right…
CHAPTER 20 — BE: The Essentialist Life — 1 min
The final chapter turns essentialism from a technique into a way of being. It’s not a one-time declutter.…
APPENDIX — Leadership Essentials — 1 min
The appendix translates the philosophy into leadership. A leader can’t only become personally selective; they must create clarity…