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Elevate Classics: How Greg McKeown Puts The Essential First

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Nov 25, 2025

Guest

Greg McKeown

In this engaging discussion, Greg McKeown, bestselling author and leadership expert, shares how to prioritize what truly matters in life and work. He dives into the pitfalls of the success trap, stressing the importance of clarity in decision-making. Greg also highlights the impact of digital noise on youth and promotes journaling as a tool for regaining focus. He offers practical methods for setting clear priorities, including the one-two-three daily tool and emphasizes the value of admitting when you're lost to recalibrate effectively.

01:06:35

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insights

INSIGHT

Essentialism Defined

Essentialism means the disciplined pursuit of less: explore, eliminate, and make essential actions effortless.
Greg McKeown frames it as an ongoing process to design a life that truly matters.

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ANECDOTE

Wake-Up Moment With Newborn

Greg shares a personal story of leaving his hours-old baby to attend a client meeting as a moment of wake-up.
That event taught him if you don't prioritize your life, others will set your agenda.

insights

INSIGHT

The Success Trap

Success creates options that can erode the clarity which produced the success in the first place.
Greg calls this the success trap: optionality can catalyze failure via undisciplined pursuit of more.

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What is Essentialism and its Origin

01:54 • 2min

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The Success Trap and Pursuit of More

Noise, Technology, and Youth Wellbeing

05:24 • 5min

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Paper, Journaling, and Quiet for Clarity

10:09 • 6min

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AI, Disorientation, and Preserving Human Reasoning

Prioritization Conversations at Work

18:39 • 10min

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Four-Day Workweek as a Forcing Function

28:10 • 5min

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One-Two-Three Daily Priorities Tool

32:50 • 6min

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Values, Trade-offs, and Prioritizing Three Values

38:34 • 8min

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Steve Harvey's 'List' Exercise and Creativity

46:41 • 3min

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Filtering Feedback: What to Absorb

49:19 • 5min

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Human Nature, Criticism, and Essentialist Humility

54:31 • 7min

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Admit Being Lost Quickly to Recenter

01:01:05 • 1min

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Quarterly Planning and the Essentialism Planner

01:02:07 • 3min

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Research Focus: Understanding Polarization

• Mentioned in 119 episodes

From Strength to Strength

Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

Arthur C Brooks

In 'From Strength to Strength', Arthur C. Brooks addresses the inevitable decline in abilities that comes with aging and provides a practical guide on how to transform this period into an opportunity for growth. Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks advocates for refocusing on priorities such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress. He argues that by adapting our expectations and focusing on these areas, we can achieve increased happiness and purpose in our later years.

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• Mentioned in 184 episodes

A World Without Email

Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload

Cal Newport

In 'A World Without Email', Cal Newport argues that the constant digital communication, which he terms the 'hyperactive hive mind', has become a productivity disaster. He contends that this workflow, driven by email and other messaging tools, reduces profitability, slows economic growth, and makes workers miserable. Newport proposes a workplace where clear processes, not haphazard messaging, define task management. He advocates for each person working on fewer tasks but doing them better, with significant investment in support to reduce administrative burdens. The book lays out principles and concrete instructions for streamlining important communication and reducing the central role of inboxes and chat channels in the workplace.

#22

• Mentioned in 294 episodes

Essentialism

The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Greg McKeown

In 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,' Greg McKeown argues that by applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, individuals can regain control of their time and energy. The book is divided into sections such as Explore, Eliminate, and Execute, providing practical advice on distinguishing the vital few from the trivial many and eliminating non-essential activities. McKeown emphasizes the importance of clarity of focus, the ability to say 'no,' and living 'by design, not by default. ' This approach helps readers achieve more by doing less and making the highest possible contribution in their personal and professional lives.

#10793

• Mentioned in 4 episodes

The Essentialism Planner

A 90-Day Guide to Accomplishing More by Doing Less

Greg McKeown

The Essentialism Planner is a content-rich, 90-day guide that helps users break down their year into manageable quarters. It is based on the principles outlined in Greg McKeown's bestselling book 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less'. The planner aims to assist users in discerning the vital few tasks from the trivial many, making deliberate choices, and executing their plans with minimal effort. It includes sections for monthly and weekly overviews, reflection spaces, and tools to simplify and focus on what is truly essential.

#109

• Mentioned in 133 episodes

Effortless

Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most

Greg McKeown

In 'Effortless', Greg McKeown offers practical tools and strategies for achieving more with less effort. The book is organized into three parts: the effortless state, effortless action, and effortless results. McKeown argues that not everything has to be hard and provides methods for turning tedious tasks into enjoyable rituals, preventing frustration, setting a sustainable pace, and automating essential tasks. His philosophy emphasizes the importance of finding easier ways to accomplish what matters most, rather than perpetually overexerting oneself.

⁠Greg McKeown⁠ changed the way so many leaders think about life with his New York Times Bestselling book, ⁠Essentialism⁠. He is the founder and CEO of McKeown Inc, an organization that helps leading companies like Apple, Google, Pixar and more reach the next level of growth. In addition to Essentialism, Greg is also New York Times bestselling author of ⁠Effortless⁠ and The Essentialism Planner, a world-renowned keynote speaker, and the host of the Greg McKeown Podcast.

In this classic episode, Greg joined host Robert Glazer on the Elevate Podcast for a third time to talk about how he prioritizes the essentials in his own life, living a life by design, seeking and implementing feedback, and much more.

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