11. Greg McKeown: How To Master Essentialism & Focus On What Matters
Sep 29, 2020
auto_awesome
Greg McKeown shares insights on essentialism, trade-offs, the benefits of play and sleep, saying no to opportunities, uncommitting from projects, and applying essentialism to leadership. Learn how to focus on what truly matters in life and work.
Prioritize essential tasks to avoid overwhelm and lead a intentional life.
Establish boundaries for work-life balance and prioritize self-care to prevent burnout.
Focus on singular top priority to maximize productivity and avoid the trap of multitasking.
Deep dives
The Power of Prioritization and Trade-Offs
Essentialism shines a light on the importance of prioritizing one's life to avoid being overwhelmed by non-essential tasks. Greg McOwen, author of Essentialism, shares a personal story of being torn between work and family commitments, emphasizing the vital lesson that if you don't prioritize your life, someone else will. Essentialism advocates for making deliberate trade-offs, as seen in a story where a reader, after applying essentialism principles, reevaluates priorities and makes life-saving decisions.
Setting Clear Boundaries and Prioritizing Self-Care
Essentialism stresses the significance of setting clear boundaries and prioritizing self-care. Greg McOwen discusses the concept of having a clear end time for work each day to prevent burnout and promote work-life balance. The story of Ben Bergeron exemplifies the importance of establishing boundaries by dedicating time for family, demonstrating that family-first values can drive impactful decisions.
Evaluating Decision-Making and Avoiding Multitasking
Essentialism encourages strategic decision-making and avoiding the trap of multitasking. By asking 'What's the most important thing today?' individuals can focus on prioritizing tasks effectively. Greg McOwen highlights the history of the word 'priority' and the misconception of having multiple top priorities, stressing the significance of singularly focused attention to maximize productivity.
Embracing Play and Its Benefits
Essentialism advocates for the importance of embracing play in both personal and professional life. Play is viewed as a valuable tool to rejuvenate the mind and foster creativity. By exploring the benefits of purposeful play, individuals can unlock breakthrough insights and enhance performance. The chapter on play within Essentialism underscores the role of play in exploring what is essential and fostering innovation.
Leadership Principles in Essentialism
Essentialism extends its core principles to leadership roles, emphasizing the value of applying 'less but better' principles to leadership decisions. Leaders are advised to adopt a selective approach in hiring, focusing on integrity, intelligence, and initiative. By implementing essentialist strategies in team communication, strategy setting, and decision-making, leaders can drive extraordinary results and nurture a culture of efficiency and excellence.
My guest today is Greg McKeown, the NYT bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.He teaches and lectures about the importance of living and leading as an Essentialist around the world. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review. He also holds an MBA from Stanford University.
In our conversation, Greg teaches us how to be an Essentialist, the importance of trade-offs, why it's important for adults to play and get plenty of sleep, how to say no to opportunities, how you can apply Essentialism to leadership, and much more.
TIMESTAMPS:
[00:41] Defining Essentialism & why Greg wrote this book
[02:49] Why trade-offs can be a good thing
[06:34] Zoom fatigue & work-life balance
[13:00] Why being always busy can be dangerous
[16:28] The benefits of play as an adult
[20:55] Greg McKweon & BJ Fogg's conversation
[24:49] The role of sleep in being a high performer
[29:28] How to say No & when to pass on opportunities
[35:39] How to uncommit from a project or opportunity
[40:56] How to apply Essentialism to leadership
[50:31] Books that had a huge influence on Greg & how they changed him
