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For many of us, being stretched too thin at home or work is a constant way of life. The sensation of being busy but not productive, feeling overwhelmed with choices and multiple priorities…without ever making any real progress.
My guest today, Greg McKeown, talks about the critical importance of what he calls “Essentialism.” Greg shares how identifying the essential can help us regain control of our lives, how learning to say no gracefully can help accelerate our career success, and the stark truth that if we don’t prioritize our lives, someone else will.
Greg McKeown
Greg McKeown is the author of the New York Times bestseller Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, which has been published in 20 different languages. The book has been featured on NPR, The Steve Harvey Show, NBC, Time Magazine and the Harvard Business Review. Greg has also worked with many successful companies, including Apple, Adobe, Google, Facebook, Pixar and Twitter, and he even co-designed a class at Stanford called, “Designing Life, Essentially.” His book had a huge impact on me when I read it a few years ago, and I think you’ll really enjoy our conversation.
Episode Highlights
- If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will
- How Greg learned the importance of essentialism the hard way
- Essentialism helps you identify the key important work of your life
- How the word “priority” is misused in our current culture
- How to say no to your boss without getting fired
- The number one regret of the dying, and what it has to do with essentialism
- How to regularly create space in your life to identify the essential
- Clarity gives you the courage to proceed with big life decisions
- 3 key strategic trade-offs Greg has consciously made in his life
- Why Greg decided NOT to write another book about essentialism, and what he’s doing instead
- The constant “wrestle” of living the essentialist life, and why it’s important
Resources Mentioned
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
- The Essentialism Workshop
- Bronnie Ware, “The Regrets of the Dying”
- Steve Harvey raves about Essentialism
- Greg appears on the Steve Harvey Show
