Warren Buffett once posed a thought experiment to a group of students. He asked them to imagine they could have any car they wanted, but it would be the only car they’d own for the rest of their lives. ‘How would you treat that car?’ he asked.
The answer is obvious. You’d maintain it meticulously. You’d protect it from damage, service it regularly, and treat it with the utmost care. You’d be selective about when and how you use it, ensuring it serves you well for years to come.
Buffett’s point? We only get one mind and one body in this life. Shouldn’t we treat them with the same care?
This analogy extends beyond just our physical and mental health. It applies to our time, our energy, our relationships, and our pursuits. In a world that constantly demands more - more productivity, more achievements, more possessions - we often spread ourselves thin. We treat our lives like disposable cars we can easily replace.
But what if we approached life like that one precious car? What if we were more selective about what we let into our lives? What if we focused intensely on what truly matters and treated those things with exceptional care?
Moreover, if we overused this one precious car for non-essential trips or unnecessary errands, we’d inevitably wear it down prematurely. Every mile driven on an unimportant journey is a mile wasted, reducing the car’s lifespan and its ability to take us where we truly need to go. In the same way, when we say ‘yes’ to every request, pursue every opportunity, or try to do it all, we wear ourselves down. We deplete our limited resources - time, energy, focus - on things that don’t truly matter. As a result, we have less to give to what’s genuinely important.
The heart of Greg McKeown’s ‘Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less’ is the idea of doing less, but better. McKeown argues that in our current era of abundance and endless choices, the path to a meaningful and impactful life isn’t about doing more. It’s about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution.
Essentialism isn’t about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It’s about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.
What Did I Get Out of It?
At first, “Essentialism” looks like a self-help book. But it’s more than that. The ideas in this book work for both personal life and business.
When I initially read this book, my takeaways were primarily personal - ways to simplify my life, focus on what truly matters, and increase my effectiveness. However, revisiting my highlights for this essay, I was struck by the versatility and scalability of McKeown’s principles. The lessons of Essentialism, I realized, could easily be applied not just to individual lives but also to entire businesses and organizations.
From the concept of ‘via negativa’ - achieving more by removing obstacles - to the power of creating buffers for the unexpected, each principle can be adapted to both personal and professional contexts. Whether you’re an individual looking to refine your focus or a leader aiming to streamline your organization, the insights from “Essentialism” offer a powerful framework for decision-making and prioritization.
Via Negativa: Producing More by Removing More
The term “via negativa,” coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, suggests that we often make progress by removing things rather than adding them. This principle of subtraction aligns perfectly with Greg McKeown’s approach in “Essentialism,” where he advocates for doing less, but better.
In our quest for productivity and success, we often fall into the trap of addition. It’s a tempting solution: more people, more hours, more resources. As Greg McKeown points out in “Essentialism,” this approach can lead us down a path of diminishing returns and unnecessary complexity.
The problem is that we think of execution in terms of addition rather than subtraction.
McKeown challenges us to think differently:
An Essentialist produces more—brings forth more—by removing more instead of doing more.
This principle turns our conventional wisdom on its head. Instead of constantly adding, we should be looking at what we can take away.
However, before we do that, McKeown emphasizes the importance of clarity:
We can’t know what obstacles to remove until we are clear on the desired outcome. When we don’t know what we’re really trying to achieve, all change is arbitrary.
This insight is crucial. It’s not just about removing things; it’s about removing the right things. To do this, we need a clear vision of our goal. McKeown suggests asking a simple but powerful question: “How will we know when we are done?”
This question forces us to define success clearly. In our work, it might mean setting specific, measurable goals for a project. In our personal lives, it could involve clearly defining what a balanced lifestyle looks like for us.
How do we apply this in practice? McKeown suggests,
Instead of focusing on the efforts and resources we need to add, the Essentialist focuses on the constraints or obstacles we need to remove.
The key is to identify the main obstacle holding us back - our “slowest hiker”.
Make a list of these obstacles. They might include: not having the information you need, your energy level, your desire for perfection.
This exercise forces us to be honest about what’s truly holding us back.
But the real power lies in the next step:
Prioritize the list using the question, ‘What is the obstacle that, if removed, would make the majority of other obstacles disappear?’
It pushes us to look beyond surface-level issues and identify the root causes of our inefficiencies or roadblocks.
For example, in our professional lives, we might list obstacles like lack of time, insufficient resources, or unclear objectives. But when we apply McKeown’s question, we might realize that the core issue is actually poor communication with key stakeholders. By addressing this one obstacle, we could potentially solve multiple other problems simultaneously.
This approach can be equally transformative in our personal lives. We might think we need more time for exercise, better equipment, or a more rigid schedule. But perhaps the real obstacle is our energy level, affected by poor sleep habits. By focusing on improving our sleep, we might find that many other obstacles become easier to overcome.
When identifying your ‘slowest hiker,’ one important thing to keep in mind is that even activities that are ‘productive’… can be obstacles.
This insight challenges us to look beyond surface-level productivity and examine the true impact of our actions.
For instance, in our professional lives, we might find that certain tasks or meetings, while seemingly productive, are actually impeding our progress on more critical projects. At home, activities we consider essential might be taking time away from our core priorities. The key is to critically evaluate each element of our routine and ask whether it’s truly contributing to our most important goals.
By adopting this “via negativa” approach, we can create space for what truly matters. It’s not about doing more, but about doing the right things more effectively. As we navigate our careers, family lives, and personal goals, the art of subtraction might just be the key to achieving more with less stress and greater satisfaction.
The Essentialist Mindset: Embracing Less but Better
Greg McKeown’s concept of Essentialism offers a refreshing counterpoint in a world that constantly pushes us to do more, be more, and have more. At its core, Essentialism is about doing less, but better.
The way of the Essentialist is the relentless pursuit of less but better.
This philosophy isn’t about minimalism for its own sake. Rather, it’s about making deliberate choices to focus on what truly matters.
Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.
This shift in perspective can be transformative, especially for those of us juggling demanding careers and family responsibilities.
The essence of this mindset is captured in the German phrase “weniger aber besser,” which translates to “less is better.” It’s about quality over quantity, focus over fragmentation. In our professional lives, this might mean taking on fewer projects but executing them with excellence. At home, it could translate to having fewer commitments but being fully present for each one.
Adopting an Essentialist mindset requires a fundamental shift in how we approach our choices. McKeown challenges us:
Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.
This permission to say no is crucial, especially in a corporate environment where saying yes to everything can seem like the path to success.
But Essentialism isn’t just about saying no. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive in our choices.
The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default.
This approach requires us to constantly pause and ask, “Am I investing in the right activities?” It’s about making conscious decisions about where we invest our time and energy, both at work and at home.
Importantly, embracing Essentialism doesn’t mean life becomes easier. In fact, McKeown acknowledges,
The way of the Essentialist rejects the idea that we can fit it all in. Instead, it requires us to grapple with real trade-offs and make tough decisions.
This can be challenging, especially when we face multiple good options. But it’s through these tough choices that we create space for what’s truly essential.
The reward for adopting this mindset can be significant.
The way of the Essentialist is the path to being in control of our own choices … It is a path to new levels of success and meaning. It is the path on which we enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
Essentialism offers a framework for making choices that align with our deepest values and goals, whether it’s advancing in our careers, nurturing our relationships, or pursuing personal growth.
Perhaps most importantly, McKeown reminds us,
If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.
This powerful statement underscores the importance of taking control of our choices. In corporate speak, if you do not manage your calendar, someone else will. By adopting an Essentialist mindset, we’re not just simplifying our lives – we’re reclaiming our right to decide what matters most.
The Paradox of Success: Maintaining Focus Amidst Abundance
Success, while desirable, often carries with it an unexpected challenge. As Greg McKeown points out in “Essentialism,” there’s a paradox at play:
As people or organizations become successful, they often lose focus on what made them successful in the first place.
This phenomenon, where the reward for good work is usually more work, is all too familiar in the corporate world.
When we really have clarity of purpose, it enables us to succeed in our endeavor. When we have success, we gain a reputation as a ‘go-to’ person… When we have increased options and opportunities, which is actually code for demands upon our time and energies, it leads to diffused efforts. We get spread thinner and thinner.
This cycle can be particularly insidious in high-pressure careers. As we climb the ladder, we often find ourselves saying yes to more and more, losing sight of what truly matters.
When we don’t purposefully and deliberately choose where to focus our energies and time, other people – our bosses, our colleagues, our clients, and even our families – will choose for us, and before long we’ll have lost sight of everything that is meaningful and important.
To combat this, McKeown suggests we need to embrace three realities:
- Individual choice: We can choose how to spend our energy and time.
- The prevalence of noise: Almost everything is noise, and a very few things are exceptionally valuable.
- The reality of trade-offs: We can’t have it all or do it all.
Accepting these realities shifts our perspective.
Once we accept the reality of trade-offs we stop asking, ‘How can I make it all work?’ and start asking the more honest question ‘Which problem do I want to solve?’
This shift in thinking is crucial. It’s about moving from a mindset of “I have to” to one of “I choose to.” It’s recognizing that “Only a few things really matter,” rather than believing “It’s all important.” And it’s understanding that “I can do anything but not everything,” instead of thinking “I can do both.”
To maintain focus amidst the abundance of opportunities that come with success, McKeown suggests asking ourselves key questions: “What do I feel deeply inspired by?” “What am I particularly talented at?” and “What meets a significant need in the world?” These questions help us identify what’s truly essential.
Ultimately, embracing essentialism in the face of success isn’t about doing more. As McKeown states:
Essentialism is not a way to do one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a way of thinking.
It’s about making deliberate choices, focusing on what truly matters, and being okay with the trade-offs these choices entail.
By maintaining this focus, we can avoid the trap of losing sight of what made us successful in the first place. Instead, we can continue to grow and succeed in a way that aligns with our deepest values and highest contributions. As McKeown reminds us, quoting a study by nurse Bronnie Ware, the most common regret of the dying is:
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
By embracing the essentialist mindset, we give ourselves the best chance of living a life true to ourselves, even in the face of success and increasing demands.
The 90% Rule: Embracing Excellence Through Elimination
We are surrounded by options; how do we decide which ones are truly worth our time and energy? Greg McKeown’s “90% Rule” offers a powerful framework for making these decisions. This rule reminds me of Derek Sivers’ “Hell Yeah or No” principle and Kevin Kelly’s idea of only committing to future tasks if we’d be willing to do them tomorrow.
McKeown describes the 90% Rule as follows:
As you evaluate an option, think about the single most important criterion for that decision, and then simply give the option a score between 0 and 100. If you rate it any lower than 90 percent, then automatically change the rating to 0 and simply reject it.
At first glance, this might seem extreme. After all, aren’t there many worthwhile opportunities that might not quite reach that 90% threshold? But McKeown’s point is that in a world of endless options, we need to be ruthlessly selective to focus on what truly matters. As he succinctly puts it:
If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.
Implementing this rule requires a shift in mindset. Instead of asking, “How can I make this work?” we need to ask, “Is this the very best use of my time and resources?” This approach forces us to confront the reality of trade-offs and opportunity costs.
McKeown suggests a three-step process for evaluating opportunities to put this into practice:
- Write down the opportunity.
- Write down a list of three “minimum criteria” that the options would need to “pass” in order to be considered.
- Write down a list of three ideal or “extreme criteria” the options would need to “pass” in order to be considered.
If an opportunity doesn’t pass the minimum criteria, it’s an automatic no. But even if it does, it still needs to pass at least two of the three extreme criteria to be considered. This method ensures that we’re not just saying yes to good opportunities, but only to truly excellent ones.
However, identifying what doesn’t make the cut is only half the battle.
It’s not enough to simply determine which activities and efforts don’t make the best possible contribution; you still have to actively eliminate those that do not.
This active elimination is crucial. It’s not just about saying no to new things, but also about critically examining our current commitments and activities.
To help with this process of elimination, McKeown suggests asking yourself, “If I didn’t have this opportunity, what would I be willing to do to acquire it?” This question helps us separate the truly valuable from the merely good.
Moreover, McKeown advises asking, “What will I say no to?” to uncover our true priorities. This question forces us to confront the reality that every yes implies a no to something else. By being clear about what we’re saying no to, we can ensure that our yeses are aligned with our most important goals and values.
Implementing the 90% Rule can be challenging. It might mean turning down seemingly good opportunities or stepping away from commitments we’ve held for a long time. In our professional lives, it could mean focusing on fewer projects but executing them with excellence. At home, it might mean being more selective about our social commitments or the activities we engage in.
However, the payoff can be significant. By consistently applying this rule, we create space for what truly matters. We reduce the noise and clutter in our lives, allowing us to focus our energy on the things that will make the biggest difference. Whether it’s in our careers, our relationships, or our personal growth, the 90% Rule helps us strive for excellence rather than settling for good enough.
In essence, the 90% Rule is about quality over quantity. It’s about doing less, but better.
The Power of Buffer: Preparing for the Unexpected
Life is inherently uncertain. Despite our best efforts to plan and control, unexpected events often derail our carefully laid plans. This reality is at the heart of Greg McKeown’s concept of “Buffer” in his book “Essentialism.” It’s an idea that echoes Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger’s principle of “margin of safety” in investing, but applied to our daily lives and work.
The essentialist looks ahead. She plans, she prepares for different contingencies, she expects the unexpected, she creates buffer to prepare for the unforeseen.
This proactive stance is not about trying to predict every possible outcome, but rather about creating space to adapt when things don’t go as planned.
At work, this might mean padding project timelines, not scheduling meetings back-to-back, or keeping some resources in reserve. At home, it could involve setting aside emergency funds, having backup childcare plans, or simply leaving some unscheduled time in our weekends.
The key, as McKeown points out, is acceptance of reality:
Essentialists accept the reality that we can never fully anticipate or prepare for every scenario or eventuality; the future is simply too unpredictable. Instead, they build in buffers to reduce the friction caused by the unexpected.
This mindset shift from trying to control everything to preparing for uncertainty can be liberating and stress-reducing.
Creating buffers isn’t about inefficiency or waste. Rather, it’s about giving ourselves the flexibility to execute calmly and effectively when faced with inevitable surprises. In a work context, this might mean we’re better equipped to handle sudden requests from the boss or project pivots. In our personal lives, it could allow us to navigate family emergencies or unexpected opportunities with greater ease.
Moreover, having buffers can actually enhance our productivity and creativity. When we’re not constantly operating at the edge of our capacity, we have more mental space for strategic thinking and innovation. We’re less likely to make errors due to rushing or stress, and more likely to spot opportunities that we might otherwise miss.
Implementing the buffer concept requires a shift in how we approach planning and scheduling. It means resisting the urge to fill every moment with activity and instead deliberately leaving space for the unexpected. This might feel counterintuitive in a culture that often equates busyness with productivity, but it’s a crucial aspect of the essentialist mindset.
In practice, building buffers might involve:
- Estimating how long tasks will take, then adding 50% to that time.
- Scheduling regular “buffer time” in our calendars for unexpected tasks or overruns.
- Keeping a portion of our resources (time, money, energy) in reserve rather than allocating everything upfront.
- Developing contingency plans for our most important projects and commitments.
By embracing the power of buffer, we’re not just preparing for potential problems; we’re creating space for potential opportunities. We’re giving ourselves the gift of flexibility, reducing stress, and increasing our capacity to handle whatever life throws our way.
In essence, the buffer concept is about acknowledging our limitations in controlling the future and instead focusing on building our resilience and adaptability. As McKeown suggests, it’s about being prepared not for every eventuality, but for the reality that there will always be eventualities we can’t predict. By doing so, we can navigate life’s uncertainties with greater calm, effectiveness, and even joy.
Who is This Book For?
“Essentialism” isn’t just for one type of person. It’s for anyone who feels overwhelmed by too many choices or commitments.
If you allow yourself to fully embrace Essentialism—to really live it, in everything you do, whether at home or at work—it can become a part of the way you see and understand the world.
If you’re climbing the corporate ladder and find yourself saying “yes” to everything, this book is for you. It’ll help you focus on what really matters in your career.
Are you an entrepreneur juggling multiple projects? McKeown’s ideas can help you identify which opportunities are truly worth your time.
Maybe you’re a parent trying to balance work and family life. The principles in this book can guide you in making tough choices about where to invest your energy.
Leaders and managers will find valuable insights too. The concepts of essentialism can be applied to entire organizations, helping to streamline operations and boost productivity.
Even if you’re just starting out in your career or personal development journey, this book offers a framework for making decisions that align with your core values and goals.
Essentially, if you’ve ever felt that you’re spread too thin, or that you’re busy but not productive, “Essentialism” has something to offer you.
Remember, though, that this book isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less, but better. If you’re ready to challenge the idea that you can do it all, and instead focus on doing what’s truly important, then “Essentialism” is worth your time.
In the end, this book is for anyone who wants to live a life of purpose and meaning, rather than one of busyness and distraction. It’s for those who are willing to make the tough choices required to lead a life of essentialism.