# Essentialism

**Greg McKeown** · 2014

_Topics: Prioritization, Focus, Saying no_

**Who it's for:** Overcommitted people who need permission — and a method — to do less.

McKeown's essentialist asks a single question: what is the vital few, and what is the trivial many? The answer is not how to get more done, but how to do only what truly matters — and to make that choice deliberately instead of by default.

Practically, that means creating space to think, saying no gracefully and often, and designing your life so the essential is almost effortless and the non-essential simply doesn't happen.

## Key takeaways

- Distinguish the vital few from the trivial many.
- If it isn't a clear yes, it's a no.
- Making a choice deliberately beats defaulting into busyness.
- Build in slack so the essential can actually get done.

## Related reading

- https://structureyour.life/books/four-thousand-weeks.md
- https://structureyour.life/books/the-one-thing.md
- https://structureyour.life/books/deep-work.md

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