I haven’t been as moved by a nonfiction, personal development book as I have by this book in a really long time.

Essentialism, the Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown, has helped me understand why being stretched so thin; why having so many things on the go at once is causing me no end of frustration.

Please understand this is not a book regaling the benefits of when times were simpler – no.

Backstory – over the last 14 months have been in a unique position to watch a lot of online behaviour.  I became curious about people who were doing really well with their businesses.  My criteria for this was:

• Who is consistently showing up?
• Who is providing valuable content?
• Who is grabbing my attention?
• Who is able to keep my attention?; and
• Who do I want to know more about?

Isn’t this something we all desire from our online efforts?

What I noticed was that these people, the ones I am drawn too, all had one thing in common:

• Not the prettiest and most brand consistent Instagram page;
• Not the biggest following of any people I can find;
• Not a tonne of videos (although everyone is doing videos).

No what they all had in common is they all did 1 thing:

They were all known for one thing.

They might have 5,6,7 ways of explaining, describing, sharing about this one thing, but they had one thing that they are known for.  One thing they spoke about and one thing that I knew them for.

In short, I am not confused.

And after reading Essentialism I now know why this is so so so important.

Knowing the one thing that we must be doing that drives all the other things will save us …

• Time;
• Money; and
• Energy

And the outcome that McKeown is helping us move toward is not who will be the wealthiest nor is it who will be the most successful.  No, the outcome of success for McKeown is how to make your highest level of contribution

There are so many take aways from this book.  I have underlined, highlighted, made notes to myself and even apologised for being so scattered, and for being the epitome of the non-essentialist.

However, I don’t think I would have been able to read this book before cancer (BC) .  BC – when I was always on the move, new ideas a plenty with little energy left to execute; where I felt more like the bouncing ball being chased by a 3 year old then an intentional and strategic entrepreneur, would have pooh-poohed these ideas and concepts because I was so caught up in.

• Doing more, because with more surely I would hit the right thing.
• Working harder.
• Not wanting to retire things that didn’t work because that felt like failure.
• Not learning what I didn’t know, because I’m supposed to know everything right?

 

In my inability to discern the essential I had exchanged:

• My peace for confusion.
• My sense of contribution for busyness; and
• My fulfillment for frustration.

What this book has shown me is that in adopting the disciplines of an essentialist I am likely to get to my goals, dreams and be of the highest service I can be by doing less.

Through being more intentional.

And by asking myself the question –

What is important – right now?

Because we all need to know and do:

• The right thing,
• At the right time.

I STRONGLY recommend that every person who frequently exclaims how busy they are make the time to read this book.

And to all my coaching clients can you guess what we will be applying in the not too distant future???