“If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.”
-Greg McKeown Essentialism
Essentialism by Greg McKeown is a book that gets lots of buzz, for a good reason. I read it a few years ago. It’s a smaller and deeper read. It invites the reader to consider what is really essential. To me, that’s what smaller and deeper is all about, finding the few things that really matter and mining the depths.
McKoweon believes that we should strive to be “essentialists.”
“Essentialism is not about getting more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less, either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”
“The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the nonessentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. In other words, Essentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, them making execution of those things almost effortless.”
We all are presented with options and opportunities every day. Do you have criteria to help you know what to say yes to and what to say no to? McKoweon suggests the following three questions. He believes that we can make our highest contribution by asking these three questions rather than just a good contribution. The world benefits when we use our gifts, talents, and time in this way.
3 Questions for Clarity:
What am I deeply passionate about?
What taps my talent?
What meets a significant need in the world?
The purpose this these questions, according to McKoweon, is “to discern the vital few from the trivial many.” That is a true smaller and deeper principle.
Often, the questions I ask myself when deciding what to do with a request (option, opportunity) are 1) Will it help someone else? 2) Can I do it? 3)Will it fit into my calendar?
Suddenly my questions seem kind of lame, and I’m starting to wonder if saying “yes” to things based on these criteria is really fair to the task and the people on the receiving end?
There are always tasks in life that we must do that we don’t have the luxury and option to ask these questions. But, what would happen if we began to apply these three questions to opportunities and decisions more often in our lives?
“Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, “What do I have to give up?” they ask, “What do I want to go big on?” The cumulative impact of this small change in thinking can be profound.
Jot down the three clarity question on a notecard. Keep them on your desk, snap a picture and make them a screen saver on your phone. What do you discover as your walk with these questions for a week?
Reading Update:
Last week I wrote about reading The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towels. I loved the entire book, the writing, the story….until the last section: Day 1. For me, it all fell apart. I’ve read a lot of reviews since I finished. I’m in the minority, most people enjoyed the book and found the ending satisfying. I didn’t like the ending, but I’m not sure I would say don’t read the book. It might be nice to know that the ending is….well, I’m not giving any spoilers. It was something else.
Next up on my TBR (To Be Read) List
The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness by Father Gregory Boyle
(I LOVED this other two book, Tattoos on the Heart and Barking at the Choir. He writes with such compassion and wisdom about his experiences with gang members in inner city LA.)
Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle by Dante Stewart.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towels (I’ve heard from several people, and in reviews that people loved this book. It’s from his backlist and I can’t wait to read more from Towels, even if I was disappointed with the end of his last book!)
I try and pay attention to words or phrases that stand out to me in my reading and listening. There is a spiritual practice called Florliledgium that collects short, interesting pieces {words that “sparkle” up} and put them together. This is kind of like that. Watching for things that sparkle. Gathering them and seeing how they work together and what message, mantra, or new idea might arise.)
A Practice:
Read slowly.
Notice if a word or phrase stands out to you.
How do the words make you feel?
Is there an invitation?
(I’m sharing in italics the lines that stand out to me in these passages. Maybe it’s the same, or maybe it’s different, there is much food for thought in each of these passages)
THEME: Essentialism
“We overvalue nonessentials like a nicer car or house or even intangibles like the number of our followers on Twitter or the way we look in our Facebook photos. As a result, we neglect activities that are truly essential, like spending time with our loved ones, or nurturing our spirit, or taking care of our health.”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
“The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the nonessentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. In other words, Essentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost effortless.”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
“My experience has taught me this about how people and organizations improve: the best place to look is for small changes we could make in the things we do often. There is power in steadiness and repetition.”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
“NO IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE. —Anne Lamott”
“What if society stopped telling us to buy more stuff and instead allowed us to create more space to breathe and think? What if society encouraged us to reject what has been accurately described as doing things we detest, to buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like?”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
“What if we stopped celebrating being busy as a measurement of importance? What if instead, we celebrated how much time we had spent listening, pondering, meditating, and enjoying time with the most important people in our lives?”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
