Greg McKeown’s ‘Essentialism’
Will Help You Declutter Your Workload
“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will,” writes Greg McKeown in “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” When he set out to write the book, McKeown wanted to know what keeps skilled, driven people from achieving as much as possible. What he found was that many people suffer not from being lazy, but from allocating their time ineffectively. The impulse to “do it all” keeps folks from spending their time on the things that actually matter. The book, then, serves as a guide to cutting out the extraneous and focusing on the essential. “Life is not an all-you-can-eat buffet,” McKeown says. “It’s amazingly great food. Essentialism is about finding the right food. More and more is valueless. Staying true to my purpose and being selective in what I take on results in a more meaningful, richer, and sweeter quality of life.” This metaphor can be applied to your work life as well. There aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish every task. The essentialist works to spend their time diligently by pursuing what actually matters, rather than filling their days with meaningless busywork.
philosophy can be characterized by three simple words: less but better. This, in essence, is what essentialists believe.
Doing your best work where it matters and cutting out the superfluous will allow you to better manage your time and increase your performance. As McKeown puts it, “It is 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.” Instead of having their energy spread out in a million different directions, essentialists channel it into what really matters. McKeown also advocates for defining your purpose in order to accurately assess what’s essential and what isn’t. The more a task contributes to your purpose, the more essential it is. Many business owners and leaders struggle to let go of tasks that are best left to other employees. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to manage a massive workload while resenting the fact that much of what you do is needless, then it’s time to pick up a copy of “Essentialism.”
Early in the book, McKeown uses famed Braun designer Dieter Rams as an example of an essentialist. He notes that Rams’ design
TeamSpotlight: MariaCartagena
Beans and Greens RIGATONI
Meet Maria Cartagena, one of the newest faces here at the Dellutri Law Group. Maria is a legal assistant in the bankruptcy department; she works with clients during the prefiling process of their case. Before working at the Dellutri Law Group, Maria was in the corporate world working as an office manager for one of the leading agricultural companies in Immokalee, Florida. She was drawn to a career in law by her passion for helping others. Before coming to Florida, Maria worked
Ingredients • 12 ounces rigatoni pasta • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed • 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes • Juice of 1 lemon • Salt, for pasta water and to taste • 2 ounces fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
for the family court in New York, where she helped foster children, and she achieved her degree in police science/criminal law. “As I reflect on that time, I knew in life I always wanted to help others,” says Maria. When Maria isn’t working hard at the office, she loves to spend her time doing home projects with her husband, going to the beach, cooking, exercising, and riding bikes. She is someone who loves to stop and smell the roses, and she truly believes in taking time to admire the simple yet beautiful things in life. It is this amazing outlook on life that makes Maria one of a kind and provides her with so much compassion for her clients. “The most challenging part of my work is wanting to help everyone all at once,” says Maria. “I am bilingual, and I love to serve the Spanish community in any way I can.” Her respect and dedication to our clients truly shine through her work, and we are so lucky to have her as a part of the team.
Directions 1. In a large stock pot, boil 6 quarts of liberally salted water. On another burner, heat a large skillet to medium-low. 2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes less than the package recommends. 3. While pasta is cooking, add beans, red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of oil to skillet. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 4. Add cooked pasta, kale, and 1 cup pasta water to skillet. Toss vigorously as kale cooks, about 4 minutes. 5. Transfer to bowls, top with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle with cheese or salt, and serve.
If you are ever in the office, be sure to visit Maria to say hello or hola!
Inspired by Bon Appétit Magazine
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