Greg McKeown’s ‘Essentialism’ WILL HELP AS YOU ‘SPRING-CLEAN’ YOUR WORKLOAD
“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will,” writes Greg McKeown in “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” When
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. Instead, the true essentialist works to spend their time diligently by pursuing what’s important and cutting out meaningless busywork. Early in the book, McKeown uses famed Braun designer Dieter Rams as an example of an essentialist. He notes that Rams’ design philosophy can be characterized by three simple words: less but better. This, in essence, is what essentialists believe. Cutting out the unnecessary and doing your best work where it matters 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 is necessary. McKeown also advocates for defining your purpose or your “why” in order to accurately assess what’s essential and what isn’t. The more a task contributes to your “why,” the more vital it is. Many service chiefs and leaders struggle to let go of tasks that are best left to other team members. 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.”
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 most people don’t suffer from laziness, but rather a failure to allocate their time effectively. It’s the impulse telling them to “do it all” that keeps folks from spending their time on the things that ACTUALLY matter. The book offers valuable insight on these findings and 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
EASY BACON AND SPINACH STIR-FRY
INGREDIENTS
• 3 slices bacon • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped • 2 bunches spinach • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper • Salt and black pepper, to taste
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DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a large skillet to medium. 2. While skillet is warming, cut bacon into squares.
3. Cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is almost to your desired doneness. If desired, you can remove bacon fat from skillet and replace with 1 tablespoon oil. However, keeping the fat is recommended for flavor. 4. Add garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes. 5. Add spinach and crushed red pepper and stir-fry for 10 minutes. 6. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
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