Essentialism
by Greg McKeown · first published 2014
77% recommend19% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Focuses on the discipline of cutting commitments to what truly matters and saying no; readers pair it with Deep Work and use it to re-examine priorities, especially those feeling overloaded at work.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Essentialism isn't about getting more done in less time. It's about getting only the right things done. Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people's agendas? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist. Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything th
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"Essentialism", by Greg McKeown. Reading it right now, have already learned a lot from it.
on “Ask HN: What are your greatest books?” ↗…distract me from work in the evenings. Dostoevsky's overly descriptive narrative does a great job of transporting my mind to 19th-century Russia and far, far from my work and other present-day concerns. Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and Deep Work by Cal Newport - Pairing them together because they both reminded me the same important lessons: 1) Do fewer things and do them better, 2) Being overly busy is not a sign…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗…decluttering at home, sitting in cafes, going for short walks, doing self-care stuff. People say to read books, but part of my burnout was information overwhelm. The one book that's been helping me a lot is Essentialism by Greg McKeown. GTD is also helpful but only when I have the energy to follow its guidelines. For me the trick is to just really not expect anything much of myself for now. It's also Winter where I…
on “Ask HN: How are you getting through (and back from) burning out?” ↗Some times ago I started to use Obsidian.md to manage my Knowledge. Then I read Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and I suddenly realized that embracing Essentialism also means to stop having a macro-complexity to manage. I stopped using Obsidian.md and now I just have some .md file for the few essential…
on “My Second Brain – Zettelkasten” ↗Someone asked me how to get out from being constantly swamped. I highly recommend two books: Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and Deep work by Cal Newport. They haven't fixed all my woes but they gave me something to strive for.
on “Being swamped is normal and not impressive” ↗…conferences, have coffee meetings with important people, etc. The discipline is to be able to say "No". To be honest it is still a skill I feel I haven't mastered yet, 7+ companies later :) I recommend reading Essentialism, by Greg McKeown.
on “How to Avoid Distractions and Start the Right Company” ↗Essentialism - Greg McKeown Deep Work - Cal Newport Value-Based Fees - Alan Weiss Technology Strategy Patterns - Eben Hewitt The Road Less Stupid - Keith J Cunningham The Business of Expertise - David C Baker…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗Yes, this is an excellent book. About 1/3 of the people where I work read it. The difference between those who did and those who didn’t is stark. A good “add-on” read to this is Essentialism. I felt like it complemented Working Clean very well. https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg...
on “Software Mise En Place” ↗…when your kids take time to get ready), you loose patience and your rational mind starts to break down. I later learned from some of the self book on how to not end up like that. There is a book called "Essentialism by Greg McKeown", you probably know by the title. But honestly do yourself a favor, read it/listen and try to apply and see if it helps. Quitting should be the last option unless you already have another…
on “Ask HN: How do you know when you are burning out?” ↗Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Changed how I think about work and makes me hyper-aware of when I or anyone I work with says that we “have” to do something. Getting into the mindset that everything I do at work is…
on “Ask HN: Best books read in 2022” ↗Not 2024 book, but I found "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown valuable despite it being a mainstream self-help book. While the core message isn't revolutionary (focus on what truly matters), it provided a useful framework for re-examining my priorities…
on “Ask HN: Best non-fiction book you read in 2024?” ↗Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss Essentialism by Greg McKeown
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2015?” ↗They don’t. If they do, they shouldn’t and need to relax some constraints. I’ll offer four books. -> “Getting things done” -> Dry as hell, but useful for basic organization and “adulting”. -> “Essentialism” and “Make Time” -> prioritization -> “Four Thousand Weeks” -> perspective Life is trade-offs. The thing you are doing at this very moment (reading this comment) has been prioritized over everything…
on “Ask HN: How does one do it all?” ↗You could check out the book 'Essentialism'
on “Marc Andreessen on productivity, scheduling, reading habits, work” ↗I think these are some good tips. In thinking bigger picture, I'd recommend reading 'Essentialism'. The idea that 'Anything not a Hell Yes is a No.' has changed my life. I just stopped doing all these things I was ambivalent about.
on “12 Productivity Tools Every Entrepreneur Should Be Using” ↗