Essentialism: Quotes I Don't Want to Forget Tomorrow
/You already know how much I love this Essentialism book by Greg McKeown. Unfortunately, however, I have a little bit of short-term memory loss (my friends call me Dory from Nemo) when it comes to self-help books. I think "Ah HAH! This is so brilliant! This is life changing material right here!" And then it leaves my mind completely. I have decided to type in here every quote I underlined from the book so I have access to it forever. Hopefully these quotes can be helpful enough in your life as is, but even better...go read this book!! :)
“Essentialism is not about how to get 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 in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”
“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.”
“The word priority came into the English language in the 1400’s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years.”
“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 wiht the most important people 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?””
“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.”
“Today, technology has lowered the barrier for others to share their opinion about what we should be focusing on. It is not just information overload; it is opinion overload.”
“There should be no shame in admitting a mistake; after all, we really are only admitting that we are now wiser than we once were.”
“The way of Essentialism 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.”
“Just because I was invited didn’t seem a good enough reason to attend.”
“Done is better than perfect.”
“We can either make our choices deliberately or allow other people’s agendas to control our lives.”
“Sleep will enhance your ability to explore, make connections, and do less but better throughout your waking hours.”
“The Pursuit of success can be a catalyst for failure. Success can distract us from focusing on the essential things that produce success in the first place.”
“Choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice—a choice is an action. It is not just something we have but something we do.”
“If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.”
“the killer question: ‘If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?’”
“Sometimes what you don’t do is just as important as what you do.”
“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.”
“No is a complete sentence”
“Only when you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.”
“What if society stopped telling us to buy more stuff and instead allowed us to create more space to breathe and think?”
“The reality is, saying yes to any opportunity by definition requires saying no to several others.”
“When we forget our ability to choose, we learn to be helpless.”
“Less is better”
“A non-Essentialist thinks almost everything is essential. An Essentialist thinks almost everything is non-essential.”
“Remember that a clear ‘no’ can be more graceful than a vague or noncommittal ‘yes’”
“The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves. If we underinvest in ourselves, and by that I mean our minds, our bodies, and our spirits, we damage the very tool we need to make our highest contribution.”
“Done is better than perfect.”
“Boundaries are a little like the walls of a sandcastle. the second we let one fall over, the rest of them come crashing down.”
“Instead of asking “What do I have to give up?” ask, “What do I want to go big on?””
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“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.”
