Essentialism
"Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it's about how to get the right things done."
— Greg McKeown, Essentialism (2014)
Introduction
| Essentialism | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full title | Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less |
| Author | Greg McKeown |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Decision making; Time management; Productivity; Personal development |
| Genre | Nonfiction; Self-help |
| Publisher | Crown Business |
Publication date | 15 April 2014 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback); e-book; audiobook |
| Pages | 272 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8041-3738-6 |
| Goodreads rating | 4.1/5 (as of 3 November 2025) |
| Website | penguinrandomhouse.com |
Chapter summary
This outline follows the Crown Business hardcover first edition (2014; ISBN 978-0-8041-3738-6).[1][2][3][4]
I – Essence
🧭 1 – The Essentialist.
✅ 2 – Choose — The Invincible Power of Choice.
🔍 3 – Discern — The Unimportance of Practically Everything.
⚖️ 4 – Trade-off — Which Problem Do I Want?.
II – Explore
🏝️ 5 – Escape — The Perks of Being Unavailable.
👀 6 – Look — See What Really Matters.
🎲 7 – Play — Embrace the Wisdom of Your Inner Child.
🛌 8 – Sleep — Protect the Asset.
🎯 9 – Select — The Power of Extreme Criteria.
III – Eliminate
🧠 10 – Clarify — One Decision That Makes a Thousand.
✋ 11 – Dare — The Power of a Graceful "No".
✂️ 12 – Uncommit — Win Big by Cutting Your Losses.
✏️ 13 – Edit — The Invisible Art.
🚧 14 – Limit — The Freedom of Setting Boundaries.
IV – Execute
🛡️ 15 – Buffer — The Unfair Advantage.
➖ 16 – Subtract — Bring Forth More by Removing Obstacles.
📈 17 – Progress — The Power of Small Wins.
🌊 18 – Flow — The Genius of Routine.
🔭 19 – Focus — What’s Important Now?.
🧘 20 – Be — The Essentialist Life.
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References
- ↑ "Table of Contents: Essentialism". Schlow Centre Region Library. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less — bibliographic information". Google Books. Google. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "Essentialism by Greg McKeown". Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less". Stanford Social Innovation Review. Stanford University. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2025.