BuPuJF0CUAAaqdaThis book really caught my attention from the subtitle: “The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” That’s what I aim to do everyday…pursue less.  Less stress, less worry, less anger and less negativity.  This book is just what I needed.  It talks a lot about being stretched too thin, not being productive because of burnout and why it’s important to focus on the essentials.   As a wife, mom, daughter, friend, co-worker and manager, I feel stretched too thin on most days.  This book is about defining what is absolutely essential and what is not.  When you decide what is not…you eliminate it from your life.  Easy right?

Here’s what Amazon says about Essentialism:

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done.  It is not  a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter. 

By forcing us to apply a more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy – instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

Essentialism is not one more thing – it’s a whole new way of doing everything. A must-read for any leader, manager, or individual who wants to learn who to do less, but better, in every area of their lives, Essentialism  is a movement whose time has come.

 

I am about halfway through the book and it’s a good read.  Short chapters, interesting use of graphics and fonts that keep the text moving along.  I would definitely recommend it if you are thinking about achieving more by doing less.