Greg McKeown

"Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all can you make your highest contribution."

"Trade-offs are not something to regret, but something to embrace."

"Instead of forcing execution, Essentialists invest time in creating systems that make execution almost effortless."

"Essentialism is a discipline you apply every time you’re faced with a decision about whether to say yes or no."

"Nonessentialists ask how they can do everything. Essentialists ask what they want to go big on."

"Once we accept that we can’t have it all or do it all, we stop asking how to make everything work and start asking which problem we want to solve."

"If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. The emails in your inbox, the meetings on your calendar, the expectations of others—they all have an agenda for your time."

"We live in a world where almost everything is noise and a very few things are exceptionally valuable. Because some things are so much more important than others, the effort required to find them is always worth it."

"The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of reacting to every email, request, and opportunity, you deliberately distinguish the vital few from the trivial many, eliminate the nonessentials, and remove obstacles so the essentials have clear, smooth passage."

"If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. The emails in your inbox, the meetings on your calendar, the expectations of others—they all have an agenda for your time. Essentialism is the choice to reclaim that agenda, to say ‘no’ gracefully but firmly, so your days reflect what you have decided truly matters."

"We live in a world where almost everything is noise and a very few things are exceptionally valuable. Because some things are so much more important than others, the effort required to find them is always worth it. Essentialism begins by accepting this reality and then building your life around the vital few instead of being consumed by the trivial many."

"The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of reacting to every email, request, and opportunity, you deliberately distinguish the vital few from the trivial many, eliminate the nonessentials, and remove obstacles so the essentials have clear, smooth passage. It is a disciplined, systematic approach to ensuring your time and energy are invested where they have the highest return."

"If you do not prioritize your life, someone else will."

"The relentless pursuit of less but better is the path to focus."

"Essentialism is not about doing more things, but about doing the right things."

"Consistency is the quiet answer to overwhelm."

"Consistency removes the drama from progress."