Essentialism: do less better

Let's be aggressively picky with our time

In a world where GenAI makes everything easier, the scarce resource is disciplined choice.

Essentialism, by Greg McKeown, is a strategic book. It asks all the big questions of a) what does winning mean to you b) what should you do less of c) what’s keeping you from your maximum contribution.

It rejects that lie that over-achievers (yes, I am talking to you and me) tell ourselves that we do more, sleep less, optimize our lives, and exceed expectations all the time, everywhere. Not true.

I re-read this short impactful book this weekend (affiliate link here); it’s a keeper.

Living by design, not by default

Yes, let’s be the owners and architects of our own lives. For those reading this blog, you’ve played the game well; you are educated, ambitious, and resourceful. You have a network of people who love you and have enough relational equity to tell you when you’re wrong. You’ve earned the right to make choices – what you want to focus on, who you want to work with, what you will prioritize, what life you will live daily.

Increasingly, we don’t HAVE TO do much. Rather, what do you CHOOSE to do?

It’s the ability to choose which makes us human. – Madeleine L’Engle

80/20 principle

As consultants, we are continually focusing on the 20% of inputs that drive 80% of the outputs? What are the key drivers? Where should we focus our attention? We are paid $$$/hr to solve $$,$$$,$$$ type problems. Let’s try and fix the main thing. We want to attack the core of the disease, not fool around with the symptoms.

McKeown has a chapter entitled: The unimportance of practically everything. BOOM, I love this guy already. Agreed = 98%+ of the news, articles, gossip = no impact to me,

Caution: GenAI helps you do the trivial stuff (noise) faster. . that could be a trap. Fun metaphor (thanks ChatGPT), GenAI is a powertool. Your can cut faster, but are you building the right stuff?

It’s all trade-offs

In strategy class, I remind students that “strategy = what you decide NOT to do.” Too often, companies, universities, not-for-profits try to be all things to all people = fail. There are opportunity costs (what you could be doing instead) with the money, time, attention.

Example: I recently got some survey results back from an organization telling me how XYZ was important, but they didn’t tell me (or the survey respondents) what the opportunity costs were. Namely, how much would this cost? $1M or $10M or $100M. If we DIDN’T do it, where could we invest the money? Nothing is free, my dear padwan.

Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs. It’s about deliberately choosing to be different – Michael Porter

Explore – by the author

This is something that I don’t do enough. Like you – I am eager to “do great work” and “add value” and “be an over-achiever” and “beat my KPI” and “win the awards” and “grind.”

Wait – what am I trying to grind for? As Naval Ravikant warns, are we trying hard to play “silly games for silly prizes?” Wait – have I spent as much time on my career strategy as I have my Italian vacation (hint: probably not).

McKeown extols the need for escape, observation, play, and sleep. I like all that. . .you need enough margin to really grok something, see the adjacencies, connect the dots, and come up with novel solutions. You can “be creative NOW damn it.”

Explore – by John

As an executive coach, I try to help clients see themselves. Be a mirror and help them self-observe, reflect, act. Let’s do this ourselves:

• Ask ChatGPT to be an “executive coach” and ask you questions

• Reflect on 3 things that you are particularly good at (people pay you $$$/hr to do it, it’s fun or easy to do)

• Identify 3 problems that you think are ridiculously bad, stupid, or need fixing

• Interview 3 people who you massively respect and would love to work for

• Imagine you are making $300,000 a year anyways – what are you willing to become a master at

• What is the biggest GAP that GenAI will not fill over the next 5 years?

• If you had to make 100 videos on a specific topic, what would it be?

• What was your favorite topic as a kid, why? Why not now?

• What were 3 wins professionally wins ? What were the common denominators?

Actively choose what you do

Generally, people are bad at saying no. Generally, we don’t have a strong opinion, so we default our way into meetings that don’t matter and parties we don’t want to attend. If you don’t want to go, then why are you going?

• I don’t want to be a jerk

• I don’t want to hurt their feelings

• I don’t want to appear selfish

Overall, I appreciate that AND, you can make it up to them in many other ways. Proof read their resume (service). Send them an analyst report (service). Buy them a gift. Thank them (if earnest) in from of their boss (words of affirmation). There are MANY ways for you to be a relationship-builder, a friend, an ally, a mensch.

“Hell Yeah, or No”

Apparently, this comes from Derek Sivers who wrote a book by the same name. This is a simple – and dramatic – heuristic to decide on whether to do something or not. When you’re not sure, when you’re putting together an overly detailed “pro/con” list, when you’re being wishy-washy, ask your self if this gets your excited or not. Is it a:

• Hell ya = I want to do this now. This will matter to me. This makes a good story.

• No

Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying “yes” too quickly and not saying “no” soon enough – Josh Billings

Eliminate – The hard part

Now we are talking about saying “no” to activities, people, appointments, rituals, and things on your calendar and to-do-lists. In the short-term, this will be UN-FUN because there is always a specter of embarrassment, shame, guilt, fear, self-consciousness, and oye-vey. We all want to fit it. This might feel selfish or self-indulgent.

GenAI makes it easier to do non-important stuff. Yes, it lowers the cost of doing the work, but the opportunity cost is still there. Getting better at doing the trivia is not the end solution.

Be picky with your time

• What’s super valuable to me? What comes first?

• What $1M idea do I have now, that someone else might GenAI implement tomorrow?

• What parts of my work will decline by 30% because of GenAI over the next 5 years?

• What crucial conversation should I have now, to be more authentic to my values?

• What boundaries have NOT been kept, that need reinforcing?

• What activities, people, obligations are draining – that I can find other solutions for?

• What is the first domino (it creates a cascade of good things in my life?

It’s difficult, I am trying too

Recent wins:

• Saying no to a speaking engagement that was not a great fit

• Tracking my sleep – starting to wind down 2 hours earlier

• Reworking teaching content that I can re-use next year

Recent fails:

• Worrying for hours about project XYZ = procrastination, not productivity

• Not calling a friend for two weeks = more pride vs. logic

• Doing a “favor” for a friend, that was not a “hell yeah” = 3 hours of unfun

Challenge:

Reflect and act. What can I say “no” to that will save 10 hours of time and cost me almost nothing (relationally, financially)? Then reinvest that time into your unfair advantage, something that is uniquely YOU and will accrete / build for your future.

Is it a “Hell yeah, or a no?”

GenAI note: everything was written by John. Used ChatGPT to proof-read. Also, I asked it to evaluate the blog post. It suggest: a) make it less preachy b) make it 20% shorter. . reminding me, “don’t forget the 80/20 rule.” heh heh