523: The Invitation to Stop Trying So Hard, with Greg McKeown

Greg McKeown: Effortless

Greg McKeown is a speaker, bestselling author, and the host of the popular podcast What’s Essential. He has been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, Politico, and Inc. and has been interviewed on NPR, NBC, Fox, and many others.

He is among the most popular bloggers for LinkedIn and also a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum. His New York Times bestselling book Essentialism* has sold more than a million copies worldwide. He’s the author of the new book, Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most*.

In this conversation, Greg and I explore how to simplify by asking key questions of ourselves and others. We discuss the tendency many of us have to work hard, but not necessarily clearly define what we’re trying to achieve. Plus, Greg invites us to look at the minimum steps required to complete what’s most essential.

Key Points

• Take one minute to stop and define what done looks like.
• Crafting a “done for the day” list can provide clarity and boundaries to help us zero in on what’s most important.
• Ask yourself: what are the minimum steps required for completion?
• There’s a key distinction between a minimum number of steps and “phoning it in.”
• Decide in advance on what kind of work requires A+ effort, and where B effort is sufficient — and perhaps even better.

Resources Mentioned

• Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most* by Greg McKeown
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less* by Greg McKeown
• What’s Essential podcast by Greg McKeown

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• The Way to Stop Spinning Your Wheels on Planning (episode 319)
• See What Really Matters, with Greg McKeown (episode 469)
• How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507)

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