Do you ever feel like you are being pulled in many different directions, chasing multiple, ill-defined goals?  This modern age of attention we live in is designed to draw people towards the latest, flashiest item or trend.  It makes our work lives seem hectic and unfulfilled, much like walking on a treadmill, where we take lots of steps but never get anywhere.  Is there a path out of this trap?

I recently read a book that provides an answer to this dilemma.  In Essentialism: The Discipline Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown outlines a lifestyle that emphasizes finding the most important things to do and only focusing energy on those priorities.  On his web site, he describes Essentialism in this way:

“The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done. It’s about challenging the core assumption of ‘we can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’. It’s about regaining control of our own choices about where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others implicit permission to choose for us.”

To learn more about the Way of the Essentialist, visit Greg’s web site or check out the book from your local library.