The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the way of the essentialist? How can adopting the essentialist lifestyle help you keep your life clutter-free and focus on what’s important? The way of the essentialist is a lifestyle philosophy that is premised on the principle of ‘do less but better’. Essentialism helps you create a system for streamlining your life in a way that keeps you focused on priorities. Keep reading to learn about the essentialist lifestyle.
What are the best deep work tips? How can these tips help you reduce the amount of shallow work you do? Groundbreaking ideas and meaningful progress come from deep work, not shallow work. Apply these deep work tips and you will notice an increase in your work productivity. Continue reading for tips on how to practice deep work.
How does Robert Pirsig define gumption in In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? What does gumption help you achieve? Gumption is a huge part of In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. But how do you define gumption? Pirsig lays out some rules about what it means to have gumption. Keep reading to find out how to define gumption.
What is Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism about? What does he mean by “the disciplined pursuit of less”? Essentialism is a 2014 book by leadership and business strategist Greg McKeown, in which he walks you through his principles of essential living. He calls his living philosophy “the disciplined pursuit of less,” which is all about investing your time and energy only in what’s essential in order to make the optimum contribution to the things that really matter to you. Keep reading for more about Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.
What are the most common barriers to success? What do you think are the main hindrances that prevent people from becoming successful in their undertakings? There are many potential factors that can prevent people from reaching their goals and becoming successful in their pursuits. According to Brian Moran and Michael Lennigton, the most universally common barriers to success are resistance, instant gratification, old habits, and too many goals. Here are four most common barriers to success and how to overcome them.
Why is deep work fulfilling work? What value can deep work add to your life? Sometimes deep work can feel undirected and aimless because the results aren’t often concrete. However, deep work moves you towards happiness and fulfilment. That is because deep work is satisfying, it has a productive psychological effect, and it provides value. Keep reading to learn why deep work is so fulfilling.
What is the central premise of Essentialism by Greg McKeown? What does he mean by “the disciplined pursuit of less?” In his book Essentialism, Greg McKeown makes a compelling case for the disciplined pursuit of less (but better). It is a lifestyle philosophy that is premised on pursuing only things that are at the core of your identity (the essentials) and disregarding the rest (the nonessentials). Keep reading for more about Greg McKeown’s lifestyle philosophy of essentialism.
What is purposeful practice? How can it help you break through your natural limits? Why is the phrase, “practice makes perfect” incorrect? Purposeful practice has four distinct components that distinguish it from merely repetitive practice: it has well-defined, specific goals, it demands complete focus, it involves feedback, and it requires you to push beyond your comfort zone. Continue on to learn more about purposeful practice and how you can improve how you practice.
Do you often feel like there isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish everything you’ve planned to do? Have you tried the time blocking method? The time blocking method is a time management technique that integrates the functionality of a calendar with a to-do list. It involves chunking a period of time—typically a day or week—into smaller segments that are scheduled for specific tasks. Keep reading to learn about the time blocking method.
What is the sunk cost effect? Why do we keep following through on projects that stop paying off? The sunk cost effect is a general tendency to continue on an endeavor once considerable resources have been invested into it—even when the costs start to outweigh the benefits. It’s human nature to respond this way—the more you invest, the harder it is to pull the plug on a commitment. Keep reading to learn about the sunk cost effect.