Essentialism

Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.

To eliminate nonessentials is saying no to the trivial many so you can say yes to the vital few.

Once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.

Trade-offs are real, in both our personal and our professional lives, and until we accept that reality we’ll be doomed to be just like Continental—stuck in a 'straddled strategy' that forces us to make sacrifices on the margins by default that we might not have made by design.

We need space to escape in order to discern the essential few from the trivial many.

The more we invest in trying to win this nonessential item, the harder it is to walk away.

Clear goals and objectives as the foundation of effective decision-making.

Lack of clarity leads to inefficiency and conflict.

The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.

Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.