Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less | Greg McKeown

If I ask a key question to myself as: “What was the best book of 2024 so far?” Probably I would choose Greg McKeown’s “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” which was easy to understand, applicable and eye-opening for me. I found it while I was searching Amazon’s best seller list and it is a real must-read if you deal with so many to-do’s within your ordinary day. I hope my quotes from the book will help you.

THE WISDOM OF LIFE CONSISTS IN THE ELIMINATION OF NON-ESSENTIALS.

 —Lin Yutang

Sam Elliot is a capable executive in Silicon Valley who found himself stretched too thin after his company was acquired by a larger, bureaucratic business. He was in earnest about being a good citizen in his new role so he said yes to many requests without really thinking about it. But as a result he would spend the whole day rushing from one meeting and conference call to another trying to please everyone and get it all done. His stress went up as the quality of his work went down. It was like he was majoring in minor activities and as a result, his work became unsatisfying for him and frustrating for the people he was trying so hard to please.

In the midst of his frustration the company came to him and offered him an early retirement package. But he was in his early 50s and had no interest in completely retiring.

He went to speak with a mentor who gave him surprising advice: “Stay, but do what you would as a consultant and nothing else. And don’t tell anyone.” In other words, his mentor was advising him to do only those things that he deemed essential—and ignore everything else that was asked of him.

The executive followed the advice! He made a daily commitment towards cutting out the red tape. He began saying no.

Now when a request would come in he would pause and evaluate the request against a tougher criteria: “Is this the very most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?”

He stopped attending meetings on his calendar if he didn’t have a direct contribution to make. He explained to me, “Just because I was invited didn’t seem a good enough reason to attend.”

He could concentrate his efforts on one project at a time. He could plan thoroughly. He could anticipate roadblocks and start to remove obstacles. Instead of spinning his wheels trying to get everything done, he could get the right things done. His newfound commitment to doing only the things that were truly important—and eliminating everything else—restored the quality of his work. Instead of making just a millimeter of progress in a million directions he began to generate tremendous momentum towards accomplishing the things that were truly vital.

To his great surprise, there were no negative repercussions to his experiment. His manager didn’t chastise him. His colleagues didn’t resent him. Quite the opposite; because he was left only with projects that were meaningful to him and actually valuable to the company, they began to respect and value his work more than ever. His work became fulfilling again. His performance ratings went up. He ended up with one of the largest bonuses of his career!

In this example is the basic value proposition of Essentialism: 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.

Same As Ever | Morgan Housel

In the realm of financial wisdom and life’s philosophies, few voices resonate as profoundly as that of Morgan Housel. His book, “Same as Ever” is a treasure trove of insights, anecdotes, and timeless wisdom that challenges our perspectives and urges us to think deeper. This blog post aims to share some of the most impactful quotes from the book, each serving as a reminder of the enduring truths that govern our lives and the world around us. From Warren Buffett’s wisdom on the constancy of change to Jeff Bezos’ focus on the unchanging, these quotes invite us to reflect on the paradoxes that define our existence. So, let’s embark on this journey of exploration, guided by the enlightening words of Morgan Housel. Same as ever, yet always new.

My Story | Steven Gerrard

There are some players that each and every football fan show respect. Steven Gerrard is one of these characters. I have recently read his biography: My Story. Previously I read Ronaldo’s and İbrahimovic’s biographies and compared to these stars’ biographies, I couldn’t find that much interesting stories. The way Steven tells his story is similar to the way he plays his football: well-disciplined and I think this made his book “standard”. Besides these negative comments, Steven has still things to share and we can benefit from his experiences. Below you will see my quotes from his biography: My Story, by Steven Gerrard.  

Steven Gerrard - legendary captain of Liverpool and England - tells the story of the highs and lows of a twenty-year career at the top of English and world football.

As the only player ever to have scored in a FA cup final, a league cup final, a UEFA cup final and a champion's league final, Steven Gerrard is an inspiration to fans and footballers alike. After joining his beloved Liverpool at the age of eight, he spent the next 28 years, and over 700 games, devoted to this one club. Perhaps the last player of his calibre that we will see display such extraordinary longevity and commitment, his loyalty ensures he will be remembered not only as one of the all-time Anfield greats but one of England's finest footballers.

In My Story Gerrard dissects his full playing career. He examines the defining games such as the 2005 Champion's League Final when he inspired 'The Miracle of Istanbul' as Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to become champions of Europe. He talks about his 114 caps for England, including World Cup and European Championship campaigns, asking what went right - and wrong.

In My Story Gerrard dissects his full playing career. He examines the defining games such as the 2005 Champion's League Final when he inspired 'The Miracle of Istanbul' as Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to become champions of Europe. He talks about his 114 caps for England, including World Cup and European Championship campaigns, asking what went right - and wrong.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle | Haruki Murakami

If you are a fan of Murakami, you should read this book as well. But I have a disclaimer, this book is really long. It took more than 1 month for me to complete the reading of this book. I read the digital version and when I see the original version in the book store, I said "wow, that is so long!". And out of this book, let's see what I highlight:

There was a small stand of trees nearby, and from it you could hear the mechanical cry of a bird that sounded as if it were winding a spring. We called it the wind-up bird.

Cats have their own way of living. They’re not stupid. If a cat stopped living where you happened to be, that meant it had decided to go somewhere else. If it got tired and hungry, it would come back.

High Performance Habits | Brendon Burchard

Twenty years ago, author Brendon Burchard became obsessed with answering three questions:

Why do some individuals and teams succeed more quickly than others and sustain that success over the long term?

Of those who pull it off, why are some miserable and others consistently happy on their journey?

What motivates people to reach for higher levels of success in the first place, and what practices help them improve the most?

After extensive original research and a decade as the world's leading high performance coach, Burchard found the answers. It turns out that just six deliberate habits give you the edge. Anyone can practice these habits and, when they do, extraordinary things happen in their lives, relationships, and careers.

Which habits can help you achieve long-term success and vibrant well-being no matter your age, career, strengths, or personality?

The Code of Extraordinary Mind | Vishen Lakhiani

The people making you feel guilty for going your own way and choosing your own life are simply saying, ‘Look at me. I’m better than you because my chains are bigger.

All of us have a child within who never received all the love and appreciation we deserved. We can’t go back and fix the past. But we can take responsibility to heal ourselves now by giving ourselves the love and appreciation we once craved. You can help heal your own inner child.