★★★☆☆
“Relaxing is a responsibility.“
Greg McKeown, Effortless
I listened to McKeown’s book Essentialism and it was a game-changer for me. I wanted more of his wisdom on how to simplify my life and get more with less effort. Unfortunately, Effortless: Make it Easier to Do What Matters Most wasn’t as revolutionary as Essentialism.
It had a few gems, like using the concept of inversion to identify problems with your thinking. When applying this concept to working through an issue, you challenge your assumptions by asking yourself, “What if the opposite were true?”
I also appreciated its reminder that holding a grudge takes effort that could be used elsewhere on something more productive. When you realize you’re holding a grudge, McKeown encourages self-reflection, and recommends asking yourself, “What job have I hired this grudge to do?” I’m not generally one to hold a grudge, but I still found this to be a good tip.
Like with Essentialism, McKeown dedicates a fair amount of time to emphasizing the importance of downtime. “Relaxing is a responsibility,” he insists, reminding us of the importance of unplugging and doing nothing.
If you’ve read Essentialism and need a touch-up on McKeown’s principles for reducing friction in your life, Effortless will do the trick. If you haven’t read Essentialism, I recommend starting with it as it was a more profound book, in my opinion.
For my review of Essentialism, visit this link: https://bookpicksandpics.com/2023/03/29/essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less-by-greg-mckeown/
