The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

In a world where everyone and everything is clamoring for your attention, it is becomingly increasingly difficult to focus on the vital few as opposed to the trivial many.

My guest today, Greg McKeown, the New York Times Bestselling Author of Essentialism, makes the case for why less can actually be more. We talk about how to eliminate distractions, the criteria for measuring what task you should actually focus on, how to establish proper boundaries, and why every man should take on the disciplined pursuit of less.

“When individuals, teams, or organizations become successful, there’s a huge increase in options and opportunities that can distract them from the clarity that led to success in the first place.” Tweet That
— Greg McKeown

Greg McKeown

Gentlemen, I want to introduce you to my guest today, Mr. Greg McKeown. He is a man who needs no introduction for many of you.

If you’re familiar with his work at all, you’ve likely read the book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In this New York Times Bestselling book, Greg makes the case for why each of us should strive to focus on the few things that actually matter as opposed to the tasks and projects many of us get bogged down with.

He’s spoken all over the world at industry conference, huge companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Twitter, and governments including a personal invitation from the Prince of Norway.

Needless to say, this is a man who knows what he’s talking about when it comes to doing less but producing more.

“We need to create space to explore so we can discern between the vital few and the trivial many.” Tweet That
— Greg McKeown

Show Highlights

Why focusing on less can be more
How to ensure only the right things get done
The difference between thinking broadly and deeply
Establishing criteria to measure your decisions
How to eliminate the things that don’t matter
How to effectively establish proper boundaries
How to refine and hone your gut instinct
Establishing practices for systematic execution
Why small wins are vital
How using the word ‘no’ is a liberating exercise
Moving your thinking from “can’t” to “don’t”
Focusing on the vital few rather than the trivial many
How to create more space (physical and mental) in your life

“There are small things we can do in the here and now that impact us a very long time into the future.” Tweet That
— Greg McKeown

The Iron Council

Let’s be honest, there are all kinds of programs, courses, conferences, and mastermind you could be part of. The question is, which one(s) do you attend? In the spirit of our discussion today, you can consume yourself with the learning process and never move into the application process.

That’s where the Iron Council comes in. Our goal is and always has been to bridge the gap between what we, as men, know and what we actually do. That’s why you get weekly challenges, monthly assignments, and the chance to operate in 15-man Battle Team with men who will hold you accountable to what you say you’re going to do.

Of course, there’s so much more but, again, in the spirit of Essentialism, if you’re going to choose to be part of something, I’d suggest you be part of something that is designed to actually move the needle rather than just talk about moving the needle.

If you want to learn more and lock in your seat at the table, head to www.orderofman.com/ironcouncil.