Greg McKeown

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The most dangerous word in a high achiever’s vocabulary is "yes."

We are taught from a young age that saying yes leads to opportunity.

Yes to the new project. Yes to the extra meeting. Yes to the social invitation.

At first, this works. Your reputation grows. You become the "go-to" person in the office.

But then, the Paradox of Success kicks in.

The very success that came from saying yes now creates so many distractions that it sabotages your ability to do the work that made you successful in the first place.

I saw this recently with a founder who was working 80 hours a week.

He wasn't failing because he lacked talent. He was failing because he was spread an inch deep across a mile of interests.

He had forgotten that "priority" was originally a singular word. It meant the very first thing.

In the 1900s, we pluralized the term and started talking about "priorities."

But you cannot have multiple first things.

When everything is a priority, nothing is.

The solution isn't to work harder. It's to become a "Noist."

-Say no to the "good" opportunities so you can say yes to the "great" ones.

-Say no to the meeting that could have been an email.

-Say no to the pressure to be everywhere at once.

If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will.

What is one thing you need to say "no" to this week? 👇🏼

Essentialism, Chapter 1

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