May 2025 -- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown
The main point: Greg McKeown teaches us how to focus on what really matters. This isn't about cramming more into your day—it's about doing the right stuff by:
Figuring out what few things actually matter
Cutting out all the extra fluff
Making it easy to do the important stuff
Why you should care: When you stop trying to do everything, you'll actually make a bigger impact where it counts.
This book will change your life if you:
Feel like you're drowning in to-dos and can't keep up
Can't stop saying yes to things that drain your time
Stay super busy but don't feel like you're getting anywhere
Need to help your team focus on what actually moves the needle
The bottom line: Do less, but do it better. You'll take back control, clear your head, and make a real difference where it matters most.
Helpful Links
Timesaving Library Hack: Visit OverReader.com to automatically search your public library & Libby for all the books in any of your goodreads lists all at once.
Book Club Meeting
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Time: 5:30pm-7pm Eastern Time - USA
Cost: Free
Discussion Prompts
Introductions - Your name, your work, what rating (1-5 stars) would you give this book and why?
The big idea - What surprised you most about Gawande's argument that checklists work even for experts? Were you skeptical?
Your biggest mistake - What's one recurring error or oversight in your work that a checklist could easily prevent?
Resistance to simplicity - Gawande talks about how professionals resist checklists as "beneath them." Have you felt this way about any simple tools?
The good vs. bad checklist - What makes a checklist actually useful versus just bureaucratic busy work? Share an example.
Practical application - Have you tried creating or using any new checklists since reading this? How did it go?
Implementation barriers - What would prevent you from actually using checklists in your most important work?
Take a selfie :-)
Next month's book.
Next month's meeting date.