The Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief…The Effortless Path
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.”-Lin Yutang
Welcome (back) to the Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief! Each week, I share insights and practical strategies to help us cultivate well-being and thrive — both personally and professionally. Live well! Lawyer well!
This week we are looking at Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most, another book by Greg McKeown (https://gregmckeown.com/books/effortless/). The book Effortless offers a transformative guide to making what matters most in life easier to achieve, by shifting away from the myth that hard work alone fosters success and embracing a strategic approach to productivity and wellbeing.
Rethinking Hard Work
McKeown challenges the deeply held notion that worthwhile achievements require suffering and relentless effort. Instead, he suggests that by focusing on the essential tasks and approaching them in ways that minimize friction, anyone can achieve more without burning out. The book is especially relevant in today’s hustle culture, where long hours and visible grind are celebrated but often lead to exhaustion and diminished returns.
The Effortless Approach
McKeown’s method is built around three concentric circles:
Effortless State: Cultivating a relaxed, focused mindset helps one get in the zone, free from mental distractions. Being physically rested and emotionally unburdened allows for optimal performance.
Effortless Action: Instead of doing more and pushing harder, prioritize high-leverage tasks and automate or delegate where possible. This may mean asking, “What if this could be easy?” and reframing problems to seek a lighter path.
Effortless Results: McKeown distinguishes between linear results (one-off benefits) and residual results (ongoing returns from a single effort). Building systems and routines enables compounding benefits over time, so work done once continues to pay off.
Key Lessons and Practical Strategies
Invert Your Perspective: Trying harder doesn’t always get better results — sometimes it even impedes progress. Consistently asking how things could be easier can unlock creative solutions.
Bundle Essential Tasks With Enjoyable Ones: Pairing important activities with things you enjoy can reduce resistance and make tasks more sustainable, an idea similar to temptation bundling.
Combat Perfectionism and Self-Doubt: Recognizing that striving for perfect outcomes and overthinking can stall progress is key to making essential projects easier to start and finish.
Trust and Proactivity: Building relationships based on trust, and addressing problems before they escalate, can streamline teamwork and minimize oversight.
Final Thoughts
Effortless is essential reading for anyone seeking a sustainable path to success, balance, or simply greater enjoyment in life’s responsibilities. McKeown offers permission to seek the easier path — not out of laziness, but as a form of mastery that allows deeper focus and greater results with less depletion. By changing our relationship with work and challenge, Effortless provides a blueprint for creating more space, energy, and impact every day.
Forward Always!
