Book Description

Time! Who has enough of it? More than ever before, we're all juggling too much to do in not enough time—and forgetting how to take time for ourselves. Make Every Minute Countoffers a wealth of practical solutions for managing your time so you can spend more of it doing the things you most enjoy. In more than 700 clear tips and strategies, Make Every Minute Count spells out:

· How to get and stay organized · How to do things more efficiently or do two things at once · How to manage the behavior of others who spend your time for their purposes · How to reach professional and personal goals in the shortest time possible

Every aspect of modern life is covered, including business, communications, computersand the Internet, food, health and recreation, home, and travel. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sally Helgesen has done a remarkable job of illuminating the ways the workplace has infringed upon our lives. She uses the pop-speak phrase 24/7 to symbolize the transformation of our sense of time through technology and the blurring of boundaries between work and home. Helgesen details changes including the shift from an industrial economy to a "knowledge economy"; the technology that has spawned a sleepless business culture; the leaner organizations with longer job descriptions; and the domestic drama of overscheduled children and overmanaged health care and finances. The result, warns Helgesen, is not that time is getting away from us, or that work intrudes upon leisure, but that "We have forfeited ways of being that are fundamental to us as humans."

Yet Helgesen doesn't simply describe the challenges to our public and private lives. She also offers six smart strategies for pursuing what she calls "elegance and simplicity in all our decisions and taking advantage--or resisting--what technology has wrought." Her ideas include a new approach to networking through "building a web of inclusion," learning to "zigzag" by charting an individual path of development, and building a personal brand that expresses core values. Helgesen's artful balance of observations and suggestions creates a insightful and practical guide in a rock-around-the-clock world. --Barbara Mackoff ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent!
Similar to Steven Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.) principles, but stated in a fresh way and making insightful observations about life at the turn of the 21st century - why it's so stressful, and what we can do about it. I bought this book for one friend and recommended it to several others.

A practical guide to adjusting routines
Six strategies for taming the 'new world of work' address the problems inherent in the breakdown between barriers between work and home life. Readers who find themselves working not only harder but all the time will find Thriving In 24/7 a practical guide to adjusting routines and recognizing the hidden obstacles to success at home and at work. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

No gadget, no illustration, no gimmick. Pure know-how
Merrill and Donna are in the "time management business". Because they work in Grandville (Michigan - USA) I was quite interested. Grandville is the closest harbor to my birth place. It was also Christian Dior birthplace and childhood paradise. This would not be enough to give 4 stars to this book. In fact, even if this book looks boring to me. Very classical typography, layout. No illustration. Despite of all these drawbacks professional experience of Merrill and Donna are very helpful and clearly distilled in this book. Buy it with Outlook 2000 software.

A Terrific Book!
I actually read this in 1995, but I've recommended it to so many people over the years that I thought I should give it an endorsement here. It completely transformed the way I work. If you want to become organized, efficient, and productive, get, read, and, most important, USE this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Whether you change tires or change diapers, it's easy to get so busy that you neglect the things that matter most - your relationship with your family and your relationship with God. That's why Dave Durand wrote Time Management for Catholics. This handy guide combines proven time management techniques with valuable directions on how to order your life so that faith and family come first. You'll learn how to find the time you need for your family, your job, your finances, and your health. He even helps you make time simply to relax! Best of all, he'll teach you how to make time for the most important thing you can possibly do in this world: strengthen your relationship with Almighty God.

Now Dave Durand's proven techniques are available in a time saving audio format that will not only make you more efficient, but also help you become the person that God truly created you to be ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The secret to what makes good Catholic Families tick!
Wow! As a convert to Catholicism, I always was in awe at what made good Catholic families tick and how they managed to get everything done, have awesome kids, and seem very balanced. Here is the answer! This book is unlike any time management book you've ever read, and it is indeed distinctly Catholic and prayer centered. I would also recommend it for Protestants as the same principles could help them as well. The key is balance balance balance, prayer, and priorities. After trying this book out I found my time was actually increased and I got more done, and felt good about it too! We even have been successful in launching family prayer. Can't say enough. Buy the book!

Reliable techniques for overcoming procrastination
Written by successful motivational speaker Dave Durand, Time Management for Catholics offers reliable techniques for overcoming procrastination, making efficient use of one's time and keeping one's spiritual life a priority. Individual chapters address useful time savers such as kicking excessive television addiction, setting reasonable goals, keeping personal papers and supplies organized, and much, much more. Although written especially for Catholics and with a strong emphasis on the importance of keeping one's heart open to Christ, the useful physical and mental techniques in Time Management for Catholics are quite applicable to time-starved readers of all faiths and ecumenical backgrounds. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn how you presently use time and become a better time manager with less stress. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Practical guide for the "I don't have time" people
I was trapped in that circle. I never had the time enough and I wanted to do it all. With this book I realized that some of the work I was doing could be done by someone else. I used to expend to much time in some tasks that I thought could be worth and now I know they're not. You must have this book in your library, it has very useful aids, questionnaires that will help you find your weaknesses. I bet you'll think like me about this book. ... Read more

Book Description

There is no better time than the present to get motivated and get organized. The 60 Second Organizer is an easy-to-read, enjoyable, effective guide you can use to tame the paper tiger and beat the stress and chaos of disorganization. Here are 60 solid techniques-one for each minute of the hour-for getting and staying organized at home and at work.

Among the 60 immediately applicable techniques:

Book Description

For every successful person in a perpetual-crisis mode--swimming in papers, overrun with complicated new technology, hamstrung by details, and starving for time--here are simple, practical strategies for getting back your desk, your peace of mind, and most of all your time. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Alex Lubarsky
I think that it is very funny that our lives have become so complicated that we need a book to teach us how to simplify it, but need it we do. Jan Jasper has put together what seemed like a million simple ideas on how to get through all the stuff that screems for our attention. To accomplish more, to enjoy our life more, to do the things that are important to us, we must purge all the time wasters. "Take back your time" gave me a view from a different angle so that I can make a choice on what to keep and what to purge. I am glad I bought it! P.S. For me "Think and grow rich", How to win friends, and influence people", The majic of thinking Big" are five star books. "Take back your time" is a strong four.

Control your life as well as your time!
"Take Back Your Time" is an intelligent, easy-to-read, and helpful book for getting "unstuck". I had been stymied by the number of things on my "to-do" list -- important personal pet projects, desires to change old habits, business development ideas -- and Jasper's book provided the keen insight I needed to begin to dislodge my inertia! Jasper also made me aware that organizational skills do not equal efficient working skills -- a crucial distinction. I had check marks and notations on many of the pages of the book. I plan to lend it to my business partner, whose desk is one giant "In Box"!

SUPER BOOK for the 2000's
This book does a great job focusing on today's concerns for people of the 2000's, especially urban-dwelling, business-types, with limited time, limited space, and a desire to prioritize their work and home environments. The practical, incremental solutions Ms. Jasper offers are things a reader can implement immediately. I've read this book twice already and intend to re-read it periodically to check-up on my progress in reducing stress and organizing my business and personal time. In the new e-world filled with 'Self-Help' books (and I've read a lot of them...) this is a fresh approach with current ideas. GREAT BOOK !!

The best investment I made this month!
Before I read this book, I thought I knew what my problem was. There was simply too much to do in too little time, and the situation was completely hopeless. After reading just three chapters of "Take Back Your Time," I had already gained an entirely different perspective. Applying Jasper's advice on setting priorities and weeding out time-consuming, unnecessary chores helped me regain several hours weekly. Now I actually have time for some of the fun things I'd totally given up on finding time for. Plus, at the office, I'm now able to meet my deadlines without compromising the quality of my work.

A functional tool for survival in the clutter jungle.
This is a rare treat. The book actually delivers what it promises. For those of us who find ourselves overwhelmed with daily clutter and are fighting an uphill battle to keep ahead of our increasingly formidable schedules, we are finally offered a workable set of solutions. If you follow the suggestions offered by Ms. Jasper there will come a point where you suddenly realize your life is not an accelerating treadmill. There is a real benefit to a publication which offers attainable goals and a real template for success. ... Read more

Book Description

From the best-selling author of Getting Organized, an enlightening yet practical program for restructuring your life to meet the conflicting demands on your time

"I should read more, I should work out three times a week, I should be able to see my child's soccer games, I should be able to do it all." Sound familiar? With a growing list of priorities to shuffle in an inflexibly short time frame and burgeoning affliction of guilt and disappointment at not being able to handle everything perfectly, Americans are longing for a prescription for relieving the pressures of an overwhelming world.

Stephanie Winston, master of home and office efficiency, has devised such a plan. Getting Out from Under will help you create an oasis of time and space in which to take a longer, more discerning look at the cross-purposes at work in your over-extended life. Whether Stephanie Winston helps you create a little breathing room in your hectic day or galvanizes you to start to make wholesale lifestyle changes, the advice, encouragement, and strategies she shares in Getting Out from Under will no doubt help you balance the pressures of an overwhelming world. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Useful book that will help you restructure your life
Heard the abridged version of GETTING OUT FROM UNDER by
best-selling organizational guru Stephanie Winston . . . it was so
good that I now want to go back and get the book so I can read
all her practical ideas . . . I've enjoyed Winston before (her GETTING
ORGANIZED is considered a classic in the field) . . . this latest
effort switches her from writing about "things" to helping you
restructure your life to meet the conflicting demands on both
your time and energy.

I appreciated the fact that she reminded me about the constant
need to TRAF; i.e., when you have paper, you can only toss it,
refer it to somebody else, , act on it or file it . . . this, of course,
is often easier said than done . . . but I shall try to do so! . . . in
addition, i appreciated being introduced to her BOAT acronym
for breaking very big life goals into a system of organized
tasks . . . all you need to do is brainstorm what needs to
be done, organize a strategy for getting it done, add tasks to
your daily list to get it done, and then time spread these tasks.

Another winner from the Organization Queen Stephanie Winston
I must have every book Winston has written, and I've definitely profited by them.

This book is a little harder to grasp because (1) you are not moving THINGS but ordering your TIME and (2) you don't always have control over other people as you would your filing cabinet and closets. Winston does deal with time robbers and emergencies--which are some of those uncontrollable things, and give good hints for organizing your day.

I think it is a bit ambitious to include job changing in such a book , but since this is a task that you must make time for and that many people find hard to schedule because of inertia or unwillingness or the unpleasantness of getting going on a job search, I suppose it is just as well that this topic is covered. But for job hunting, you'd probably need a more specific book.

An Original Approach to Defining Priorities
Winston dealt with the external clutter in our lives in her first few books. In this book she effectively tackles the internal clutter which leaves us feeling scattered and unfulfilled. She does this by performing "time triage" in the three main sections of the book. First, she deals with emergency situations in people's schedules, citing examples from her clients and offering suggestions and strategies on how to add time to your day immediately. Then she moves on to "Examine Your Personal Universe" and guides you through creating a solar system technique to help clarify what's really important in your life. Finally, she reveals methods for acting on what you learned about yourself in the solar system exercise. The book is clear and well-written. So why just 4 stars? Perhaps too much ground is covered too quickly, from cooperative housing to changing jobs, but her ideas are a good launching pad for effecting life changes. I needed more help with basic time robbers and did not get enough help there, but the exercises in values clarification were quite helpful. The book does live up to its subtitle: "Redefining Your Priorities in an Overwhelming World." ... Read more

Book Description

With more than two million copies of the Simplify series books in print -- now there are two million and one reasons to simplify, simplify, simplify.

Elaine St. James' Simplify series has taught the world how to start doing less and enjoying it more. Now Elaine teaches us to balance one of life's most difficult areas: the work world. Filled with tremendously helpful advice, and easy yet profoundly smart suggestions, her new book shows us big and small ways to scale down and simplify life on the job, such as:

--Breaking the habit of bringing work home from the office
--Estimating the time it will take to complete a project, then double the estimate
--Cutting back on the amount of time you spend working
--Learning how to make the right decisions quickly

Written in the same upbeat, relaxed, and matter-of-fact tone that won millions of readers to the simplicity movement, Simplify Your Work Life is certain to attract even more followers.

Elaine's syndicated weekly column Simplify Your Life is carried in 50 newspapers nationwide and is read by more than 2 million fans each week. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Some New Ideas
This book has enough "new" ideas and presents them in an excellent fashion, so it warrants a five-star rating. It is a quick read and easy to incorporate immediately.

Some great ideas, but a little biased
Everyone working in America today should read "Simplify Your Work Life." People in the U.S. work way too much--and for what? Work is important, but it shouldn't be the only thing you do with your life. Elaine St. James offers simple suggestions to eliminate unnecessary work and stress from our lives. It's sad that our culture today thinks that people who work under 40 hours a week are "lazy". St. James tells us this is not true, and we can get as much work done working under 40 hours a week as working 60 hours a week, if only we learned how to manage our time better. People can get overwhelmed with our modern work society (with email, faxes, internet, etc.), but St. James says it doesn't have to be this way.

My only complaint about the book is that it seems biased towards salaried professionals who work in offices. Her suggestions about reducing your work time, taking more breaks, etc., aren't relevant to hourly wage workers who HAVE to work a certain amount of hours or else get a cut in pay. Those same workers also can't take breaks whenever they want to. A lot of her examples revolve around people who have their own businesses (much like herself). Of course THEY can manage their own time--they're their own boss!

Even so, a lot of the other tips she gives can be applied to everyone. Whether you need ways to find more time for yourself or need to reduce the stress in your life, this is the book for you! Easy to read and to the point.

Another great book by the St. James!
Having read or heard other books by Elaine St. James (SIMPLIFY
YOUR LIFE, INNER SIMPLICITY, etc.), I found myself looking
forward to reading her latest: SIMPLY YOUR WORK LIFE . . . I
was not disappointed in it, and you won't be either--even if you
have not read anything else by the author . . . she presents
both big and small ways to scale down and simplify life on
the job . . . in doing so, she will help you understand the
difference between making work easier and making it
easier to do more work.

For example, there were these thought-provoking passages:
One way to seize time is to get into the habit of taking
five minutes at the end of your day to clean up your space
and get organized for the next day's work. Even if you're
in the middle of a project you want to continue with the
next day, you'll find it helpful to straighten up your paper
and files and put away books, folders, notes, and other
materials for which you don't have an immediate need.

One of the most important steps you can take to
reduce the pressure you put on yourself is to avoid
making promises you can't keep that will throw the rest of your
life out of balance. So if your boss asks when you expect to have
a particular project completed, never, ever answer on the spot.
Always respond with "Let me figure it out and I'll get back to
you." Then actually take the time to realistically estimate,
given your other duties, when you could have the project
completed. Then double that estimate.

One of the main concerns Marie had when she was trying
to decide whether to take the leap and go for her doctorate
was that she was too old. I pointed out that I hadn't written
my first book until I was forty-five. Julia child didn't make her
first television appearance until she was fifty-five. Thomas
Edison didn't discover electricity until he was fifty-nine.
Eleanor Roosevelt didn't become a delegate to the United
Nations until she was sixty. And, as it turned out, Marie's
own husband, Joe, didn't do his most creative engineering
until he was sixty-two.

A must own in this modern work age
Just shy of three hundred pages and the compact size of 7X7 inches I was amazed at how much useful information this small book gave me. The book is laid out the way I like a book...Seven acts of a play. The FIRST act deals with CUTTING BACK ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU WORK and this is about 11 issues to look at, from Cutting back on hours, stop working week ends, leave work at work and dont bring it home, eliminating the commute and simply taking the time to think.

SECOND act deals with LEARNING TO SEIZE TIME and deals with issues like getting a jump on tomorrow, learning how to schedule better, using the phones and technology to your advantage. And something we all need to know in this Internet age, handle e-mail wisely. Her ideas on how to cut back on email will save you at least two hours of stress a day.

THREE deals with BEING MORE PRODUCTIVE and deals with eliminating distractions, bringing your full attention to work, Take your lunch break, laugh more, take a nap and get a life.

FOUR deals with BEING MORE EFFECTIVE WITH PEOPLE and covers issues like Speaking up, figuring out why you say yes, and how to work more effectively with those you are with.

FIVE deals with BEING MORE EFFICIENT WITH YOUR MONEY and covers living within your means, understanding what you make and what your taxes are. Knowing how much house we can afford and how to avoid debt, and simply learning how to handle money.

SIX CHANGING THE WAY YOU WORK and is about finding a work friendly environment, creating our own options, starting your own business and finding a Coach.

SEVEN is called CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT WORK and she deals with Understanding how you got where you are, rethinking your belief system, imagining and seeking the ideal work life and following ones heart and head. And finally if not now then when?

I keep picking the book up and reading new parts and re-reading chapters and seeing things I missed the other times. I think this is a book every workaholic needs.

Simplify Your Work Life
Great book! St. James perfectly balances the practical and spiritual aspects of the book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For those growing wary of the snowballing impact that technology now has on our lives--especially the way it leads to more time on the job, even when we're supposedly off the clock--Turn It Off will hit a nerve. "It's great to be able to do increasingly sophisticated, complex office work at home," writes Gil Gordon, a consultant who specializes in telecommuting and the virtual office. "It's not so great when we aren't able to close the door (literally or figuratively) on the home office and wind up working well into time we'd rather reserve for ourselves." His book offers a framework that anyone can use to divide the week's 168 total hours into three "zones" determined by how much we're willing to be "on duty" at any given time. It presents a flexible way to determine this level of availability and the days and times that each zone, which range from 0 percent to 60 percent to 100 percent involved, is then in effect. It also explains how to implement such a customized model, including advice for obtaining support from superiors, coworkers, and clients. Results certainly aren't guaranteed, particularly given the seductive nature of today's hot new gadgetry, but those dedicated to reducing its impacts should see improvement by tenaciously employing Gordon's suggestions. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Turn It Off - Three Little Words That Can Change Your Life!
Regardless of who you are - a casual user of today's technology, old, young, or in between, a corporate citizen or a manager - it is easy to become enthralled by today's "toys", which turn into "tools" and unless handled carefully, change into "weapons" that threaten to control us.

At one point in time or another, we've each fallen victim to the seductiveness of "always on" technology. Believing the myth of "I'll only check e-mail for 5 minutes" or "I'll check my voice mail - it will probably only take a second" has lead many of us to the almost unconscious, unnoticeable state of "always on duty". How did it happen? How can we revert back?

"Turn It Off" helps - a great deal! It is practical, the approach is definitely instructive, and the reader is given much to think about when analyzing their personal and professional circumstances. Approaching our time off with as much care as we devote to our business reminds us to cherish it as the valued and valuable commodity it is.

The author has done an admirable job of positioning the trends that we all must respond to as managers, employees and most importantly, people. We live and work in tumultuous times... "Turn It Off" captures our dilemma - and our opportunity to regain control - most effectively.

This book is "spot on"
This is an excellent, thoughtful and well-written book. Even more important, the author is absolutely right about the impact of high technology on our lives. The approach he proposes for simplifying your life is, unlike those proposed by others, reasonable, practical and achievable. I highly recommend the book --- as well as the less practical but far more humorous look at high technology and society as provided in the paperback, GONE AWRY: A virtual tour through high tech hell.

Get Your Life Back!
We used to be able to disconnect from the office. Our home lives and our work lives were separate. We had a life, as today's expression goes. In a world of e-mail, voicemail, pagers, cell phones, and personal digital assistants, it's increasingly hard to have a life. At least a life outside of work.

All these technological marvels are wonderful, except that they keep us so tethered to our work. We can no longer easily separate the workplace from the rest of our lives. With these connections, every place is the workplace. Result: burnout, severely reduced family and personal time, and shallow relationships with friends and family. We've been trapped in a world that expects instant response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week . . . if we allow it. And most of us do. But we don't have to!

Gil Gordon, an expert in telecommuting and virtual offices, shows us how to regain our freedom, privacy, space . . . to get a life. The book is organized into nine chapters, starting with How Did We Become So Attached to Our Offices. Get ready-in chapter 2, you'll learn How to Find Out if You've Gone over the Line. The balance of the book is page after page of techniques, based on Gordon's three zones of life management. Chapter 6 is critical: How to Approach, Inform, and Get Support from Your Boss, Clients, or Co-Workers. I bet you'll take notes on this chapter! Don't think you can do it all? Chapter 9 covers What to Do if You Just Can't "Turn It Off."

An important point: Gordon doesn't tell you exactly what to do. He just shows you the path. It's up to the reader to determine how far to go, when, and why. Turn It Off gives you the blueprint, the skeleton design, the concept. It's up to you to use it in the way that will be best for you and your life. No, you can't borrow my copy-I've marked it up-lots of fill-in worksheets. And I want to keep this book.

Turn It Off came at a perfect time in my life. I had reached that point where I really wanted to break free of the bonds of total connection. While my desire was there, I needed just a little bit of moral support and perhaps something to call my feeling. Turn it off! Yes! I read the book. I paid attention. I followed Gordon's suggestions to re-think my life. I made some major changes that feel wonderful already! Now I have to discipline myself to stick with it. I think I'll put Turn It Off in my tickler file for three months from now as a reminder to check my progress. Thanks, Gil Gordon--I now have a life again! ... Read more

Book Description

Finally! A Realistic Approach to Work-Life Balance

If you're one of the millions of people who are feeling overcommitted, overworked, and overtired, you've probably already learned that you can't juggle your way to a balanced life. With ever-increasing demands at work and at home, juggling only leads to exhaustion and frustration.

Beyond Juggling presents five alternative strategies--Alternating, Outsourcing, Bundling, Techflexing, and Simplifying--that don't require either hyperactive time management or drastic career downshifting. Instead, it offers a collection of tools to help you craft a realistic rebalancing plan, tailored to your life needs and career situation.

Extremely practical, Beyond Juggling details the five strategies, explains the rewards and drawbacks associated with each, and provides real-life case studies of people who have used each method successfully to rebalance their lives.

Using the self-assessment instrument included in the book, you'll be able to pinpoint the work-life strategy (or strategies) you are currently using. Additional quizzes and checklists will help you take steps to reduce the dissonance between your professional and personal lives and achieve more of the balance you crave. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excellent advice for overworked people!
If you've got too many demands and not enough time, this book will help you conquor the chaos - it's the next best thing to having Mary Poppins move in. The authors give real advice on making the most of your time. Any of their suggestions can be incorporated into your life, no matter what your income level might be.

How to book on rebalancing your life
It's a problem almost everyone faces today, how do you balance work, home, pleasure, church, and other obligations so you are not completely overwhelmed? "Beyond Juggling: Rebalancing Your Busy Life" provides a realistic approach to getting your life under control.

The authors provide five alternatives to trying to juggle multiple commitments: Alternating, Outsourcing, Bundling, Techflexing and Simplifying. Each one of these alternatives is examined in detail with a description of what it is and is not, an aptitude test to determine if it is an appropriate option for you, and descriptions of the trade-offs for each option.

The last part of the book contains a self-assessment that helps you determine the strategy that you are currently using, the ones that best fit your personal style, what will work now with your present career and life-stage and what will be needed in your future as your needs and circumstances change.

This is simply the best book on balancing your life obligations that I have read to date. Immediately useful, highly practical, it is a highly recommended read for anyone seeking balance in life.

Best Book I've Read On Balance -- Hands Down
There are lots of books out there just waiting to organize your life and tell you what to do. Problem is, once you finish reading the book, it's impossible to put everything into practice. I really enjoyed Beyond Juggling because it went past that. It gave real, workable solutions to fit work and personal life. I work at a Fortune 500 company and find it difficult in the early part of my career to take the advice of most books. I can't "get off the treadmill" or work flextime until I've build up some organizational credibility. The great thing about the book was that I found solutions that worked for me. It wasn't preachy by telling me I should, of course, put family first. I know that already. Rather they listed great strategies that have really helped me to help balance everything that's important to me.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves work, and loves their life, but doesn't necessarily want the two to be one and the same!

Wish I knew this stuff an unbalanced life ago...
These authors have got it right. For over 30 years I lived in a very hectic world trying to balance family, work, hobbies, friends... In a large energy utility I was a mentor and coach to many, and now teach in a business school- and act as a consultant to industry. I continue to be in touch with a great number of folks of all ages. While the advice, and reflections of the working world I have given in the past seemed sound, and were generally consistent with many of the principles outlined in this book, those I coached, and I would be better off if I had the book then... but it is never too late- several of them will be receiving a Christmas gift early... Thank you Kurt et al.

Tame Your Job Before It Eats You Up
Beyond Juggling was useful to me, a mother of young children, planning to reenter the workforce. I knew I didn't want the long hours and constant intensity of my previous job, but nor did I want a boring, low-stress, low-expectation job. The authors lay out the pros and cons of five strategies to keep your work and life in balance. I learned that I shouldn't work at home (what the authors call techflexing) since I need--and enjoy--the motivation of interacting with coworkers. On the other hand, my preference to concentrate on one thing at a time makes me good at alternating, a strategy of "intense work periods followed by breaks to recharge." The authors' suggestion that alternaters choose occupations that have natural peaks and valleys, such as tax accounting helped me focus my job search.
In addition to helping readers recognize and use balancing strategies that fit their personalities, Beyond Juggling shows how to incorporate other balancing strategies on a smaller scale. My need for spontaneity makes bundling, "packing multiple purposes into a single event or activity," a poor choice for me generally, but forming an investment club may be the perfect way for me to stay in touch with both my friends and my portfolio once I go back to work.
Since I love to give advice, I relished the appendix, "How Managers Can Use This Book," a whole arsenal of tools to get the best from your employees, not just the most. A wise manager may just give this book to his team members, and prevent burnout before it happens. ... Read more

Book Description

A proven action plan for enhancing your most precious resource—time Do you feel bogged down by paperwork, routine chores, and interruptions? Have you told yourself that if you only had more time you could accomplish more in your professional and personal life? This practical guide shows you how to manage your time most efficiently and effectively. Revised and expanded to include the latest strategies and equipment, Successful Time Management, Second Edition, helps you develop and enact an action plan to get more done at work and at home. Jack Ferner’s interactive, step-by-step approach offers:

• Clear-cut, easy-to-follow guidelines on how to recognize, analyze, and fix existing time-management problems
• Proven strategies for establishing clear goals, setting priorities, and committing to a course of action
• Expert tips on controlling interruptions, saying no when necessary, and delegating
• Dozens of helpful charts and planning worksheets, skill-building exercises, and actual cases

Reviews (5)

Very excellent book
This book is very excellent and easy to understand, giving me a logical structure about projects, based on acronyms like GO CARTS, CRACS, DRIVER, and very clear examples about concepts. I think this little book values more than its cost. I take advantage with this book for for my current task. After read this book, I understand better, and have some essential habilities for Project management, Team work and a better sense on Getting job & things done! Go and get it. You will be enjoy and appreciate it.

Good book for new PMs
Excellent for new project managers. Good information on fact finding and planning projects. The primary focus of the book, however, is on people skills. The author offers many good suggestions on gaining the cooperation of participants and influencing their managers. Well written and very easy to read.

People-Project Management
This book is not so much about the tools, charts and diagrams, used in project management as it is about working with people. In many places, the author presents concrete methods that can be used to manage a project team of individuals who all work for different people.

The final chapter is a valuable psychology lesson in handling and reducing the likelihood of a project being cancelled or shelved, something that every project manager experiences at one time or another.

This text is a must-read for every project manager who wants to perfect the way that he or she deals with the people that approve the project or carry out the tasks needed to complete the project.

Fantastic book for first-time project managers/leaders.
I have read several business related books which have been a waste of my time. However, this book is clear, concise, and very easy to apply to daily work. It helps you by giving a defined process and also addresses the "what ifs" associated with many aspects of managing a project. I found the book easy to read and hard to put down. I found myself say "so thats why I have a hard time of accomplishing a certain phase of the project". Almost all of my questions were addressed....and answered in this book. It's a definite "must read" for new project managers.

Easy to read. It has a lot of tips, lists and samples.
This book is less analytical and more into the psychology of Project Mgmt. It gives you tips on how to manage people, delegate, time mgmt. presenting project results, among other subjects. This book covers more than the basics of project mgmt. It is a good book for people already in Project Mgmt. ... Read more

Book Description

"Maybe you think you know about time management. Unless you’ve read Kerry Gleeson’s High-Tech PEP, you don’t. This book contains a key. It unexpectedly opens up a whole world—where suddenly you can think clearly and accomplish things you never thought possible." —Duncan Maxwell Anderson Senior Editor, Success magazine "With simple, straightforward tips, [Gleeson] explains how to exploit technology as a personal information management tool.… This book offers concrete suggestions for getting our information lives in order. As Gleeson says, ‘Do it now!’" —Dr. Franklin Becker, Professor and Director International Workplace Studies Program, Cornell University and Partner, @Work Consulting Group LLC "As a result of PEP, I was able to reduce my workweek hours from 70 to 40, and still achieve the same results.… I have been very pleased." —Dr. Richard Bax, Head of Clinical Research SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals "Productivity through the effective use of technology and work process improvement is the key to success in the corporate world globally. PEP is the enabler." —Ed Carr, Senior Vice President of Administration Steelcase, Inc. Make Electronic Gadgets Dance to your Tune—Do More Work in Less Time. Adapted from Kerry Gleeson’s internationally acclaimed Personal Efficiency Program (PEP), The High-Tech Personal Efficiency Program shows you how to apply the low-tech principles of PEP to your high-tech environment—e-mail, groupware, the World Wide Web, cell phones, beepers, and more. The easy-to-learn system Gleeson describes has already enabled hundreds of thousands of businesspeople worldwide to reduce job stress, increase productivity, and find more time to smell the roses. Why not you? ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great way to organize your computer
The author uses a great approach: first get your low-tech materials organized, and then move onto the high-tech materials. There is a parallel structure applied to both paper and electronic resources, which is really great for organizing. Great book.

Good for computer novices, Bad for computer-savvy people
If you already have Gleeson's "The Personal Efficiency Program : How to Get Organized to Do More Work in Less Time," don't buy this. It has pretty much the same information. It's not "high-tech" at all. Most of the book is like a Computer 101 class. I'm quite disappointed, since I was looking for ways to organize my electronic resources, NOT "how do I create a folder in Win95."

It Cuts to the Chase
Simplicity is the greatest strength of Gleeson's suggestions for saving time and literally cleaning up your act. She appears to realize that the reader's quest to save time should not begin with a book that takes hours to read and assimilate.

If nothing else, follow one of Gleeson's first suggestions: Remove everything in your desk drawers and place it on the top. Talk about Slob, meet Thyself. The incomprehensible handwritten notes, staff memos from 1995 and rubber band collection should inspire you to at least try Gleeson's other suggestions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Slowing down life's pace is necessary: here's how and why!
I have been preparing lectures on stress management and came upon the work of the authors' Use of Time Project which has tracked Americans expenditures of time over decades. This book has caused me to re-think all of my assumptions, and fits in beautifully with some of the brand new books coming out in the wellness field, including Dean Ornish's Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy and Paul Pearsall's The Pleasure Prescription: To Love, To Work and To Play. Time for Life shows, in methodical yet eloquent thoroughness, that the sense of hurry sickness and time famine is illusory and unnecessary: we in fact have ENOUGH time and money to be happy, yet we think we do not. The final chapter is worth the price of the book: called Brother, can you spare some time? it points out that the pace of life is a political issue, and that the commercialization of leisure can be critiqued and questioned, that while most of us lead lives of unbelievable privilege, happiness eludes us. This does not have to be the case. This is a scholarly book, yet accessible to the lay reader, particularly if you skip around some. The cross cultural stuff is fascinating (eg., Japanese people work longer hours yet don't feel the time famine like Americans do.) It is well worth the careful reading this important topic warrants. I am indebted to Mr. Robinson and Godbey for this expression of their life's work. I am deeply grateful, in fact. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Organizing from theInside Out, author Julie Morgenstern used three main strategies to whipa living space or office into shape: "analyze, strategize, attack." Using thesame system, Morgenstern now shows readers how to get rid of chaotic schedulesin order to live more comfortable and productive lives. Morgenstern likens acluttered schedule to a cluttered closet. For example, a closet is typically"crammed with more stuff than storage," and a schedule is typically "crammedwith more tasks than time."

Those who fear "time management" because they worry about living uncreative oroverly scheduled lives will find themselves reassured by Morgenstern's abilityto customize her system. The most important thing readers must do, sheemphasizes, is to create a time management system that fits one's personalstyle--whether it be spontaneous and easily distracted or highly regimented andefficient. "Just as everyone's living room looks different, reflecting theindividual's or family's values and priorities, everyone's time managementsystem will look different, reflecting what's important to him or her," sheexplains. Fortunately, readers can easily customize her excellent advice whilelearning how to create a personal time map, streamline routine tasks, conquerprocrastination and chronic lateness, and manage all the inevitable crises anddistractions of daily life. Speaking of procrastination, what better time thannow to try this book out--ridding yourself of all that draining clutter so youcan get on with living the life you want? --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Repetitive sections, not very instructive
I found this book a lot less helpful than her first book- Organizing from the Inside Out. That was a great book.
This book, however, was not that helpful to me. I read the whole thing in about one hour because I could skim most of the sections which repeated or paraphrased previous ideas. I think there were some excellent ideas in the book- maybe 8 key points that could have been summarized in an article or very short piece. She provided some questions that were helpful (such as "do you like to work on a tight deadline?"; "do you like to work with music on?"; do you prefer to work by yourself," but she left the reader hanging-did not help to use the answers to determine time management preferenecs. What are ways that one should manage time if you prefer working alone as opposed to working with others? Lots of questions went unanswered and information provided was mostly common sense. The book fell into the category of descriptive (providing the usual mantra) rather than instructive.

The Best of her Organization Books
I loved this book. It's extremely easy to read, and I found it had a fresh, new approach to truly making a daily planner system work! Her Time Map really got me thinking of what areas in my life I really want to spend my precious time on. I read the book in 2 days because I found it so interesting, and have plans on going through it again and applying her advice to my life. It is the best time management book I've ever read.

Very good, but not the final word
I'm a great fan of Julie M., her space managment book IS the best. But time - is a different dimension. I would still wholeheartidly recommend this book, provided you also read "First Things First" by Stephen R. Covey, it will fill in the spaces left out in this book. Which to read first is a difficult choice, depending on your personality. This one perhaps first, then slowly savior Covey's book.

NOT for intuitive, big-picture people
If you are an intuitive person who naturally thinks in big-picture concepts (an Idealist or Rational personality type), you will not find this book very helpful at all. With all the different lists of rules, discussion of common obstacles and errors, and general assortment of methodologies, only a detailed-oriented person (an Artisan or Guardian personality type) could possibly relate to the concepts discussed in this book. (I know I probably lost most of you when I mentioned personality types: see 'Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence' by David Keirsey.)

For the 20-40% of the general population who are naturally intuitive (Idealists and Rationals), 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen Covey is likely to be much more useful to you for time management, as well as other areas of self-improvement. You start with just 6 main concepts (instead of the endless lists of concepts in Morgenstern's book) as a framework, and explore each of these concepts in detail.

Very Helpful
The audiocassette give you the chance to listen many times without having to find a page to refer to in a book. This tape helped me more than I can say. I bought it several months ago and listen to it anytime I feel I am getting bogged down with all I have to do. This and the organization book were extremely helpful in getting by busy life in better control. ... Read more

Book Description

Streamlined for busy people who don’t have time to sit down and read a whole book, Time Management for Busy People lets you zero in on the information you need now. You’ll learn mental tricks that can get you to work a few minutes early; discover how to use computers and technology to save time all day long; master the secret of doing two things at once; and even find private time for yourself. Plus you get dozens of quizzes, checklists, and worksheets so you can keep track of the things you must do, the things you should do, and the things you want to do. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Insightful!
The colorful, almost cartoonish, look and feel of Roberta Roesch's book will probably put off people who prefer to have their solutions shown to them in black and white. And that's a shame because this book is an excellent time-management resource for everyone. Roesch created her book for people who "don't have time to read time books," and did a really wonderful job. By eschewing the standard book format, she may have alienated some readers who prefer their books to look serious. But it is precisely this format that encourages readers who wouldn't normally buy time management books to give this one a chance.

You can read this book straight through, but its most valuable sections stand on their own. A number of questionnaires help you determine whether the material in a section covers an area that concerns you. The book is also peppered with "minutes matter," call-out boxes that offer short time-saving tips. It caters to those with short attention spans, but without being trite. It is particularly useful for those who have purchased time-management books before, but gave up on them out of boredom or frustration. We recommend this book to anyone interested in time-management. In short, if you don't have the time for time management, this book is for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Swedish physicist Bodil Jönsson has spent several decades thinking about the opportunities and problems facing human beings in modern times. From a scientific standpoint, we now lead longer lives than ever before, yet many of us feel that we don't have enough time to accomplish everything we want to do. Technological developments, such as high-speed travel, cell phones, computers, and the Internet would seem to save time, but as the speed and pace of our society increases, we all feel that we have much less than we need. By combining her knowledge of science with common sense and a woman's unique perspective, Jönsson provides an interesting view of contemporary life and the toll it takes on our bodies and minds. Encouraging us to look forward rather than being nostalgic about the past, Jönsson offers concrete suggestions for preserving our humanity while working and living in the fast lane. With great wisdom and gentle humor, Unwinding the Clock ultimately shows us how to slow down and enjoy the time we have. International Bestseller ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Focusing Your Attention in the Most Useful Ways
While American bookshelves are burdened with time-management books that few feel they have the time to read, Swedish physicist Bodil Jonsson has written about a totally different subject: new ways to think about, appreciate, and use time. In this European bestseller (newly translated into English), she points out that "time is not something you can resolve once and for all." The book contains the benefits of her twenty years of thinking on the subject, and will give you greater awareness of and ability to make good use of your own time. The book is done in a recursive style to help you see the same issues from many perspectives. Her main point is that you need to carve out time to be a thinking, innovative, caring person from the frantic pursuit of "doing" daily tasks.

The introduction to the ten essays in the book points out that she began by moving beyond just narrowing time down (which is what time management encourages). At this point, she felt just as frantic as the rest of us -- never having enough time to do what she wanted. Next, she "found some more methodological ways of thinking about . . . time and its usage." As the third step, she learned to "describe . . . thoughts about time and . . . living to the fullest in the midst of ongoing time." Finally, she came to "imagine that [she understood] . . . everthing that's important for [one's] . . . relationship to time." Interestingly, she then reports that some unexpected event would occur to make her realize that she needed to go back and think the whole thing through again.

Time Is the Only Thing You Have -- In this essay, she points out the constrast between her grandmother who always had enough time to do what she wanted to do, and the stressed-out modern person who feels she or he does not have enough time. Her point is that "time is the true capital." It can be reallocated for different uses. For important things, "I have plenty of time." Most people will live for 30,000 days. How would you like to spend them? She suggests experiencing "rootlessness in time" so that time becomes "a joy, an eye-opener, an exhortation or a challenge, all depending on your mood." The key is to break your link to measured time, and to focus on time as it is experienced.

Clock Time and Experience Time -- This essay points out that we can "stretch out time" by the way we choose our mood. "How do I gain more experienced time?"

Setup Time -- This essay points out that the time to prepare has a large effect on how a task goes. By compressing preparation time too much, many people experience "set-up time anxiety." She suggests getting off by yourself to think. This may mean taking a train rather than an airplane for a short trip, because the uninterrupted thinking time is longer on the train.

Divided and Undivided Time -- This essay points out that tiny chunks of time cannot be used for many purposes. So restructure your time to have the right amount for what you want to do. For thinking, you need larger blocks than for much individual doing.

Thoughts Take Time -- Using the metaphor of "fast food" versus "slow food" and the qualitative differences, she encourages you to take the linear time needed to explore and develop your thoughts. How much can you think in the time it takes to eat french fries? Perhaps not very much.

Being in the Here and Now -- This essay points out the evils of the interrupting telephone (now carried as a cellular device) to distract you, and the benefits of e-mail and snail mail for giving you control over the moment and your use of time. She suggests that you follow Bertrand Russell's advice and focus on (a) search for knowledge, (b) longing for love, and (c) empathy for those who are suffering. Focus on establishing a "creative environment."

The Pace of Change and the Perception of Time -- She sees the exponential rate of growth in technology as squeezing our ability to relate well to time. It makes time seem to speed up. If we do not become better at taking control of our experience of time, we may be overwhelmed like a lake filled with lily pads or algae.

One of the best essays is Rhythm and Nonrhythm, which points out how activities differ in the ideal time, frequency, and duration for their experience. She also emphasizes the need to be in sync with those you are experiencing the activity with.

Forward and Backward Thoughts explores how to start with the end in mind, to create a path back to the present. This will help you create the future you desire.

Why Are There So Few Poodles? addresses how to expand innovation, and emphasizes the importance of banishing pessimism.

After you finish this thoughtful book, I suggest that you review how you spent the last week. What would you have liked to have spent less time on, and what more of? What can you do differently this week to redress that balance? How can you create more space in your life, and a greater sense of time?

Many people report that it helps to "schedule" unscheduled time. Give it a try!

... Read more

Book Description

Ben Franklin’s Guide to Wealth is the modern version of the treatise The Way of Wealth by Richard Saunders, one of Ben Franklin’s many pseudonyms. Franklin practiced what he preached in the treatise, and it made him rich enough to have a full life, travel extensively, and follow his intellectual musings, which in turn led him to become an accomplished scientist, inventor, political activist, diplomat, and writer. Franklin wasn’t born rich. He built his legacy using his intelligence, curiosity, natural good sense, and proclivity for thrift and hard work. When he died, he left a fortune.

Barrett and Mingo bring practicing what Franklin preached up to date for today’s busy lifestyles. It’s time to get back to financial basics. It’s time to think about what "rich" really means. It might mean not hiring someone to do lawn work, saving some money, and sharing time spent together as a family. It’s time to look for guidance from America’s original financial guru, Ben Franklin.

Ben Franklin’s Guide to Wealthshows readers how to apply Franklin’s financial wisdom to their own lives. Quotes from the original treatise such as "If you have something to do tomorrow, do it today" and "Leisure is time for doing something useful," are followed by the authors’ down-to-earth commentary. Barrett and Mingo—history and trivia buffs—offer their own sage advice on a range of financial basics, including debt, thrift, the value of work and business, developing financial responsibility, money and time, and preparing for the future. As the authors attest in the Introduction, we should listen to the way of Ben Franklin because "it works."

A clever, wise, and fun book, the financial advice in Ben Franklin's Guide to Wealth works as well today as it did 250 years ago. ... Read more