I’ve been asked any number of times which book on time management or organization skills is the best. It’s a tough, if not impossible question to answer.
There are thousands of books written on time management, being productive, staying organized, etc. You know why? Because the suggestions, processes and routines in a given book worked for somebody. They worked for at least one person. You would hope at minimum they worked for the guy who wrote the book. But “somebody” is not everybody.
YOU are not everybody.
Have you ever had a co-worker share with you the “right” system for being as productive as possible in the office? Their assumption being that since a particular method works for her, you should be able to apply the same processes and get the same results.
What works for one person is often not the best option for someone else. Habits, preferences, work styles, workloads, company position and outside distractions are just a few differences that need to be considered.
It’s crazy to think that everything in every book can work for everybody. But often there is a nugget, a premise or an idea in a book that will work for everybody. And this book contains just that kind of nugget.
The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
You will get massive benefit from this book because it’s not about which tool to use to track your tasks or stay on top of projects or organize your email. This book gets to the core of what you must have to be as productive as possible no matter what system you use.
If you are tired, burnt out, constantly connected, working 14-hour days, sacrificing sleep, eating poorly, etc., you can’t possibly be doing your best work. And they have proof that this is true.
If you’ve read it, let me know what you think. If you haven’t read it but plan to, I’d also like to hear if and how it may have changed your thinking.