Time management

No matter how hard we try we can’t squeeze any more minutes or hours out of a day.

What we can do is introduce some good habits and practices to maximise how we use our time effectively and efficiently.

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”
Zig Ziglar 

In a recent Stuff article, How to create a time revolution, author Graham McGregor recommends the writings of Richard Koch.   Whether you call it simplifying or streamlining, Koch outlines how the 80/20 principle can work for you.

Feel you don’t have enough time to read that?  Try this article, 6 Habits That Help Successful People Maximize Their Time

“If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.”

Abraham Lincoln

If you do want a lengthier read we have plenty to choose from.  Here’s a list of suggestions, all available through the Wellington City Libraries collections.

The skinny on time management : how to maximize your 24-hour gift / Randel, Jim
“Time. We never seem to have enough of it. Time for all the stuff we need to do … and want to do! Everything seems to get in the way! Entrepreneur and award-winning author, Jim Randel, and The Skinny On team of writers, share their research and experiences in this comprehensive and humorous overview of the subject of time. The Skinny on Time Management is a thought-provoking analysis of the one resource we never have enough of. Presented with simple illustrations making this title a delight to read, the one hour it takes you to read The Skinny on Time Management will be the best investment you ever make! ” (Catalogue)

Boss it : control your time, your income and your life / Reader, Carl
“Do you dream of ditching the day job, doing your own thing and being your own boss? Are you ready to Boss It? In this invigorating and highly practical book, serial entrepreneur Carl Reader provides exactly the fire and guidance you need to get started. Designed to cut through the business jargon, this handy guide will take you through everything you need to establish and run your own business – from the mindset it takes to turn a dream into a plan, to the need-to-know practical stuff for running and growing a business. Featuring case studies, templates and exercises to help you put what you read into action, and turn that dream into a reality, this motivational book will enable you to be your own boss, to take control of your income, your time and your life… and Boss It”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Change your life in an hour : don’t believe you can? you’re already doing it.. / Archer, Laura
“Are you stuck in a rut but don’t have the time, money or energy to get out? It’s simpler than you think. By encouraging you to make small, personal decisions, this book will help you stop scrolling through other people’s stories so that you can start focusing on your own. We have choice in every moment of our lives. We can choose to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to an invitation, a job, a partner. We just have to practise cultivating that choice. Change Your Life in an Hour urges you to take back control of how you choose to spend your time – and subsequently your life. Laura Archer first realised the power of small choices when she started reclaiming her lunch breaks and using them to achieve personal goals. In this, her second book, she inspires you to target your mental, emotional, and physical health through simple but empowering actions that can fit around any lifestyle.” (Catalogue)

Time smart : how to reclaim your time & live a happier life / Whillans, Ashley V
“There’s an 80% chance you’re poor. Time poor, that is. Four out of five adults report feeling they are time-poor: They have too much to do and not enough time to do it. And the consequences are severe. The time-poor experience less joy each day. They laugh less. They are less healthy, less productive, and more likely to divorce. … How can we escape the time traps that make us feel this way and keep us from living our best lives? Time Smart is your playbook for taking back the time you lose to mindless tasks and unfulfilling chores. Author and Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans will give you proven strategies for improving your “time affluence.” Sometimes you can find time lost to thoughtless activity–like mindlessly checking your phone. Sometimes you can find time by buying your way out of time-consuming, unrewarding tasks–for instance, by paying for a ride to work. The techniques Whillans provides will free up seconds, minutes, and hours that, over the long term, become weeks of freed up time you can reinvest in positive, healthy activities. Time Smart doesn’t stop at telling you what to do. It also shows you how to do it, helping you achieve the mind-set shift that will make these activities part of your everyday regimen. At every step, Time Smart provides assessments, checklists, and activities you can use right away…”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Ebook format

Time rich : do your best work, live your best life / Glaveski, Steve
“Business and creative professionals often dedicate long hours to their work, with limited rewards. This book can help you see where you might be sabotaging your own goals. Time Rich helps you identify where you’re losing personal time and mismanaging career time. You’ll discover practical productivity tools and techniques to get focused at work and achieve more in less time-so you can enjoy more time that’s really yours. This book explores how technology has affected our productivity and the way we work, helping you reconsider the nature of work. Technology designed to make us more productive can actually compromise our performance. Time Rich shows you how to avoid these pitfalls and offers steps for positive change. Regain your time!” (Catalogue)

Busy as f*ck / Nimmo, Karen
“We’re busy, busy, BUSY. But when did being busy become a badge of honour? When did it become our new normal, our measure of self-worth. If we want to squeeze the most from ourselves and our all-too-short lives, we need to be able to gauge when our busyness is drip-feed destroying our physical and emotional health, when we’re hurting people we love and becoming that person others want to hide from. Using simple and effective tools such as The Pizza of Life, New Zealand clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo takes aim at our busy as f*ckness in a fresh DIY approach to therapy. This book will help you self-diagnose your issues, cut through all the stress and striving and set up a plan to go after what truly matters in a busy as f*ck world”–Back cover.” (Catalogue) Also available in E-book format and Audiobook format

Anti-time management : reclaim your time and revolutionize your results with the power of time tipping / Norton, Richie
“Discover the answer to the age-old question of “work-life balance” and what to do about it.” — Book flap.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Time power : a proven system for getting more done in less time than you ever thought possible / Tracy, Brian
“One of the world’s premier business consultants and personal success experts, Brian Tracy has devoted more than 25 years to studying the most powerful time management practices used by the most successful people in every arena. Now, in Time Power, Brian reveals his comprehensive system designed to help you increase your productivity and income exponentially — in just weeks! Overflowing with quick and effective time-saving strategies, Brian Tracy’s Time Power lets you in on the secrets to being more productive, earning more money, and getting more satisfaction from life.” (Catalogue) E-Audiobook format

Four thousand weeks : time management for mortals / Burkeman, Oliver
“We are obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction. We are deluged with advice on becoming more productive, learn hacks to optimize our days. We rarely make the connection between our daily struggles and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use the time we are given. Burkeman rejects the futile modern fixation on “getting everything done” and instead introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude. He shows how many of the unhelpful ways we have come to think about time are actually choices we have made– and that we could do things differently. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.