168 Hours – You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
I have read many time management, focus, organization type books in the past and for whatever reason at this point in my life this one really “spoke” to me. Her writing style is smooth and very easy to read – it was as if she was having a conversation with me. It wasn’t as much a step-by-step process type of book that can be overwhelming, it was more of a gentle invitation to get more out of your already busy life by focusing on what is most important to you and being aware of things that don’t lead to success, happiness or fulfillment.
A few of the highlights that I have taken from this book are:
1. Love what you do and do what you love. Time is way too short to be doing things in your life that you don’t like to do or that you are not very good at doing. Identify those things that you love and that you are great at, and focus time, energy, and your talents to doing those. Laura invites you to make a list of “100 dreams” to keep your focus on what is most important to you and to remind yourself of where you are going in life.
2. Seize control of your schedule. This is where the 168 hours piece comes in. There are 168 hours in any given week and once I created/used the template to “map out” what I did with those 168 hours, I really wasn’t sure what I did with ALL of my time. My mind said I was “busy” all the time, but when I mapped it out, I became aware of times when I wasn’t as efficient as a possibly could have been. This isn’t to say that you won’t have time to relax and you must go-go-go, it just helps to be aware of how you are spending your time and then making better decisions on how you will improve moving into the future.
3. Doing a lot doesn’t mean that you are doing things that are important. Make sure to evaluate all of your use of time to see if what you are doing is actually moving your personal and professional life forward. Choose to use your time doing things that you see and feel having a positive impact on your life, success, and happiness. Be creative and innovative in creating new ways of doing things to help save time in certain areas of your life so that you can have more time to spend doing things that you absolutely love.
I have implemented many of the lessons from the book into my own life and I definitely notice the difference. It’s easy to get distracted and pulled into many different directions, that is why its so critical to stay focused and make the most of the 168 hours we have every week. I recommend you add this book to your Success & Happiness Library, as it will help you to continue to focus on what is most important in your life.
In service to your success,
Brandon W. Johnson
“Positive Energy Guy”
