Great step-by-step resource | Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover

Comprehensive time management skills in one easy read. | Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover | Jan Yager PhD

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	• Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover Jan Yager PhD Sterling, 2008 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 16 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Think About Your Work Situation - Then Revise!

Most useful as a seminar guide or course guide, this book also gets us rethinking our time-wasting ways at home as well as work. Clearly written, all areas of a situation get examined. The five "P's" caught my eye: procrastination, perfectionism, poor planning, poor pacing, and petulance. Who, me? Take time to think, she tells us, instead of plodding through the motions of getting through our days, our projects, and our lives.
Although set up for classroom or seminar presentation, I feel it takes more than fourteen days to rethink and restructure any work or life situation. I would recommend addressing one area at a time - such as phone use or Internet use. Once under control, move on. I recommend this book for use by managers and individuals as well as for seminars and courses. Using her evaluation guides provide a great basis for employee training and improving efficiency.

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Great step-by-step resource

I was really pleased with the level of detail and great volume of ideas and information in this book. I decided to take it at face value and actually work my way through the book in 14 days. By the third day, I was already taking steps at work to be more productive; by the end of two weeks, I actually had co-workers asking me what was going on, my work habits were that noticeably improved. I definitely recommend this for those who are feeling overloaded and stressed out, particularly those who may already have decent habits, like list-making and prioritizing, but who want or need some even more specific guidance to take their organization and time management to whole new levels.

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Comprehensive time management skills in one easy read.

This is definitely the most approachable guide to time management that I've read. Whereas other self-help books sometimes talk down to readers, reading Work Less, Do More is more like having a conversation with a great mentor. The book does an excellent job of breaking up organizing time into simple steps, which are designed to address everything from the most basic to advanced levels of time management skills. Whether you're a mess or just looking to brush up on organization, you'll pick up something new in this book.
One of the most helpful things about Work Less, Do More is that it's structured into a day-by-day approach. Jan Yager suggests that the program in the book takes two weeks, with each chapter covering a different aspect of time management for each day, but she also points out that Work Less, Do More could work just as well if you read it straight through and apply the topics at your own pace. (I decided to take the reading straight through approach, and it worked just fine for me!)
There's plenty of information in each chapter, and Yager keeps the chapters short enough and focused enough that you never feel overwhelmed. The basic principles in each chapter will help people who are just beginning to learn to manage their time more effectively, while the variety of strategies Yager offers to deal with each challenge means that even experienced time managers will find something new. For example, one of the first chapters stressed the importance of setting goals and then writing those goals in a list. Now, making lists is my thing--I never leave home without my planner, and I always have a to-do list. Work Less, Do More told me that these skills were a good place to start, but I also learned that it's important to break lists down into time frames. The tables in the book prompted me to figure out plans for the next week, month, six months, year and two-year time frames. Now I have a much clearer idea of where my day-to-day planning is headed and what I need to focus on in order to achieve my long-term goals.
The other aspect of this book that I found especially helpful was that it covers all areas of time management. It's easy to get so wrapped up in improving study or work habits that you can forget that there are other important areas to invest your time. Yager balances chapters on structuring business meetings with sections about how to make the most of time with family and friends as well as how to find quiet personal time. It was a pleasant surprise to me that a time management book would value my family time and personal activities as much as my office productivity!
It's easy to put the strategies of Work Less, Do More into practice because the point is to find a productive balance in all areas of one's life, not to become a workaholic. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to improve or develop time management skills.

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A Must-Have Book to Increase Your Productivity!

The great thing about Jan Yager's book Work Less, Do More: The 14 Day Productivity Makeover, is that it is a VERY practical book. It is very obvious that the author is quite passionate about the topic, and that she has thought carefully about what she has written - and last but not least, that she has actually used the practical resources that she has packed all throughout the book.

This book is all about getting you to take action with the productivity principles that are taught, so that you can apply them immediately to your own life. And let's face it, - this is what we all need - help at turning our goals into our reality. From quizzes, reflective questions, worksheets, to-do lists, and many other creative, practical tools, your hand will be held through out your entire journey as you commit to becoming productive.

Be prepared to face your ugly demons of time management also, as Jan is skilled at finding those areas which can be a nuisance, yet very valuable, to address - such as dealing with things such as delegating tasks, setting your boundaries, etc., - among many other topics! Also, Jan knows that everyone is already busy, and so her book is purposely set up so that you can read and learn the material in small chunks. If you are the typical "A" type personality, you'll love the way this book encourages you to work hard and play hard - the smart way! You won't be disappointed with this amazing book that is full of original, unique ideas! This is a "must have" to read, re-read, and keep readily available on your book shelf!!!!

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Provides instant results

This book will save you time, right off the bat. I answer over 100 emails a day as a Project Manager on multi-million dollar projects. Page 54 alone is the worth the price of this book. Now I know how to categorize emails and respond appropriately depending on who sent the email.

I like the structure of this book. One chapter per day is bite sized chunks that readers can absorb and apply,one day at a time. (We are busy people which is why we are looking to learn how to work less and do more).

Jan has packed the book with logs and worksheets placed throughout the book to keep it interactive, with permission to photocopy the worksheets for personal use.

I agree that Self-esteem is the key factor in Time Management that is rarely addressed as Jan quotes on page 38. I would have liked to see more discussion on how to improve self-esteem, or at least a reference to a good book on improving self-esteem, as this is a key factor.

I would also like to have seen more focus on how to deal with the volume of meetings that Professionals deal with today. No-one in my office has a paper-based calendar like professionals had ten years ago. We have 6 hours of virtual meetings a day, mostly with team mates in other states and countries. Meetings are scheduled days and hours in advance. As such, it is not possible to see your meetings for the week, when you walk into the office on Monday morning. I would have like to have tips on the best ways to prioritize and attend meetings, beyond the appointment book on Page 76. Today's workplace is far more dynamic than a week-at-a-time calendar.

Page 50 has a nice tip on how to get motivated, that I have not seen before.

Overall, this is a wonderful book, jam-packed with tips and for employees, self-employed professionals and even students. Jan goes far beyond the simple "to-do" lists and her tips help all readers to prioritize better, make better decisions on where to invest time, so that we can have more time to do what is truly important to us.

I highly recommend this book and it has a special place on my bookshelf, so that I can reread it should my time get out of balance again.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4

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