Book Review: Time Power

Wake up in the morning. Get ready. Get kids ready. Breakfast. Drop off. Commute. Work. Commute. Pick up. Homework. Dinner. Chores. Bed. REPEAT.

If there’s anything busy girls can agree on, it’s that there’s never enough time for everything we want to get done.

Or is there?

If you’ve ever struggled with finding enough hours in the day, Time Power by Brian Tracy should definitely be your next read. Because in Tracy’s words:

Time management is really life management.

While there are some less-than-realistic ideas in here (see: 45-file system), there are also several practical tips and words of wisdom to be found in these pages.

“The most common time waster and  biggest obstacle to success in life is losing sight of what you are trying to accomplish.”

You may have heard this before: once you know your what, you need to figure out your why. And this book only serves to reinforce that. Before you can really accomplish any major goals, you have to honestly consider your motivation. Be real with yourself! If the reason is money, then let it be money… or your family… or your desire to live to be 100. Whatever your “why” might be, you cannot work to your full capacity toward something until you know what that is.

“When you ask yourself what you would do if you had a million dollars, you are really asking what you would do if you had no fears of failure.”

I love the what-would-you-do-with-a-million-dollars question! It’s fun to think about that dream life you have deep within you. But how much deeper does that question go when you think about it in these terms? What are you doing in that fantasy? If it’s travel the world, why aren’t you traveling? If it’s write the next great American novel, get to it. In my million dollar scenario, I’m helping women get organized and turn their seemingly outlandish ideas into a reality… and maybe also singing backup for someone amazing.

“You cannot achieve more than you are achieving today without developing yourself to a higher level.”

Think about that for a moment. You can’t do more than you’re already doing, if you’re not learning and growing, no matter what your field. As busy as you might think you are, it’s vital to set aside some time to invest in your personal and professional development. Set a reading goal, listen to a podcast related to your job, or make a coffee date with someone you look up to. The goal is to expand yourself, which will in turn allow you to expand your capacity.

“If my boss [or client] were standing here right now, would I be doing this?”

For all you procrastinators out there (myself included), can you feel the weight of this question? As someone who all too often finds herself falling down the rabbit hole of social media, this is such an important reminder. If it’s as hard for you to stay on task as it is for me sometimes, tape this question up to your computer monitor and remember that you have a purpose and goals that demand your attention and probably plain old better things to do.

So, there you have it. Figure out what you’re really trying to accomplish, have no fear, work to make yourself capable, and stay focused! That sounds like a solid plan of attack if you ask me. And if you still need a little help, that’s where I come in. Let me know what you’re working on, and let’s see what I can do to help you make it happen.