HOW TO GET MORE DONE WITHOUT DRIVING YOURSELF CRAZY

While browsing the Amazon.com website, I came across one interesting book about time management, entitled 'The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques: How to Get More Done Without Driving Yourself Crazy', by Pamela Dodd, an organisational psychologist, & Doug Sundheim, an executive coach.

Both authors run the Clarity Consulting Group Inc., based in New York City.

What had intrigued me most was that, in writing the book, the two authors had started by reading the Amazon.com customer reviews for over 40 time management books.

Then, they bought & read the top 20 of these books.

Finally, they extracted the key points from these books, & then summarized them as 25 clearly workable tools & techniques, under five areas of significance:

I) FOCUS: Determine what is really important to you;

- put it in writing;
- find out what time means to you;
- identify your values;
- create a vision;

II) PLAN: Manage your plans to get results;

- use a time planner;
- set goals;
- plan backward;
- prioritise;

III) ORGANISE: Organize your living & work spaces;

- have a plan for everything;
- keep a clean desk;

IV) TAKE ACTION: Manage your actions;

- overcome procrastination;
- learn to say NO!
- be punctual;
- reduce information overload;
- minimise interruptions;
- do one thing at a time;
- take risks;
- delegate more/better;
- hold better meetings;
- communicate strategically;

V) LEARN: Implement continuous improvement;

- experiment;
- review & reflect;
- give & get feedback;
- measure results;
- manage stress & well-being;

Come to think of it, after reviewing the foregoing end-analysis of twenty time management books, I must add that there isn't any new or ground-breaking tools & techniques.

In fact, I reckon most of us are already fully aware of the 25 field-tested tools & techniques as outlined by the two authors.

To me, the crux of the matter in successful time management - in reality, it's self management - is actually execution, or putting the tools & techniques to work consistently in one's life, & following-through with the formulated plan.

However, that takes a lot of self-discipline!