Time Management From The Inside Out (ISBN 0743517806)

Amazon.com Review:
In Organizing from the Inside Out, author Julie Morgenstern used three main strategies to whip a living space or office into shape: "analyze, strategize, attack." Using the same system, Morgenstern now shows readers how to get rid of chaotic schedules in order to live more comfortable and productive lives. Morgenstern likens a cluttered schedule to a cluttered closet. For example, a closet is typically "crammed with more stuff than storage," and a schedule is typically "crammed with more tasks than time." Those who fear "time management" because they worry about living uncreative or overly scheduled lives will find themselves reassured by Morgenstern's ability to customize her system. The most important thing readers must do, she emphasizes, is to create a time management system that fits one's personal style--whether it be spontaneous and easily distracted or highly regimented and efficient. "Just as everyone's living room looks different, reflecting the individual's or family's values and priorities, everyone's time management system will look different, reflecting what's important to him or her," she explains. Fortunately, readers can easily customize her excellent advice while learning how to create a personal time map, streamline routine tasks, conquer procrastination and chronic lateness, and manage all the inevitable crises and distractions of daily life. Speaking of procrastination, what better time than now to try this book out--ridding yourself of all that draining clutter so you can get on with living the life you want? --Gail Hudson

The only time management book you need!:
Throw out the time management books and replace it with this one. Ms. Morgenstern is easy to read and her book is a great reference to have on hand. My husband does everything on the computer and I am a paper freak, Julie addresses both types and explains which one will be better for you. The time map is awesome once you implement it. I can't say enough about this book, but I know I need no other and they have all moved out of my house!

Excellent; just a little repetative:
I LOOOOVE this book. It so explains the psychology behind tardiness, mismanagement of time, etc. It definitely gives a great step-by-step guide on how to manage time. It also takes into consideration people's personalities and individual lifestyles. For instance, people who are afraid that a rigid "time map" might hinder their creativity and spontaneity...it gives us various methods to deal with the realities of our lives and accept our weaknesses (rather than continually pretending that they don't exist and continually failing!) and find ways around those weakness, and use our strengths to our advantage. The book shows how to reach our goals by using our time to our advantage. It can transform the person whose time is chaotic and imprisoned and turn them into the person whose life is orderly and free! The only disadvantage to this book (very minor) is that the author starts repeating herself 2/3 of the way into the book. As I was typing notes throughout my reading, I started realizing that I was typing the same things over and over.

Nice Book, Super Seller Overall:
This book came fast, new conditon, what more can I ask for? Still reading ths book from time to time, it is a good buy for sure.

Figure Out How Long Tasks Take: Best Time Management Advice of All Time:
"The difference between good and bad time managers pivots on the asking of this critical question: How long will it take?" (page 41 @2004 Henry Holt & Company) Morgenstern offers much good advice but time management might boil down to just that one tool. Knowing how long our tasks take puts us in a better position to organize our time. I know that I often pack in too many to-do's into one day and hope that things that normally take an hour will magically take 15 minutes. If I am realistic about the amount of time needed I can be deliberate and intentional about what I decide to spend my time on. The author asserts, possibly we are stressed out not only due to innumerable tasks, but also to our avoidance of confronting the reality of time and our human limitations, because by doing so we will inevitably need to purge some projects and activities. Heavy stuff. But it isn't all enforced self-illumination. There are many more good takeaways and I will list a few that I found helpful. 1.) Designate a favorite wedding/shower/graduation gift and stockpile that gift along with some boxes and wrapping paper. 2.) Hang a master grocery list from fridge and check off products as needed. 3.) Review your tasks every two months and see if they continue to further your long-term goals. 4.) If you have young children, you may be forced to schedule tasks into no more than 1-2 hour segments. 5.) Create a "Sudden Opportunity" list of tasks you might do during random free moments. Divide the tasks into 5, 30 and 60 minute categories. The thrust of the book is very comprehensible until she gets to the "Attack" chapters where I found her use of the S.P.A.C.E. acronym to be a contrivance forced upon her by the necessities of branding from her previous organization books. Some of what she had to say might have been clearer had she dropped the old acronym and instead used a fresh metaphor to describe the method used to manage time. Often throughout the work she talks about being a single mother of one child. The portions discussing delegation, addressed primarily to women, display a quiet dismissal of one of the reasons women often don't delegate in the home: the job doesn't always get done correctly, or even near the acceptable mark. Morgenstern implies this to be unnecessary perfectionism and I don't think that to be an entirely fair assessment. Often men and children see a housekeeping chore as something to be rushed through as quickly as possible and the results are often slipshod. Sometimes this is a manipulation to get out of doing the task in the future, or there is an unawareness that many tasks in the home require the same rigor you might give at school or your job. Some women are indeed perfectionist, but there can be other reasons a woman is reluctant to delegate at home. That might be another book. Overall I found Morgenstern's writing to be accessible as she connected our emotional responses about time to actually managing it in a concrete manner. A worthwhile read for the modern-day multi-tasker.

An incredibly simple approach to time management:
I read this book from cover to cover in a matter of days. I find it an incredible and tremendously practical approach to time management. Implementation is simple and straight forward. I feel I am on the road to recovering "me" from this hectic world.