Dear Frazzled, Time-Pressed, Never-Have-an-Extra-Second Reader,
If freeing up oodles of time and breaking bad time-use habits is of interest to you, then read on--you have come to the right place. As the commercial goes, "You've got questions, I've got answers!"
Welcome to the third edition of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Your Time. Understandably, this book is more useful than the second edition, and much more updated than the first. More than 160,000 of the first two editions are now in print. (I have always relied on the kindness of strangers--book buyers--to do their part: buy dozens and dozens of copies for your immediate family, best friends, and for special occasions such as graduation, weddings, funerals, retirement parties, baby showers, and Groundhog Day.)
Now, well into the 21st century, it's no secret that everywhere you look, for everyone you know, the pace of life has sped up and seemingly is getting faster all the time. Watching people drive SUVs as they speed around crowded intersections with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the cell phone is not a pretty sight. The juggling and struggling of people seeking to get a lot of things done in a hurry makes for some questionable behaviors, some of them risky, some merely silly. All such behaviors are driven by the same basic notion--there is too much to do and too little time in which to do it.
I don't blame you if you're leery of tackling a large book. After all, this one contains more than 300 pages. Yet, once you start perusing the pages, you'll see that this is an easy read. I'm on your side; I did not create more work for you by making a text that is hard to read and whose advice is hard to apply. Each chapter tackles a particular issue related to the overall theme of managing your time.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Your Time is loaded with insights and witticisms that ring true and that you'll be able to apply to the everyday issues you face. I don't lay on a ton of rules that you're supposed to memorize and apply around the clock. You don't need that kind of assignment--you're already very busy! Rather, I offer a handful of guiding principles that work in pretty much any situation, any time, for anyone who draws upon them.
My goal in writing this book is to offer you a solid framework for taking charge of your time by offering practical, commonsensical, fresh approaches for seizing control of your day, year, life, and maybe even your afterlife. You won't have to get up at 4:30 a.m., spend a small fortune, surround yourself with high-tech gadgets, or clone yourself.
If you're like most people, you want to finish your day's work and still have a life. You want to reclaim your weekends for leisure and fun-filled activities. You want to embark on invigorating, relaxing vacations. In short, you want to win back your time so that you can have a life!
Within these 27 chapters, there are dozens upon dozens of tips, suggestions, and recommendations. Not all of them will apply to everybody. Some may rub you the wrong way, some may be totally out of reach, and some may represent ideas that don't seem palatable to you. That's okay--what's vital is that there are enough tips and suggestions that do fit your scheme of doing things, that aid you in controlling your time, and that enhance the quality of your day.
When it comes to reading this book, you have lots of options! You can read the whole thing from cover to cover (the way I read books) and you'll do quite well. You will find the text to be witty, though entirely readable and hard-hitting. You have the option of reading a chapter at a time, not necessarily in chronological order. For example, you may have some burning issue that's addressed in one of the middle chapters of the book. In that case, plunge in right there! You can always go back to the earlier chapters. Take action where and when it makes the most sense.
You also have the option of dabbling. Open the book to any single page or paragraph at random and simply begin reading. I promise that you'll benefit no matter where you start because every page and passage is packed with high-octane insights and suggestions.
As you begin to master managing your time, subtly, almost imperceptibly, you'll experience positive, significant differences in your life. Indeed, the world takes on a totally different hue when you build some slack into your days and stay in control.
All the best to you on your personal and exciting journey to reclaiming your life, year, month, week, day, and now as you become a master at managing your time.
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