Effective Time Management: 5 Books that Explain the Hows
Getting your time to work for you
Effective time management comes with unrivaled benefits — meeting targets, getting more done, and attaining the self-fulfillment of crushing tasks. Moreso, billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates have touted time management as the most important key to their success.
As important as time management is, isn’t it odd that many folks do not have a handle on it? Given that an avalanche of information exists on the subject, why are people not more disciplined regarding their time? The truth is, being informed is not the same as being informed correctly.
Thus, in this article, we bring you 5 excellent books on time management. These authors are tested and trusted and have condensed their years of experience into these books. And before we move on, what you’ll find here will be mere snippets of the books. To read highly informative summaries of these books, check out the Headway library with its thousands of insights on time management.
Now, how do you become an expert at managing your time?
The Pomodoro Technique: The Acclaimed Time Management System that Has Transformed How We Work by Francesco Cirillo
Francesco Cirillo created the Pomodoro technique over thirty years ago. It is still referenced and practiced, even up to this point, which is a testament to its efficacy. Cirillo’s book focuses on people who have challenges sticking to their tasks from start to finish. It teaches you how to train and sustain focus while carrying out any assignment.
This technique is quite straightforward and can be implemented across multiple areas. It proves useful for writers, executives, salespeople, etc.
To implement this technique, you pick one aspect of your project that you want to work on. Remove all distractions such as phones. Then set your timer for 25 to 30 minutes. When the time elapses, you take a break of about 10 minutes and begin another round. On a productive day, you must have exhausted 4 sessions.
The trick with this system is that it leverages an average person’s inclination to work. Everyone believes they can work for less than half an hour. Split into sessions; they can hardly notice the difference.
2. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs by Kevin Kruse
One thing you can tell from the start is that a lot of research went into this book. Such dedication definitely should pique your interest. However, even beyond that, who wouldn’t want to know how successful people became successful, especially as we all have 24 hours a day? This book lets you in on the secret. There is hardly any need to say more.
3. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
This book is for you if you’ve ever stopped at the end of each week to wonder where the days went. In 168 Hours, Vanderkam teaches you to account for every one of the 168 hours you have each week. You’ll learn how invaluable priorities are, how to improve your concentration and get your life on track. You have no business complaining about insufficient time if you haven’t read this book.
4. Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done by Josh Davis
If you are wary of motivational speakers spewing gibberish about time management, you will be impressed with Josh Davis’ Two Awesome Hours. The book leans heavily on science to identify the most important hours of any given day. During this peak productivity window, you can accomplish more, make the most of your days and come out on top. You definitely cannot argue with science and fact-based evidence. So head over to the Headway library to read this book’s summary and identify your peak hours, too.
5. Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Everyday by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
In this book, best-selling authors Knapp and Zeratsky set out to help you “make time” for the things that truly matter. They develop a 4-step system for creating room for and spending the limited time you have on the activities that bring you the greatest satisfaction.
If you are looking to improve your relationship, reading this book is a step in the right direction. In and of itself, it tells your loved one that you are committed to the process enough to start.
You must understand that time is not a dragon you cannot slay. Do not resign to defeat and flounder after every deadline. With dedication and the right application of knowledge, you can get a handle on your time. What is more, there are people who have gotten a handle on time and are currently living their best lives. Just get to the Headway library to read summaries of these books and get started!
