Cambridge Business Association
Make Every Second Count
Book

Make Every Second Count

Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success with Less Stress

Robert W. Bly
Career Press, 2010
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Recommendation

Dilbert, Scott Adams’ sad sack cartoon antihero, is the modern-day Everyman. Micromanaged and overworked, Dilbert seldom gets what he needs – especially time. A recent commercial includes this voice mail for Dilbert: “You have 947 messages...all urgent.” And he is not alone. Men’s Health magazine recently reported that the average Fortune 1000 worker deals with 178 messages daily – more than 22 messages every hour. Today, few people have the time to manage their multiple responsibilities and tasks. People need to learn how to use their time more efficiently. Business author Robert W. Bly teaches you how. getAbstract recommends his guide for its abundant useful tips and techniques for optimizing your productivity, enhancing your performance and becoming more efficient.

Summary

It’s (Past) Time to Save Time

Everything today moves at lightning speed. Time is your “most precious commodity.” To protect your time, learn to work more efficiently and to complete your planned tasks each day. After all, as professional organizer Sandee Corshen says, “You can’t deal with today if yesterday is staring you in the face.”

Start by scheduling your activities. Break your day into segments of an hour, 30 minutes or 15 minutes, and schedule yourself by segments. Refer to your schedule during the day to remain on track. Use three checklists to manage your responsibilities:

  1. A “daily to-do list” of activities you must complete today.
  2. A “project to-do list” of ongoing projects and deadlines.
  3. A “long-term to-do list” of important tasks you can do over time.

Prioritize

  • Work on your most important tasks first.
  • Do not procrastinate.
  • Take breaks as necessary.

Studies show that people can work well for 90 to 120 minutes, and then they need short breaks to recharge. If you can, focus on only one task during this work period. Tackle your hardest jobs...

About the Author

Robert W. Bly is the author of 75 books. More than 65,000 subscribers receive his online newsletter, “The Direct Response Letter.”

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    J. S. 4 years ago
    This is a very helpful summary, it is straight to the point. Also, this book is really helpful in getting to know yourself and how you do your work.
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    P. E. getAbstract 1 decade ago
    I love this summary. I used it as a lunch and learn with my team and we all walked away with several new ways to save time. I personally love the "Priority Grid" and created one two days later!