Time Management - Review of “Not Enough Hours”
Sunday, May 17th, 2009
I’m finally sitting down to write the review of Owen Fitzpatrick’s book “Not Enough Hours”. The subheading is “The secrets of making every second count!” The foreward is by Dr. Richard Bandler, one of the founders of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). This is a book about time management. You have to understand that my version of time management is to put off all the things I don’t like doing, until the very last minute, then panic and do them all in a hurry. Now this has its advantages for me. Firstly, I get all that free time to do things I like to do. Secondly, I seem to operate better when I have left myself less time to do something e.g. write a book review!All these weird and wonderful versions of people and time management styles are captured in Owen’s book. I love the fact that the book does not tell you all the things you HAVE to do to be a great time manager. It starts off by giving loads of information from science and history about why we are the way we are. I love lots of background information, simply presented. I also like the cartoon like drawings. I’m a very visual person.
That struck me as I read, in fact. This book appeals to everyone. If you want background information - it’s got it. If you like scientific fact - it’s got it. If you like funny anecdotes - it’s got it. And if you’re someone that just wants to know what to do to be a great time-manager - you just skip to that part of the book and do exactly what it says.
Even if you’re already a great time manager and want some quick and easy tips & tools to try out for your further self-development, just flip straight to the back of the book for pages and pages of suggestions on how to make your time management even more streamlined.
Don’t worry when you start to read the different personality types if you begin to feel that you are, in fact, ALL of the types mentioned. I did. Well, ok, not the Workaholic! But I certainly recognised elements of myself in the Perfectionist, the Hesitator, the Hurrier and the Busy Bee.
It’s nice to read that Owen knows what it’s like to struggle to develop time management skills. He understands how easily I can sit down to write my blog, then I research something, find a really interesting article I want to read, which leads to a great website on NLP where there’s a video I really must watch, followed by a link to …
You know what this is like (the book calls it “Time Crime 1: Distractions & Interruptions”). You really did mean to do just one bit of research. And Owen understands this. He doesn’t wag his finger and frown because you’re not a good manager of time. He has helpful suggestions for all types of people and all levels of time manager. I find there’s nothing worse than a self-help book that criticises me for being the way I am and sighs deeply at me when I don’t make instant and extraordinary progress in my self-development.
“Not Enough Hours” will leave you feeling that someone understands you and the difficulties you have managing your time. You will find real guidelines, helpful tips and genuine support for your efforts and determination to improve. It’s full of useful information that you can go back to again and again.
As Owen says early on in the book:
“Change is simpler than you think. It involves being aware of what you are doing, learning to do something else instead and disciplining yourself to continue doing the new behaviour until it becomes a habit”
It’s not rocket science. The book is full of common sense. I began reading it with a highlighter pen at the ready in order to mark the really useful passages. After a few bright orange pages I accepted that the book is crammed with useful stuff, so there is very little that doesn’t need highlighting.
After all that praise, have I any suggestions for improvement? It’s for the publishers really. I think a spiral bound, hard backed version of the book (in a better quality paper) would make a superb desk-top book. Another suggestion? Why not have a desk-diary to accompany it, giving little time-management tips on each page e.g. on Mondays it could have “Make your weekly to-do list”, or last thing on the day could be “Tick off all completed tasks and move incompletes to tomorrow”. Oh, and if that idea catches on - I want commission!