Synopses & Reviews
All too often our best efforts to accomplish the things we want most—to do our jobs well, to make meaningful contributions at home and at work, to have satisfying relationships with loved ones, friends, neighbors, and coworkers—are built on bad habits that sabotage us. We feel overwhelmed by our increasingly large to-do list, so we automatically multitask to get more done—and end up
more stressed and
more overloaded. We say something with the hopes of impressing the other person, but instead of end them—then spend days trying to repair the damage. We give what we think is a pep talk to our team— but they walk away demotivated.
How can we be most effective and productive in a world that moves too fast and demands so much of us?
In Four Seconds, Peter Bregman shows that the answer is to pause for as few as four seconds—the length of a deep breath—to replace bad habits and reactions with more productive behaviors. In his trademark style of blending personal anecdotes with practical advice, Bregman reveals some of our most common counter-productive tendencies and describes counter-intuitive strategies for acting more intentionally, including:
- Why setting goals can actually harm your performance
- How to use strategic disengagement to recover focus and willpower
- Why listening—not arguing—is the best strategy for changing someone's mind
- How taking responsibility for someone else's failure can actually help you succeed
Drawn from Bregman's hugely popular Harvard Business Review blog, this engaging and wise book provides simple solutions to create the results you want without the stress.
Review
“Peter Bregman is back, this time with an even faster way to find your focus and get back on track when life throws you off. His honesty and empathy for his own failings make Four Seconds a refreshing read.” < b=""> Daniel H. Pink <> , author of < i=""> To Sell Is Human <> and < i=""> Drive <>
Review
“Bregmans insights are life-changing, often surprising, andmost importantlyentirely practical. His strategies can be used every day, take very little of your time, and yet yield extraordinary results.” < b=""> Heidi Grant Halvorson <> , associate director, Motivation Science Center, Columbia Business School, and author of < i=""> Nine Things Successful People Do Differently <>
Review
“This book is priceless, a book that could change your career, your marriage, your life. I hope you get a chance to read it.” < b=""> Seth Godin <> , author of < i=""> The Icarus Deception <>
Synopsis
Peter Bregman, author of the
Wall Street Journal bestseller
18 Minutes, offers strategies to replace energy-wasting, counter-productive habits that commonly derail us with truly effective ones.
The things we want most—peace of mind, fulfilling relationships, to do well at work—are surprisingly straightforward to realize. But too often our best efforts to attain them are built on destructive habits that sabotage us. In Four Seconds, Peter Bregman shows us how to replace negative patterns with energy boosting and productive behaviors. To thrive in our fast-paced world all it takes is to pause for as few as four seconds—the length of a deep breath—allowing us to make intentional and tactical choices that lead to better outcomes. Four Seconds reveals:
- Why listening—not arguing—is the best strategy for changing someones mind
- Why setting goals can actually harm performance
- How to use strategic disengagement to recover focus and willpower
- How taking responsibility for someone elses failure can actually help your team
Practical and insightful, Four Seconds provides simple solutions to create the results you want without the stress.
About the Author
Peter Bregman is the CEO of Bregman Partners, a firm that advises, coaches, and trains leaders at all levels to take powerful and ambitious actions to achieve the things that are most important to them and their organizations. He is the author of 18 Minutes (a Wall Street Journal bestseller) and Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change, and the contributor to five other books. He is a regular contributor to HBR.org, NPR, Psychology Today, Forbes, Fast Company, and other media outlets, and he is a weekly commentator on FOX Business News. He lives in New York City.