Synopses & Reviews
What’s Stopping You – Getting Things Done? Whatever the cause, many people spend their lives in a cycle of enthusiasm and endeavour followed by setbacks and cynicism. The result is procrastination, low attainment and frustrated ambitions. By looking back and helping us understand how and why we developed our ineffective habits, Robert Kelsey shows in order to break this cycle we need to unravel our chaotic minds.
Kelsey states that disorganization is not innate or inevitable and we can learn processes that allow for effective personal progress. We can get control of our time. And we can manage tasks. We simply need to recognise that we are the problem (not our parents or peers, nor the complexity of modern living and certainly not our genes) and then set ourselves up for efficiency. And if we turn that process into a habit we can develop a highly-effective, future-oriented, routine.
What’s Stopping You – Getting Things Done? analyses time management problems in order to aid focus and concentration. It examines planning and process, and discovers ways for overcoming barriers or roadblocks (including “big-tasklists”) and tackles specific areas of our lives where disorganisation can be most disabling.
And finally there is the payoff – how we can use our new-found efficiency to generate and execute ideas, be more creative and develop strong leadership skills? Of course, this can go deeper: helping us cope with stress and anxiety (two symptoms of the cluttered mind). Yet we must also recognise and accept the limits of organisation. We cannot gain full control in an essentially-uncontrollable world. Such a pursuit will only frustrate us further. Once we have mastered time and task management, however, and brought control to the areas we can influence, our fear of the uncontrollable is likely to recede.
What’s Stopping You – Getting Things Done? is emotional ergonomics for the organisationally-challenged individual – at home, at work, with themselves, and with others.
Contents
Introduction – my own personal chaos
Part 1: The Unproductive Mind
- Organizational incompetence
- Conditions and types
- Procrastination, clutter and self-sabotage
- Motivation, goals and flow
Part 2: Tools and Resources
- The need for desire
- Planning for freedom
- Getting started
- Managing time
- Developing good habits
- Making decisions
Part 3: Getting things done…
- ...on the phone
- ....with email
- ….in meetings
- …when managing others
- …beyond work
Part 4: Other People
- Persuasion and influence
- Dealing with conflict
- Dealing with the family
Conclusion: “It’s all chaos”
The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective People
Synopsis
Clear your mind of clutter, take control of your time, and get things doneWhat's Stopping You Getting Things Done? is bestselling author and self-help guru Robert Kelsey's practical and readable guide to conquering personal inefficiency and disorganization to take charge of your life and reach your goals. Many of us spend our time yo-yoing between enthusiasm and effort and cynicism and setbacks, never breaking free from this destructive cycle of ineffectiveness. In this book, Kelsey focuses on time management issues, planning, and process to reveal the simple ways we can get organized and get things done efficiently and creatively. Though we can never fully control the world around us, mastering time and task management helps us control what we can control, leading to better productivity and increased personal happiness. Kelsey offers practical solutions for defeating procrastination and moving beyond the psychological obstacles that prevent you from meeting your full potential.
- A new self-help guide from the bestselling author of What's Stopping You? and What's Stopping You Being More Confident?
- Includes practical solutions for breaking the cycle ups and downs that leads to procrastination and blocks us from reaching our goals
- Features specific guidance on getting more done on the phone, via email, in meetings, when managing colleagues, and in other milieus outside of work
For busy professionals who struggle with organization or procrastination, What's Stopping You Getting Things Done? is a powerful and prescriptive guide to personal and professional accomplishment.
Synopsis
Robert Kelsey’s
What’s Stopping You? has become a self-help classic. His
What’s Stopping You? books have helped thousands of people worldwide overcome their limiting beliefs and bash through their barriers to success. Now Robert is back to help us defeat the obstacles that stop us achieving more in our everyday lives. Many of us have the greatest of intentions but find ourselves procrastinating, which results in low attainment and frustrated ambitions. Grounded in solid psychological research Robert helps us examine why we might have these tendencies and how to overcome them in order to feel more together, in control and on-top of everything.
- Looks at the psychology behind why we procrastinate, in order to understand and change our behaviour, forming new, effective habits
- Provides practical solutions to help us ‘get things done’ in real life situations including meetings, on the phone, with e-mail, looking for a job and starting a business
- Includes techniques to improve focus and aid concentration
- Examines how disorganisation is not innate and how we can learn processes that will allow us to be more effective
- How to bring control to certain areas of your life and reduce stress and uncertainty
Get Things Done is emotional ergonomics for the organisationally-challenged individual – at home, at work, with themselves, and with others.
Synopsis
‘A Smörgåsbord of practical tips for getting your life under control’
John Williams, author of Screw Work Let's Play
What’s stopping you making progress?
Why are you stuck in the same old ineffective routines?
What causes procrastination or self-sabotage or mental clutter? Making progress isn’t just about time management and ‘to-do’ lists. It’s about understanding the poor habits and deep insecurities that can wreck progress in both our career and our personal life.
Get Things Done is an insightful exploration of the poor conditioning and self-esteem issues that can hold us back. By understanding the root causes of our ineffectiveness, we can break free from our organizational incompetence – helping us develop strong goals and execution skills, as well as avoid the traps that can drag us back to our self-sabotaging worst.
Using solid psychological research and analysis, Robert Kelsey, author of the bestselling What’s Stopping You?, provides tools and resources that help us plan and execute our desired future. Get Things Done helps you:
- Realize what’s blocking your achievement
- Generate goals that motivate you
- Get started and keep going through the setbacks
- Convert destructive habits into constructive practices
- Deal with barriers such as interruptions, distractions and family life
‘The hallmarks of Robert Kelsey’s work are thorough research, personal insight and thoughtful presentation’
John Caunt, author of Organise Yourself
Genuine, easy-to-read and based on solid research. You want to get results in your life? Then start by reading this book!’
Tim Ursiny, Ph.D., RCC, CBC, founder of Advantage Coaching & Training and author of multiple books
Table of Contents
Introduction: My Own Personal Chaos 1
Part One – The Unproductive Mind 9
1 Organizational Incompetence 11
2 Conditions and Types 21
3 Procrastination, Clutter and Self-sabotage 34
4 Motivation, Goals and Flow 45
Part Two – Tools and Resources 57
5 The Need for Desire 59
6 Planning for Freedom 69
7 Getting Started 81
8 Managing Time 92
9 Developing Good Habits 102
10 Making Decisions 111
Part Three – Get Things Done … 121
11 … On the Phone 123
12 … Using Email 128
13 … In Meetings 136
14 … When Managing Others 144
15 … Beyond Work 151
Part Four – Other People 159
16 Persuasion and Influence 161
17 Dealing with Conflict 173
18 Dealing with the Family 182
Conclusion: ‘It’s All Chaos’ 195
The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective People 204
Bibliography 210
About Robert Kelsey 214
Index 216