Synopses & Reviews
There are 168 hours in a week. This book is about where the time really goes, and how we can all use it better. It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. With the rise of two-income families, extreme jobs, and 24/7 connectivity, life is so frenzied we can barely find time to breathe. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or else, if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices. To get ahead at work we spend less time with our spouses. To carve out more family time, we put off getting in shape. To train for a marathon, we cut back on sleep. There has to be a better way-and Laura Vanderkam has found one.
After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there's time for the important stuff. They focus on what they do best and what only they can do. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer.
It's not always easy, but the payoff is enormous. Vanderkam shows that it really is possible to sleep eight hours a night, exercise five days a week, take piano lessons, and write a novel without giving up quality time for work, family, and other things that really matter. The key is to start with a blank slate and to fill up your 168 hours only with things that deserve your time.
Of course, you probably won't read to your children at 2:00 am, or skip a Wednesday morning meeting to go hiking, but you can cut back on how much you watch TV, do laundry, or spend time on other less fulfilling activities. Vanderkam shares creative ways to rearrange your schedule to make room for the things that matter most.
168 Hours is a fun, inspiring, practical guide that will help men and women of any age, lifestyle, or career get the most out of their time and their lives.
Review
"Within a few pages, Laura Vanderkam's crisp, entertaining book convinced me I had time to read it. Then it convinced me I had time to reread
War and Peace. In the original Russian. Thank you, Laura, for freeing up my schedule."
-Martha Beck, bestselling author of Steering by Starlight
"We so often live our lives day by day. Laura wants us to think about doing it hour by hour. Living this mantra by example, she gets more done in a day than most of us do in a week."
-Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
"168 Hours is filled with tips and tricks on how you can be more efficient every day. By being more productive at work and home, you'll create more free time to focus on the truly fulfilling activities in your life, rather than the simply mundane."
-Laura Stack, author of Find More Time
"In 168 Hours, Vanderkam packs mounds of real-world case studies and experience to substantiate her system-and I fully agree. You can improve your mastery of time with this invaluable book."
-Dave Crenshaw, author of Invaluable and founder of Invaluable, Inc.
"168 Hours should be an eye-opener for every one of us who leads a busy, hectic life. Reading it made me appreciate how much 'true' amount of time I really have and how to use it wisely and optimally to boost productivity, efficiency, and joy."
-Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness
"Laura Vanderkam shows us how to use our only real wealth-our 168 hours a week- to make our lives richer, not busier. That's a wonderful gift, because it's what genuine success is all about."
-Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated
"Laura Vanderkam's fluid style and perceptive eye are just the right tools to help create the life of your intentions. 168 Hours is the antidote to 'living for the weekend.'"
-Marc and Amy Vachon, authors of Equally Shared Parenting
"This book is a reality check that leads any reader to say, 'I do have time for what is important to me.' Full of real life examples, Laura Vanderkam teaches how to pack what matters most into both your work and home life. A must read if you are looking for life-changing strategies to make your next minute, hour or 168 Hours more meaningful."
-Jones Loflin and Todd Musig, Co-authors of Juggling Elephants
"We predict that 168 Hours will fly off the shelves and into the hands of anyone who has ever uttered the words: 'I'm SO busy!' or 'If only I had more time!' Vanderkam's approach is incredibly powerful and resonant given the average American watches 4 hours of television. A day!"
-Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, Co-Creators of Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) and Co-Authors of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It
Review
“In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Laura Vanderkam explains how we can get the most happiness bang for our buck, right here and now, in the way we live our ordinary lives.”
—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project “If you have been awake for the last five years, then you know money is emotional. Most of the time we make these massively important decisions about how to earn it, spend it, and save it without pausing to think about how these decisions affect our lives. Laura Vanderkam brings a fresh dose of common sense to this madness by urging us to step back and reexamine the role money plays in our lives. Unlike most personal finance books, which leave you feeling stressed,
All the Money in the World will empower you to live a truly richer life.”
—Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap: Simple Way to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money
“With extensive research and rare insight, Laura Vanderkam reveals the financial mind-set that can lead to lasting happiness.”—Zac Bissonnette, author of Debt-Free U and New York Times bestseller How to be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking Than Your Parents
Synopsis
- Visit lauravanderkam.com and My1681-lurs.com
- Also available as an e-book
Synopsis
There are 168 hours in a week, and Vanderkam presents a new approach to getting the most out of them. She draws on her own experience and the stories of other successful people who have fulfilled their goals why allocating their time accordingly.
Synopsis
There are 168 hours in a week. This is your guide to getting the most out of them. It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices- taking time out from other things in order to fit it all in.
There has to be a better way...and Laura Vanderkam has found one. After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there's time for the important stuff. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer.
Vanderkam shows that with a little examination and prioritizing, you'll find it is possible to sleep eight hours a night, exercise five days a week, take piano lessons, and write a novel without giving up quality time for work, family, and other things that really matter.
Synopsis
How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar and kicking ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances? According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective. Instead of looking at money as a scarce resource, consider it a tool that you can use creatively to build a better life for yourself and the people you care about. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as the stories of dozens of real people, Vanderkam offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values.
Synopsis
How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar and kicking ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances? According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective. Instead of looking at money as a scarce resource, consider it a tool that you can use creatively to build a better life for yourself and the people you care about. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as the stories of dozens of real people, Vanderkam offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values.
Synopsis
Three powerful mini e-books about high productivity, now together in paperback
Laura Vanderkam has combined her three popular mini e-books into one comprehensive guide, with a new introduction. It will help readers build habits that lead to happier, more productive lives, despite the pressures of their busy schedules. Trough interviews and anecdotes, she reveals . . .
- What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfastto jump-start the day productively.
- What the Most Successful People Do On the Weekendto recharge and prepare for a great week.
- What the Most Successful People Do at Workto accomplish more in less time.
Synopsis
From the bestselling author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, powerful insights from 1001 actual days in the lives of high-achieving women. Balancing work and family life is a constant struggle, especially for women with children and ambitious career goals. Itand#8217;s been the subject of countless books, articles, blog posts and tweets in the last few years, and passions run high in all directions.
Now Laura Vanderkam, the acclaimed time management expert, comes at the and#147;having it alland#8221; debate by asking a very practical question. Given that we all have the same 168 hours every week, how do people who do have it alland#151;women with thriving careers and familiesand#151;use those hours? When you study how such women fit together the pieces of their lives, like tiles in a mosaic, the results are surprising.
If you work 40 hours and sleep 56 (i.e. 8 times 7) that leaves 72 hours for everything else. Vanderkam explains how her subjects use those and#147;everything elseand#8221; hours; why we work less and have more free time than we think; why itand#8217;s a myth that successful women get too little sleep; and how women can have demanding jobs, spouses, and kids, and still enjoy a healthy amount of downtime.
She shares the time-logs from 1001 days in the lives of women who make at least $100,000 a year and still make time for their families and friends, for sleep and exercise, and for leisure activities they love. Based on what she learned from the patterns in those time-logs, she provides a framework for anyone who wants to thrive at both work and life.
Synopsis
Three powerful mini e-books about high productivity, now together in paperback
Laura Vanderkam has combined her three popular mini e-books into one comprehensive guide, with a new introduction. It will help readers build habits that lead to happier, more productive lives, despite the pressures of their busy schedules. Trough interviews and anecdotes, she reveals . . .
- What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfastto jump-start the day productively.
- What the Most Successful People Do On the Weekendto recharge and prepare for a great week.
- What the Most Successful People Do at Workto accomplish more in less time.
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About the Author
LAURA VANDERKAM is the author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, All The Money In The World, 168 Hours, and Grindhopping. She is a frequent contributor to Fast Companyand#8217;s website, and a member of USA Todayand#8217;s Board of Contributors. Her work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, City Journal, Scientific American, Readerand#8217;s Digest, Prevention, and other publications. She lives with her husband and three children outside Philadelphia.