A review of Michael R. Clark, Time Management Made [Stupidly] Easy: A Modestly Simple Guide to Time Management.
Yes. It’s useful to have regular reminders.
This is a breezy and accessible introduction to and synthesis of a lot of the things people have written on time management over the last several years. Those familiar with this space will recognize a lot of the ideas.
I don’t think there’s much in here that experienced time management nerds won’t already know, but it’s useful sometimes to brush up. Novices will learn a lot in a fairly compact space, and the writing is relaxed enough to make it feel a lot less like a seminar and a lot more like something you’re dashing through in order to get some quick-but-effective tips. After all, it’s stupidly easy.
At first glance, I was a little put off by the list of seven (!!) recommended collection buckets and thought “wow, that’s way too many”–and then I thought about the collection tools I use: email (two accounts, one for official work and the other for side work), voicemail, Asana, a mailbox at home, a mailbox at the office, a GTD letter tray “inbox” at home, a Moleskine notebook I carry everywhere, various pockets on my backpack and clothing…and that’s to say nothing of the horizontal surfaces around the house where I let things accumulate. Thinking a bit more systematically about how I collect is a pretty good exercise. The whole thing reminds me of Lisa Woodruff’s Sunday Basket idea.
The number of ways to combine time management and productivity insights is infinite, and I think we’re going to continue seeing more and more that becomes tribe-specific or profession-specific. This is useful for a quick checkup or an introduction to time management for someone who is just getting started. I don’t think I would have paid for it (the author sent me a review copy), but I also don’t think I would have regretted buying it, either.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite books on life hacking and productivity and personal finance, . Happy hacking!
