Time Management from the Inside Out, second edition : The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life

  Author:    Julie Morgenstern
  ISBN:    0805075909
  Sales Rank:    26780
  Published:    2004-09-01
  Publisher:    Owl Books
  # Pages:    304
  Binding:    Paperback
  Avg. Rating:    5.0 based on 44 reviews
  Used Offers:    35 from $4.00
  Amazon Price:    $10.20
  (Data above last updated:  2008-08-19 11:09:13 EST)
  
  
Sort customer reviews by:
  
Show All Reviews on Page      Hide All Reviews on Page
   
  
Time Management from the Inside Out, second edition : The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life
  
A thoroughly updated and expanded edition of the definitive guide to managing and freeing up time Applying the groundbreaking from-the-inside-out approach that made Organizing from the Inside Out a New York Times bestseller, Julie Morgenstern set a new standard for the time- management category. Her system has helped countless readers uncover their psychological stumbling blocks and strengths, and develop a time-management system that suits their individual needs. By applying her proven three-step program-Analyze, Strategize, Attack-and following her effective guidelines, readers will find more time for work, family, self-improvement, or whatever is most important to them. Time management is a learnable skill, and in this completely revised edition, Morgenstern provides the ultimate tools to combine, delegate, and eliminate unnecessary tasks; put technology to work; and stop procrastinating once and for all.This revised edition delivers- a new chapter about the WADE formula for getting started- new time maps for people with irregular schedules- new four-, eight-, and twelve-week program guides for improving time-management skills - a fully updated resource guide
In Organizing from the Inside Out, author Julie Morgenstern used three main strategies to whip a living space or office into shape: "analyze, strategize, attack." Using the same system, Morgenstern now shows readers how to get rid of chaotic schedules in order to live more comfortable and productive lives. Morgenstern likens a cluttered schedule to a cluttered closet. For example, a closet is typically "crammed with more stuff than storage," and a schedule is typically "crammed with more tasks than time."

Those who fear "time management" because they worry about living uncreative or overly scheduled lives will find themselves reassured by Morgenstern's ability to customize her system. The most important thing readers must do, she emphasizes, is to create a time management system that fits one's personal style--whether it be spontaneous and easily distracted or highly regimented and efficient. "Just as everyone's living room looks different, reflecting the individual's or family's values and priorities, everyone's time management system will look different, reflecting what's important to him or her," she explains. Fortunately, readers can easily customize her excellent advice while learning how to create a personal time map, streamline routine tasks, conquer procrastination and chronic lateness, and manage all the inevitable crises and distractions of daily life. Speaking of procrastination, what better time than now to try this book out--ridding yourself of all that draining clutter so you can get on with living the life you want? --Gail Hudson

                  Reader Reviews 1 - 50 of 52            Next
  
  
Review
Date
Review
Rating(5 High)
Review
Helpful
to:
Customer Review Reviewer
Info
Permanent
Link
Reader Reviews Below Sorted by Newest First
04-23-08 5 0\1
(Hide Review...)  Nice Book, Super Seller Overall
Reviewer Permalink
This book came fast, new conditon, what more can I ask for?
Still reading ths book from time to time, it is a good buy for sure.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-08-19 11:10:53 EST)
11-15-07 5 1\1
(Hide Review...)  The only time management book you need!
Reviewer Permalink
Throw out the time management books and replace it with this one. Ms. Morgenstern is easy to read and her book is a great reference to have on hand. My husband does everything on the computer and I am a paper freak, Julie addresses both types and explains which one will be better for you. The time map is awesome once you implement it. I can't say enough about this book, but I know I need no other and they have all moved out of my house!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-04-24 10:29:41 EST)
10-19-07 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Excellent; just a little repetative
Reviewer Permalink
I LOOOOVE this book. It so explains the psychology behind tardiness, mismanagement of time, etc. It definitely gives a great step-by-step guide on how to manage time. It also takes into consideration people's personalities and individual lifestyles. For instance, people who are afraid that a rigid "time map" might hinder their creativity and spontaneity...it gives us various methods to deal with the realities of our lives and accept our weaknesses (rather than continually pretending that they don't exist and continually failing!) and find ways around those weakness, and use our strengths to our advantage. The book shows how to reach our goals by using our time to our advantage. It can transform the person whose time is chaotic and imprisoned and turn them into the person whose life is orderly and free!

The only disadvantage to this book (very minor) is that the author starts repeating herself 2/3 of the way into the book. As I was typing notes throughout my reading, I started realizing that I was typing the same things over and over.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-11-16 11:10:12 EST)
10-18-07 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Good time strategies for aquired brain injuries
Reviewer Permalink
I have an acquired brain injury from falling down some stairs. I find the strategies in this book to be very helpful indeed. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to get a handle on their time.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-11-16 11:10:12 EST)
07-04-07 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Worth Reading
Reviewer Permalink
I really loved this book. I got so much out of it, that I have started to read all her other books too. She is really different in her approach to time management and it really works for me. The book is very well written, easy to follow and is a book you can keep to use as a resource for many years to come.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-10-19 11:05:14 EST)
03-24-07 4 1\1
(Hide Review...)  My Clients Love this Book
Reviewer Permalink
I just got this book because my business coaching clients often have issues with running a business, often by themselves, and finding enought time to have a life. Julie offers great, easy to implement strategies that help the really busy person get control. I love that she looks at the hidden reasons behind our time management difficulties and styles. I keep recommending it and will continue!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-04 11:04:11 EST)
03-23-07 4 1\1
(Hide Review...)  My Clients Love this Book
Reviewer Permalink
I just got this book because my business coaching clients often have issues with running a business, often by themselves, and finding enought time to have a life. Julie offers great, easy to implement strategies that help the really busy person get control. I love that she looks at the hidden reasons behind our time management difficulties and styles. I keep recommending it and will continue!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-11 12:37:51 EST)
01-10-07 5 2\2
(Hide Review...)  Joseph
Reviewer Permalink
Perfect. I use this text in my teaching of a college level course.
For everyone who has been trying to be organized...this is the book to start with !
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-06-27 11:03:28 EST)
01-09-07 5 1\1
(Hide Review...)  Joseph
Reviewer Permalink
Perfect. I use this text in my teaching of a college level course.
For everyone who has been trying to be organized...this is the book to start with !
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-03-25 12:32:02 EST)
10-03-06 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Not just a 'cram more activities into your life' book...
Reviewer Permalink
I've read time management books. I've been to seminars. I carry a planner. Nothing, however, has been as helpful as this book. As the mother of a seven-month old, I liked the suggestion that for the time being I treat my time at home caring for our house at the same time I care for our daughter as though I'm a crisis manager. I keep a list of projects, according to the time they take, to work on in the little bits of time I have free each day.

Also, the suggestion about writing down and standardizing certain repetitive tasks made so much sense to me...I now have a household notebook that includes such lists as what goes in the diaper bag, and what needs to be packed for my daughter to go to day care. This has made it so much easier for me to quickly do what needs to be done, and it also allows others, such as my husband or a friend, to easily complete these tasks for me. Great book!



Author,
T Ruth About Caff eine
SCR Books
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-10-04 08:24:43 EST)
08-31-06 5 0\1
(Hide Review...)  A valuable read!
Reviewer Permalink
Time Management from the Inside Out is an outstanding resource in the process of being ready to live at a higher level. It won't just help you manage your time, it will help you manage your life. A valuable read!

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-13 07:57:36 EST)
07-10-06 5 8\9
(Hide Review...)  Time Management
Reviewer Permalink
I have to be honest and say that Time Management from the Inside Out is the first "time management" book I have read; therefore, I have nothing else to compare it to. However, during my first year in college, I was forced to take a time management course and I must say Time Management from the Inside Out was a far out better course than the one I took in college. Not only does Julie Morgenstern walks us step by step on how to schedule our time, but she helps us define our "Big-Picture Goals". Chapter 9: defining your goals and activities was my favorite chapter because she made us dream BIG and made me believe our goals were manageable. I also liked that she offered real life examples so people can relate to them and follow the solution that was given. This book is easy reading but it took me a while to finish because she makes us reflect on many issues such as the current behavior one carries in which prevents us to move forward. She offers several exercises that can help one pin point a problem. This was really helpful. I am a 21- year old transfer student about to continue my studies at UCLA and I cannot wait to put into practice the advice Julie Morgenstern offered.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-06-27 11:03:28 EST)
07-09-06 5 4\4
(Hide Review...)  Time Management
Reviewer Permalink
I have to be honest and say that Time Management from the Inside Out is the first "time management" book I have read; therefore, I have nothing else to compare it to. However, during my first year in college, I was forced to take a time management course and I must say Time Management from the Inside Out was a far out better course than the one I took in college. Not only does Julie Morgenstern walks us step by step on how to schedule our time, but she helps us define our "Big-Picture Goals". Chapter 9: defining your goals and activities was my favorite chapter because she made us dream BIG and made me believe our goals were manageable. I also liked that she offered real life examples so people can relate to them and follow the solution that was given. This book is easy reading but it took me a while to finish because she makes us reflect on many issues such as the current behavior one carries in which prevents us to move forward. She offers several exercises that can help one pin point a problem. This was really helpful. I am a 21- year old transfer student about to continue my studies at UCLA and I cannot wait to put into practice the advice Julie Morgenstern offered.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-10 07:59:47 EST)
07-06-06 4 18\19
(Hide Review...)  Truly Effective
Reviewer Permalink
I can't help but express my disapproval at how a review from 2000, which rated this book one star, is a spotlight review.

This reader failed to realize that this book wasn't written for people who are already organized or know the "common sense" things for organization. If organization was that "common sense," more people would be able to get their lives together instantaneously.

Morgenstern builds upon her previous best-seller hit, "Organizing from the Inside Out." For people who have read that book, I would agree that "Time Management" does not offer much else in addition to it. However, "Time Management" stands on its own on the reader from 2000 who gave it one star failed to recognize that this book stands on its own apart from her debut.

A few choice tips that I have found to have helped me:
- Estimate time for big projects: Most people underestimate the time it takes them to do things. It's better to overestimate or get as accurate a time frame as possible. If you overestimate, at least you'll have time to do other things; if you underestimate, you'll feel rushed and like you never have time for anything.

- The WADE formula: Readers of "Organizing from the Inside Out" know this formula well.
WRITE IT DOWN: Record your tasks in a planner or one area.
ADD IT UP: Estimate how long your projects will take.
DECIDE what you will do: delay, delegate, delete or diminish tasks.
EXECUTE YOUR PLAN: Put your plan into action.

- Doing things faster: Pages 69-75 offer great tips for getting things done faster to save YOU time:
- Order groceries online
- Hire someone to clean if you don't have time to do it yourself
- Pay bills online and do it once or twice a month
- Lay out clothes the night before
- Send virtual greeting cards
(While many of the above tips are common sense, many people are disorganized need a gentle reminder - or a swift kick in the you know where - to do many of the easy-to-overlook things.)

- Ten Questions to decide on whether to keep a document or paper

- Set aside daily time to process paperworl

- Compartmentalize your life into six main categories that focus on your "big picture goals" (main things you want to achieve in life). Now, break your life up into smaller pieces to work your way toward those goals.

If you found the sampling above helpful, I'd recommend that you purchase this book. "Do not stop, do not collect $200!" If the above was not (somewhat) helpful to you at all, you'd probably be best skipping this book - or you're already organized and don't need it.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-06-27 11:03:28 EST)
05-07-06 4 3\5
(Hide Review...)  It sure helped me; not overly complicated...
Reviewer Permalink
I would definitely recommend this book; it helped both by helping me to identify and diagnose my own tendencies and difficulties in this area and by suggesting strategies to address the symptoms.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-06-27 11:03:28 EST)
05-06-06 4 2\2
(Hide Review...)  It sure helped me; not overly complicated...
Reviewer Permalink
I would definitely recommend this book; it helped both by helping me to identify and diagnose my own tendencies and difficulties in this area and by suggesting strategies to address the symptoms.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-06 13:23:54 EST)
03-09-06 4 0\11
(Hide Review...)  Amazon Is Always Late in Its Delivery!!!
Reviewer Permalink
I see the books I order and have to wait for in stores long before I get them shipped to me!!!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-13 09:26:16 EST)
02-09-06 5 4\5
(Hide Review...)  Excellent book
Reviewer Permalink
I read this book a while ago and found it very helpful. It is very well laid out and it is flexible and workable.
I must admit, however, that I have some problems - time management starts from your life goals, and mine aren't clear at this point (they were years ago, but not any more). Still, this isn't book's fault - I need to figure this out before I get the most out of my time.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-06-27 11:03:28 EST)
02-08-06 5 3\3
(Hide Review...)  Excellent book
Reviewer Permalink
I read this book a while ago and found it very helpful. It is very well laid out and it is flexible and workable.
I must admit, however, that I have some problems - time management starts from your life goals, and mine aren't clear at this point (they were years ago, but not any more). Still, this isn't book's fault - I need to figure this out before I get the most out of my time.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
02-06-06 4 4\4
(Hide Review...)  Good time management book, but...
Reviewer Permalink
Morgenstern has a somewhat unique take on time management, making the comparison of organizing your space to organizing your time. While this comparison is helpful in understanding the need to fit your activities into a container of time and to "toss" activities out of your schedule, at times the analogy seems stretched. Overall though, the tips for streamlining tasks and managing the various activities of life are helpful.

NOTE: This reviewer is the author of "Never Be Late Again, 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged."
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
10-12-05 5 6\6
(Hide Review...)  More help from Julie Morgenstern
Reviewer Permalink
There are still only 24 hours in the day, but Julie Morgenstern helps you to apply some of her oh-so-helpful principles of space management to TIME! Just like space, sometimes you need to cut out the clutter--and this book helped me do that (again). I read the first edition, and the second is even better.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
09-12-05 4 4\4
(Hide Review...)  Worth the time
Reviewer Permalink
Julie Morgenstern has created an easy-to-read book describing a complete program of organizing your life. I like the book's set-up because it is also easy to read in segments, even out of order.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
09-05-05 5 7\7
(Hide Review...)  I have finally found the secret to Time Managment!
Reviewer Permalink
In short, this book is different than all the other time management books and seminars I have encountered. Yes, she talks about balance and goal setting, and all the other topics that the others do, but this book is all about perspective.

The author makes time tangible and puts it into perspective. She makes you look at goal setting in a completely different way. In fact, she makes you look at your life in a different way.

I cannot recommend this book enough. This is the last time management book you will ever have to buy!!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:46 EST)
01-19-05 3 36\66
(Hide Review...)  Maybe...Maybe Not
Reviewer Permalink

This work was clearly written by someone who is very organized and perhaps even a little bit [...] about organization and time management. In the near future, I will review her flagship work Organizing from the Inside Out to effectively gauge just how over the top she can be on appearing to have all her stuff together. One must really feel like they are the best to write a book teaching others to manage their time.

I have read many books on time management. This book, in all honesty and fairness, was just not terribly helpful to me (yet at least). I realize that to other people who have different backgrounds, problems and challenges this book may be very helpful and the authors suggestions easy to implement. In fact, I highly recommend this book to students who need some general time management help.

My problems are simple. I'm saddled with many projects, many ideas,
many books to read, my family, my job, graduate school and the list, like most folks, can go on and on. The plan the author describes is simple. First, write down what you need to do (ok here) second added up how long each thing will take (not OK here), Third decide to delay or delegate (unfortunately, I don't get to delegate much) and last, execute your plan. This is her W.A.D.E. system.

I'm in the process of plugging my big pictures goals into Morgenstern's Time Map. It is all about breaking big goals or small ones into manageable chunks of time (containerize) and then executing them. Since many of my goals are very big, like learn ancient Greek, Latin, French, German, write a graduate thesis, improve my reading comprehension and of course become an overall better more well rounded and educated person, I don't expect to be tasting the fruits of my victories any time soon...but Morgenstern's central idea hangs around the notion that you must take concrete steps like the W and the A of WADE, if you are ever going to get the to the E(xecute)
[...]
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:46 EST)
12-11-04 5 15\15
(Hide Review...)  Morphed me from scattered adult into effective student
Reviewer Permalink
The Monday after Thanksgiving I set out on a new career adventure. To partake of the training I need for this new career, I'm studying my new trade by correspondence course (the old-fashioned kind where you receive lessons in the mail). The course will go for six months, so I'll need to be self-motivated to get through all the material, learn the underlying wisdom and techniques, and complete the exercises.

Fortunately, I found Ms. Morgenstern's book during a visit to my local library. This came at the perfect moment for me and I began incorporating 30-minute sessions with Julie's book into my daily study periods.

With the help of Time Mapping, I've used the book to structure (and make ongoing adjustments to) my study goals. With the help of chapters such as Sort, Containerize, and Purge, I've become better at focusing my time to get through my to-do list and thus make better use of my leisure time.

I *feel* better about how much time I have, even though I've just added a big commitment in the form of 22 hours of study per week. I've been able to schedule realistic time slots for my other tasks as well as plenty of down-time. It's amazing how this book has helped me expand my concept of available time.

Using the visual aids in the book, and also researching more options online, I've finally chosen a planner that really works for me. This was a liberating step as I had not even realized I'd chosen a planner that wasn't right for me. I'd been subconsciously blaming myself for not making proper use of my old planner, but Julie's book helped me see through that defeatist thinking and find the solution. She works that magic in other areas also, helping demystify foggy habits such as procrastination and chronic lateness.

[Incidentally, since you're considering tools for better use of time, you might enjoy a little tip on planners that I stumbled across. While searching for your perfect planner (or, as I am, while getting through the final weeks of a waning year), you can supplement by using At-A-Glance QuickNotes Daily Planner. It comes as a tear-off pad with undated pages (you fill in the dates yourself) and each page has hole punches for optional storage in a ring binder. The cost is approx. five bucks for a pad of 50 sheets - which makes it an affordable way to experiment. It's a great way to practice structuring your day in a large format where you can spread out and really go ballistic.]

I've checked TIME MANAGEMENT FROM THE INSIDE OUT out of the library twice in a row so I could finish it. I now plan to buy my own copy from Amazon so I can go back over it and highlight the methods I didn't quite incorporate the first time around.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I had not already read Morgenstern's book ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE OUT, so I did not find the material repetitious. I found it inspiring and very helpful. I would go as far as saying this book has changed my life. Time eating me alive has always been one of my biggest issues. Time now feels like less of a taskmaster and more of a personal tool.

I can't wait to see how I feel about time (and my accomplishments) once I've been practicing my new schedule for six months or longer.

P.S. I just found out there's a second edition, so I'll probably buy that one to get the updated features.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:46 EST)
12-03-03 2 17\18
(Hide Review...)  Repetitive sections, not very instructive
Reviewer Permalink
I found this book a lot less helpful than her first book- Organizing from the Inside Out. That was a great book.
This book, however, was not that helpful to me. I read the whole thing in about one hour because I could skim most of the sections which repeated or paraphrased previous ideas. I think there were some excellent ideas in the book- maybe 8 key points that could have been summarized in an article or very short piece. She provided some questions that were helpful (such as "do you like to work on a tight deadline?"; "do you like to work with music on?"; do you prefer to work by yourself," but she left the reader hanging-did not help to use the answers to determine time management preferenecs. What are ways that one should manage time if you prefer working alone as opposed to working with others? Lots of questions went unanswered and information provided was mostly common sense. The book fell into the category of descriptive (providing the usual mantra) rather than instructive.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:46 EST)
11-10-03 4 12\14
(Hide Review...)  Very good, but not the final word
Reviewer Permalink
I'm a great fan of Julie M., her space managment book IS the best. But time - is a different dimension. I would still wholeheartidly recommend this book, provided you also read "First Things First" by Stephen R. Covey, it will fill in the spaces left out in this book. Which to read first is a difficult choice, depending on your personality. This one perhaps first, then slowly savior Covey's book.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:46 EST)
04-28-03 2 36\50
(Hide Review...)  NOT for intuitive, big-picture people
Reviewer Permalink
If you are an intuitive person who naturally thinks in big-picture concepts (an Idealist or Rational personality type), you will not find this book very helpful at all. With all the different lists of rules, discussion of common obstacles and errors, and general assortment of methodologies, only a detailed-oriented person (an Artisan or Guardian personality type) could possibly relate to the concepts discussed in this book. (I know I probably lost most of you when I mentioned personality types: see 'Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence' by David Keirsey.)

For the 20-40% of the general population who are naturally intuitive (Idealists and Rationals), 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen Covey is likely to be much more useful to you for time management, as well as other areas of self-improvement. You start with just 6 main concepts (instead of the endless lists of concepts in Morgenstern's book) as a framework, and explore each of these concepts in detail.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
02-20-03 5 8\8
(Hide Review...)  Very Helpful
Reviewer Permalink
The audiocassette give you the chance to listen many times without having to find a page to refer to in a book. This tape helped me more than I can say. I bought it several months ago and listen to it anytime I feel I am getting bogged down with all I have to do. This and the organization book were extremely helpful in getting by busy life in better control.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
08-24-02 3 9\34
(Hide Review...)  I got bogged down and couldn't find time to finish the book
Reviewer Permalink
This seems like it would be a good book for those with problems managing their time. I started to read it and got distracted and then just couldn't find time to finish. Maybe I need a book on time management to get through this one.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
04-10-02 4 12\12
(Hide Review...)  Very similar to her first book
Reviewer Permalink
Julie Morgenstern applies the same general principles of ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE OUT to time management. This is made possible by seeing time as (metaphorically) space, and using the same SPACE (Sort, Purge, Assign a home, Containerize, Equalize) method to organize time. Though a tad redundant and infused with an icky self-help feel at times, I liked the book. For major procrastinators like me, this is a good reference book to keep on schedule and get things done. If you're going to read it all the way through however, you might want to read it quickly to keep from getting bored. It's not that her writing or her points are boring, but this is a much longer book than it needs to be.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
04-07-02 5 3\5
(Hide Review...)  down to earth practical. plenty of ideas
Reviewer Permalink
a little something for everybody. management, homemaker, student, spouse. start maneging your time and be productive. get stuff done. pretty ingenius system. you'll enjoy the book or the tape.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
10-25-01 5 16\17
(Hide Review...)  The Best of her Organization Books
Reviewer Permalink
I loved this book. It's extremely easy to read, and I found it had a fresh, new approach to truly making a daily planner system work! Her Time Map really got me thinking of what areas in my life I really want to spend my precious time on. I read the book in 2 days because I found it so interesting, and have plans on going through it again and applying her advice to my life. It is the best time management book I've ever read.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
08-28-01 4 12\12
(Hide Review...)  At least now I know where my problems lie ... somewhere
Reviewer Permalink
I'm still working my way through this book but it has helped me understand why I organize or don't organize the way that I do. I recommend this for creative and non-conformist types who know they won't get it all done at once but at least want to make a start. P.S. If you can catch the Oprah show that Ms. Morgenstern was on, watch it and then you'll definitely buy the book.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
07-12-01 4 25\27
(Hide Review...)  Excellent at what it sets out to accomplish
Reviewer Permalink
This book is both for those who wish to improve their time management skills as well as those who just cannot figure out why they never get to do all the things they wanna do it life.

One of the best things about this book is how it makes you realize that time is something that you can manage and control. It teaches you how to identify the tasks you should focus on and how to divide your limited time among seamingly unlimited list of things you must do and thing you want to do. It also discusses how to analyze where our time is being wasted or why certain things are not getting done.

I really liked the Time Map technique which gives a big picture view of how time allocation.

Definitely recommended

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
06-02-01 5 15\17
(Hide Review...)  Time Management from the Inside Out
Reviewer Permalink
This book has helped not only me personally, but also helped get my family more organized. It was almost summer and I wanted to make the most of it. After reading this book, I came up with a plan and put it into action with the kids for the summer. They are not only LOVING it, but thriving and we are all thoroughly enjoying our summer as well as getting lots done!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
03-12-01 4 25\28
(Hide Review...)  Worthwhile but not life changing
Reviewer Permalink
I bought the CD audiobook edition. It has the same info as the print edition to the best of my knowledge. I read her book, Organizing From the Inside Out, first. I am still reaping the benefits of a much better organized workspace several months later. The same ideas are retrofitted to deal with time management. I found the book worthwhile because it gives a fresh perspective on time management by borrowing ideas from organizing principles. But they are separate challenges. Some ideas from the book are likely to have a positive impact, but not the transformational impact that can be achieved from the other book. So, expect about as much from this as the other decent books on time management, no more, no less.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
03-12-01 4 13\16
(Hide Review...)  Worthwhile but not life changing
Reviewer Permalink
I bought this CD audiobook edition. I read her book, Organizing From the Inside Out, first. I am still reaping the benefits of a much better organized workspace several months later. The same ideas are retrofitted to deal with time management. I found the book worthwhile because it gives a fresh perspective on time management by borrowing ideas from organizing principles. But they are separate challenges. Some ideas from the book are likely to have a positive impact, but not the transformational impact that can be achieved from the other book. So, expect about as much from this as the other decent books on time management, no more, no less.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:47 EST)
01-28-01 5 9\14
(Hide Review...)  An excellent resouce
Reviewer Permalink
I found this book far more helpful and more practical than I ever expected it to be. We all know organization can make all the difference and this woman is an organizing wonder. This is on my most recommended list for 2001 along with Barry Maher's "Filling the Glass," Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" (still worth reading after all these years) and the wonderful "Shakelton's Way," the "Into Thin Air" (another great book) of business books.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
01-21-01 5 12\13
(Hide Review...)  What a helpful book!
Reviewer Permalink
If you are like me, you have had a lifelong battle with poor time management, chronic messiness and clutter taking over your life and home. In January 2001 I decided to do something about it and bought this book as a way to conquer these pesky things which have plagued me for so long. I have really enjoyed the way this book is presented. I've owned it for about a year now, and I still frequently refer to it. It's also good to take a few minutes to go over it when you are feeling overwhelmed, especially if you have a lot of "irons in the fire." I find it's reassuring and gets me into the right frame of mind to do my cleaning up, or whatever I happen to be procrastinating on at the moment.

I have now read this book from cover to cover and it is truly a wealth of information.

This book really is worth your time. But you have to use the methods presented in the book or it won't help. Good luck!
And get organizing!!!!

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
10-26-00 5 7\9
(Hide Review...)  This book is great!
Reviewer Permalink
I've only read a little over half the book so far, but it is already changing how I think about time and how I do things. I know what she recommends will take some practice and some thinking through, but it will be worth it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with time management.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
10-22-00 2 29\31
(Hide Review...)  Confusing Book
Reviewer Permalink
I had high hopes for gaining some clear techniques on time management from this book. However, I found it extremely confusing once I got to the Time Mapping section. The segments (activities, goals) melded into each other and I found Morgenstern's explanations less than clear as to what exactly to do. I consider myself fairly intelligent but she lost me.

I did find value in identifying major life categories and big picture goal - but again - that entire section of the book that explained how to utilize that information was confusing. I went to her website to try to gain some insight and found going through message boards that it seemed as though many people who logged in were also still struggling.

I have to say I'm disappointed as well as out $15.00.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
10-13-00 5 78\79
(Hide Review...)  Another Victory for Ms. Morgenstern
Reviewer Permalink
Ms. Morgenstern's first book, Organizing from the Inside Out, was tremendously helpful because of its ease with which I could apply the principles to my life. Her kindergarten model of organizing space -- to create activity zones -- totally resonated with me the first time I read OFIO, and her use of it again in relation to time management is so great!

She advocates a goal-oriented approach to scheduling time and actually helps her readers think through their goals. In the second part of the book, which I found particularly helpful, she brings the kindergarten model back and applies it to mapping out time. Morgenstern also provides specific instructions about how to zone your own calendar so that you can make really effective and informed decisions about your time.

The most appealing part of Morgenstern's approach -- and the part that separates her from other self-help authors -- is that she never IMPOSES anything on her readers; rather, she teaches us _how_ to discover what's going to work in our own lives. She gave me freedom to figure out what was going to work for me, rather than making me learn a new, complicated system to impose on myself.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
09-20-00 1 144\169
(Hide Review...)  Ineffective
Reviewer Permalink
It may not be obvious, but a big reason many people are disorganized is they simply don't know a few simple tricks. That's why this author's first book was so good. For me and a couple of friends, that book provided some tricks that were amazing in the effect they had on our lives.

I used to keep my brush near the sink in the bathroom, but there's a mirror in the next room where I like to brush my hair. Sometimes I'd leave the brush on a table in that room, while other times I'd return it to the bathroom. Since that's how I "organized" everything, my stuff was often all over the place.

Julie's basic trick is to organize according to your activities, so if you brush your hair in the next room by the mirror, why not keep your brush in the drawer of the table next to that mirror? Instead of imposing a system on yourself, she has you look at your activities and keep what you need close at hand.

Most people who are not organized actually do have a plan for where things should go. The problem is it's a system they designed without considering their real life activities so it is inconvenient to follow. Then things don't get put away and their place becomes a mess. This simple trick of analyzing every area of your house according to what activities you perform there and then putting everything you need for that activity within arm's reach is a technique many messy people are simply not aware if, and once they use it, surprisingly, they can see big changes.

Her other great trick is how to deal with a mess that's gotten big. Many people don't know the best way to do this, so they get caught up dealing with the first thing they grab and don't take care of the rest.

Julie's solution is to first sort everything into piles. This goes against the common suggestion to handle every piece of paper just once, but it's brilliant. Even if you have two big boxes of paperwork, if you go through everything first to do a quick sort you can finish with this stage very quickly. Then still resisting the urge to follow through with any one thing, she suggests that next you purge -- throw away as much as you can. Often most old paperwork, or whatever, can simply be tossed, so you're left with a much smaller amount to deal with. Then you decide where you're going to keep things, using her trick of giving them a home nearby where you'll be using them. Only at this point, when you know how much you have and where you'll be keeping it, do you consider getting the right container to keep it in. If you're organizing a couple of boxes of papers, you'll probably find that 2/3's have been thrown away, most of the rest have been filed, and a few things are in a action box. Only at this point -- which doesn't take too long to arrive at -- do you finally start doing the "work" of attending to the things in the action box, which turns out to be a fairly small amount of things.

So what's this got to do with this new book on organizing your time? Simple. While many people who are disorganized with their things actually lack knowledge and can benefit tremendously by learning just a few simple tricks, I believe most people who have trouble managing their time are in a different position. If you have too much to do and too little time to do it, you probably already have a pretty good "mental sort" in your head of what you do every day, and you already know that tossing out some activities will free up time, and that getting into some routines will make things run smoother.

In short, this book does not appear to contain any tricks or techniques that people don't already know. Instead, it seems like a publisher found an author with a great first book and asked for a second. The first book was based on the author's years of experience in running a business that helps people organize their things. She put all of her tricks and secrets in that book and it was great. But now she attempts to write a book on time management, something unrelated to her core experience of helping people organize their houses and offices. It's not surprising that this book doesn't live up to the first.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
09-18-00 5 3\18
(Hide Review...)  Excellent Book ...
Reviewer Permalink
I am only half-way through and yet I can tell you, it's an execellent book. It's directly to the point and practical ...
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
09-12-00 5 3\6
(Hide Review...)  Great method for getting time under control for once!
Reviewer Permalink
One of the worse problems I have had with time management was the physical act of deciding what was more important to put inside my dayplanner...Julie Morgenstern has given me the tools I need to make my life a whole lot easier to see on paper. And believe me, before I purchased this book, my dayplanner hardly got touched because I would feel overwhelmed with deciding what to put onto the blank pages. Now I have my life somewhat in a more controllable realm of understanding.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
09-12-00 4 3\41
(Hide Review...)  I should really get this book
Reviewer Permalink
I purchased Julie Morgenstern's previous book Organizing From the Inside Out and have not read it - yet. I will purchase the new book Time Management From the Inside Out first, for its promising advise on procrastination!and second,to locate time "after hours". I want to organize my home and have time left over for a life. Time management and organizational skills are in place at work since many of us work, by definition, for an "organization" and the skills come from the outside in. It seems logical that for my life, these skills need to come from the inside out. Time Management from the Inside Out seems to be a good start.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
09-12-00 4 24\27
(Hide Review...)  Now that you've cleaned up your home, clean up your schedule
Reviewer Permalink
The book is filled with the same gracious, level-headed prose that distinguished "Organizing from the Inside Out." People familiar with the first book will recognize some repetition of ideas, but as Martha Stewart would say, that's a good thing. Morgenstern starts you off with some brief, but very usual, self-evaluating quizzed, boiling down to: what's working? what's not? Smart, smart, smart. Unlike a lot of time management books, Morgenstern does not offer a one-size-fits-all schedule. Some people need PDAs, some people need index card-sized schedules--and Morgenstern thoroughly runs through the ups and downs of both. She is blunt about targeting the biggest issue most people face: deciding what it is that you really want. Once you know that, organizing and/or time management is much easier. But it really is an inside job.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
09-12-00 5 14\17
(Hide Review...)  The author has taken the mystery out of time management
Reviewer Permalink
From the onset, Time Management from the Inside Out identifies time as a tangible thing with boundaries and borders. Readers are introduced to the errors and psychological obstacles of time management, and then provided with the tools for effectively managing the hours in their day.

Defining time as an a mathematical equation, Ms. Morgenstern states the problem and then provides the solution using her 5-step SPACE system of organizing. As she explains in her introduction, "each day is simply a container, a storage unit that has a definite capacity you can reach".

The author has taken the mystery out of time management, giving us the tools we need to effectively overcome our procrastination, perfectionism, and the inability to delegate. Don't put off getting organized another day!

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:48 EST)
09-07-00 5 10\12
(Hide Review...)  Organization that Lasts
Reviewer Permalink
As someone with life-long organizational problems, due in part to attention deficit disorder, I have read almost every organizational book out there. This is the first book that gave me hope that my life could really be better. Rather than taking the approach that most books take of giving you a list of the same old tips, this book gets to the heart of your organizational problems. It works with each person, helping you organize in a way that best fits your individual personality and needs, and then gives you step-by-step instructions on how to get and stay organized.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-25 09:07:49 EST)
  
                  Reader Reviews 1 - 50 of 52            Next
  
  
  
  
  
  

Because the data used to generate this site come from outside sources, VeryWellSaid.com cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the data.
Search VeryWellSaid™
Google
Web VeryWellSaid™
New subjects are added every week.
View Subjects Below by:
* Top Selling
 (click category name, left)
* Top-Rated Top Sellers
 (click 'Top Rated', right)
In the news...  
Dubai\UAE Top Rated
Influenza\Bird Flu Top Rated
Iraq Top Rated
Supreme Court Top Rated
All Books Top Rated
Arts Top Rated
Photography Top Rated
Digital Photography Top Rated
Digital Cameras Top Rated
Biography Top Rated
Business Top Rated
Management Top Rated
Marketing Top Rated
Sales Top Rated
Stocks Top Rated
Bonds Top Rated
Real Estate Top Rated
Trading Top Rated
Commodities Trading Top Rated
Time Management Top Rated
Starting A Business Top Rated
Children's Top Rated
Comics Top Rated
Computers Top Rated
PC Top Rated
Mac Top Rated
Programming Top Rated
Design Patterns Top Rated
.Net Top Rated
C# Top Rated
Vb.Net Top Rated
Asp.Net Top Rated
Java Top Rated
Python Top Rated
PHP Top Rated
Perl Top Rated
Javascript Top Rated
Ajax Top Rated
CSS Top Rated
Open Source Top Rated
SQL Top Rated
Databases Top Rated
Oracle Top Rated
MySql Top Rated
Sql Server Top Rated
IIS Top Rated
Apache Top Rated