Customer Reviews

Find it in 5 Seconds Gaining Control in the Information Age

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have come in on weekends and "hurricaned" my desk over and over again; but now my desk stays clear. Workers commented that they thought I was leaving for another job. The process is simple: separate your information processing from your actual work. Then set up the Vetter filing system and you will always have a place to put your information so it won't be on your desk. It is not just about a better information handling system (which it is) it is about a MUCH better way to work.

With so many business books out there this is the one that will absolutely increase office productivity, one desk at a time. So many of us were let loose in an office with no direction. Greg has the system to make an office hum with far less stress. It is well written, smartly summarized, and uses a whimsical style that makes it a delight to read. It should be the bible for an office manager, but anyone will benefit from it.

As a business owner in a highly technical field, my time is very valuable. I have read and implemented many organization/time management ideas over the years and, although they all have something positive, none have had the impact on my day to day productivity of "Find it in 5 Seconds".

The premise of this book is that office workers are drowning in so much information that they cannot effectively do their job. "Find it in 5 Seconds" is not just a system of organizing one's office, it is a streamlined method of working that minimizes the amount of time spent processing information. The system allows one to maximize the time spent producing work (which is what we get paid for) or doing projects we care about (which is what we live for).

I find that I am getting significantly more done with significantly less stress. Getting more done while working smarter - not harder or longer - is a dream held by anyone who works for a living. Anyone who wants to create the workplace that allows them to move into their full potential should read and implement this system.

Greg's 5 Seconds book literally has already saved me hours and days of frustration. It is written for the busiest of us today. I am redesigning my office, home and life capitalizing on many of the ideas and concepts in Greg's book.

I love this system and the way Mr. Vetter has described it in this book. I am a sales person so I must handle many balls at once.

Find It in 5 Seconds shows a simple, workable method to organize both your reference materials and your action items so that you ARE ON TOP OF THEM (rather than vice-versa).

After getting the book, I read it and then spent the next weekend implementing his system. That was two weeks ago. Since then, I can state that I am getting at least 25% more done and it is the RIGHT stuff I should be getting done. This is truly working SMARTER, not harder.

If you feel like you are not in control of all the paper and messages and phone calls in your life, GET THIS BOOK, IMPLEMENT THE SIMPLE SYSTEM, and it WILL CHANGE YOU DRAMATICALLY. (and I've got 20 other organizing books gathering dust after I read them).

BUY THIS BOOK! It just might change your life.

I read this book cover to cover. His ideas are very valuable and will work, if, and only if, you are willing to totally re-train yourself! I did everything he suggested i.e., reorganized all my files, cleared my desk, created the in/out box system, etc. My biggest challenge is re-programming myself. If you are just new to the business world, and/or just out of college, then this will be perfect for you because you haven't established office work habits. This system WILL make the paperwork nightmare disappear like magic. If you want to knock them dead in the business world, buy this book and do this system NOW!!

Absolutely readable, humorous and useful. Clearly outlines how to clear out of your mind, desk and database, then maximizing production. Helpful illustrations and memorable end-of-chapter reviews on concepts to remember and things to avoid. Unique and enlightening chapter on psychological reasons for "clutter addiction." A must for everyone on your staff and particularly for work-from-home professionals.

I purchased Vetter's book almost a year ago and began implementing some of his recommendations even before I finished the book. His suggestions on handling technology are easily worth the price of the book. I've purchased several time management and productivity books over the years (Eat That Frog, etc.) and this one is by far the most helpful. It allows me to stay in control and stay focused. I'm easily distracted which is dangerous in an environment with lots of information. Vetter's method has impacted my job and my life significantly. Do yourself and your family a favor and buy this book.

Great ideas, but his idea of having your desk face the wall with the door behind you is ridiculous. It's definitely bad Feng Shui. Book worth buying, but try Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern and Taming the Paper Tiger at Work by Barbara Hemphill. The computer program for the Paper Tiger that you can buy seperately is definitely worth its weight in gold for those that are information junkies or entrepreneurs.

Wow, I thought that I would hear all the common sense recommendations that I've always heard but I truely learned many new original ideas. It's a thicker book then I expected but I read it in two days of constant reading. I couldn't put it down. I'm in the process of setting up my office using his methods. Fantastic book! So glad I found it.

I read this book in 2002 and applied its practices. I lent the book out and it was never returned. Recently my desk has been getting a little sloppy, so I bought it again.
The system outlined is simple and very effective for hard and soft files and still applies. Inbox, outbox, trash, action, and what I call archive. From this I came up with my own easier to remember acronym: IOTA2. Fast read -highly recommended.