Help Yourself Get Everything Done : and Still Have Time to Play [Paperback]

Mark Forster (Author)

Book Description

Series: Help Yourself Series | Publication Date: July 20, 2001

Help Yourself Get Everything Done is for people who have to juggle the demands of a busy schedule, and that means all of us! If we’re not vigilant about planning our days, time can slip away at the expense of our personal fulfillment. According to Mark Forster, the key to getting everything done is repeated, consistent, and focused action. He shows us how to put this plan into practice: get moving and overcome resistance and procrastination, make the maximum use of available time, allocate work time and free time, cope with interruptions and emergencies, and learn to manage time by saying "No!"

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (July 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0658021508
• ISBN-13: 978-0658021503
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,186,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book written by someone who was a poor time manager, April 24, 2003

By 

David Williams (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Help Yourself Get Everything Done : and Still Have Time to Play (Paperback)

Many of the books about managing time seem to be written by systematic organized people who share their techniques, and the assumption is that you too can manage time if you follow their methods.

Mark Forster started from the position that he was poor at managing his time. He analyzed what was going on, and recognized that the problem he had was about attention and about poor habits. He also noted that some of the most time-effective people he knew didn't use time management techniques at all. He created a series of training exercises, described in the book, which will help develop more effective habits.

The book is personal, and describes the problems he had in learning his new methods in an interesting form. I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants to be more effective in getting things done.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great coaching from the UK, September 2, 2001

By 

Pauline B. Fox (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Help Yourself Get Everything Done : and Still Have Time to Play (Paperback)

I originally started subscribing to Mark Forster's electronic newsletter and found it so helpful that I had to get his book! I actually went to Amazon.co.uk last year in order to buy it since it wasn't even available in the US then. Now it's here, so even if you don't buy any other books this year you should get this one! And send it to your friends too!

I'm not new to time management strategies, but Mr. Forster's coaching has done what other time management books haven't been able to do for me. As a result of reading this book and applying the information in it to my life, I've been able to work more efficiently both in my job and at home. Now I have more time to play with much less stress about what I haven't gotten done. I also bought the book for my sister and she has increased her income by saying "no" to projects that aren't worth her time. Now she works fewer hours and earns more than she did before!

Mr. Forster approaches "time management" in a thoughtful and logical way and doesn't pretend there is only one strategy that will work. He explains why different time management tips don't work or in what specific circumstances they can still be useful. He also provides some strategies that were new to me and have been really helpful, such as working in short bursts of time. I perform well with deadlines, so having a deadline every 20 minutes has helped me get the most out of my work day and get things done at home too. The best part is that he admits to having problems with procrastination and following through, and has provided solutions that he actually uses in his own life and that work....

I highly recommend this book to professionals, students, and homemakers to get organized, work smart, and have time left over to do what you want to do.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last - a truly unique and original system!, February 28, 2002

By 

Michael Neill (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Help Yourself Get Everything Done : and Still Have Time to Play (Paperback)

...

If I were to attempt to sum up the essence of this book in one idea, it would be that one of the most efficient and effective uses of your time is to set up systems to use your time efficiently and effectively. Among the many systems offered in the book, including "Halving", "SWEET", and "Using Resistance to Order your Day", Forster's unique and valuable contribution to the world of time management is his system for dealing with "free-floating" items - the myriad activities from e-mail to prospecting to administration that tend to either dominate or drop through the cracks of our increasingly busy lives.

Utilising this one idea, which empowers you to deal with a near infinite variety of tasks in short, manageable "bursts" of time, has allowed me to live at least three lives at once, maintaining an acting career, an active training and coaching schedule, and a wonderful family while still finding time to read, sleep, play with my dog, follow the Boston Red Sox and the LA Lakers, and write a daily coaching tip five days a week!

Excellent, unique, valuable, and highly, highly recommended.