147 of 148 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Identifying Your Operational Style has Never Been Easier!, November 15, 1999
This review is from: How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself: Time and Space Management that Works with Your Personal Style (Paperback)
I find it very refreshing when a book gives me permission to use notes of paper rather than a planner, handle paper more than once when it crosses my desk, and allows me to actually have a desk with things on it. Why, they even let you have a junk drawer, or HandyDrawer for those things I just might need someday (as long as I clean it out once in awhile).
The authors of How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself have done just that, and help us identify ourselves within the Ten Operational Styles: Hopper, Perfectionist Plus, Allergic to Detail, Fence Sitter, Cliff Hanger, Everything Out, Nothing Out, Right Angler, Pack Rat, or Total Slob. And we don't even have to fit perfectly into any one, so we can adapt our organizing system according to several different styles.
Time logs are not new to a student of organizational techniques, but the authors encourage us to analyze our logs and identify which tasks have the most value, could be delegated, interrupted, etc. Since most of us don't realize where the time actually does go, this tool forces us to document where and how we get things accomplished. Only then can we change our system and create a new workable one.
Full of tips for streamlining your tasks and working with those who have opposing operational styles from our own, this book is very effective in helping us recognize timewasters and helps establish new ways of saving time for the things that actually do matter at work and home.
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181 of 194 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Expectation Not Met, May 2, 2004
This review is from: How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself: Time and Space Management that Works with Your Personal Style (Paperback)
I purchased this book based on the reviews it received and the comparitively low price. (I had to laugh when I saw that one reviewer was an air traffic controller too!) I am glad that this book has been helpful for some. For me though, I found "Organizing, Plain and Simple" by Donna Smallin, to be much more practical.
As a single mom I'm looking for suggestions and practical tips to becoming more organized across the board. This book seems more geared to organizing your desk and tasks at work. It involves documenting how you spend your time, etc. That was not helpful to me since I would spend the majority of my day documenting instead of doing. The book also uses a tremendous amount of space describing each time/space management style without giving very many tips on how to overcome your particular style.
I am not comfortable being critical of these author's, I mean I couldn't write a book! The fact remains I was disappointed with this particular book since I didn't find much practical advice here.
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58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome, August 12, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself: Time and Space Management that Works with Your Personal Style (Paperback)
This book totally changed my outlook on all my junk. I've already cleared out half my house and I've only had it for 2 weeks. i've been a slob all my life and this is the first book on organization that actually inspired me to change. It helps you diagnose exactly what your problem is and how to fix it. Great for anyone ready to make a real change!
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