The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World [Hardcover]

Christine Louise Hohlbaum (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 27, 2009

Overwhelmed by electronic gadgets? Buried under an avalanche of e-mails? Juggling too many tasks and responsibilities? Desperately in need of a deep breath and a time-out? For all of us who answer yes to any of these questions, help is on the way. Getting to the heart of our hassled and over-scheduled existence, Christine Louise Hohlbaum cheerfully investigates 101 ways to increase our quality of life and productivity by reevaluating how we perceive and use time. Everyone has their own personal bank account of time, and while we cannot control time itself, we can manage the activities with which we fill the time we have available to us. The Power of Slow gives readers practical, concise directions to change the relationship they have with time and debunks the myths of multitasking, speed, and urgency as the only ways to efficiency.

Tips include:

· When working on a project on your computer, close all the windows, with the exception of the one you need to do your job.

· Learn to say no in a polite and constructive way to favors, invitations, and requests.

· Manage your own expectations, as well as those of others, by clearly stating what is possible in the time frame given.

· Declare gadget-free zones (both geographical and temporal) to really enjoy your leisure time.

· Know when your plate is full.

· Make commitments to difficult tasks in five-minute increments and gradually increase the increments.

· Save your most favorite or the easiest tasks for last to avoid procrastination.

The Power of Slow will help readers identify areas in need of improvement and show them how to become more efficient and less frazzled at work and at home---and live a better, more balanced life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Power of Slow is a welcome riposte to our fast-forward culture. With wit and wisdom, Hohlbaum shows us how to reset our metronomes and reinvent our lives."

--Carl Honoré, author of In Praise of Slow and Under Pressure

"Thanks to The Power of Slow, I am now a recovering ‘speed addict.’ This book brilliantly showed me that my over-scheduled, multi-tasking, uber-busy lifestyle has not only made me less productive and less effective, it gently taught me ways to shift into a more flowing, creative and ultimately more successful life." --Arielle Ford, creator, www.everythingyoushouldknow.com and author of The Soulmate Secret

 

“The Power of Slow is a life-changing book. Far from stating the obvious, Christine Hohlbaum provides new insights and persuasive arguments for reshaping our time and changing our lives for the better. A must read in our over-scheduled world!”--Wendy Walker, author of Social Lives, Four Wives, and Chicken Soup for the Soul - Power Moms

“In the fast-paced world of Blackberrys, Iphones, and Twitter, it’s hard to find one’s footing. In an easy-to-read style, Ms. Hohlbaum has described a process of slowing down that is so very important to our wholeness, balance, and well being. She does so in a poetic and sometimes humorous way. She has captured a heavy topic with a light touch and yet we learn many lessons.  I highly recommend this book to help anyone who wants to stay healthy, sane, and enjoy life more fully.”--Bonnie Michaels, work-life balance expert and author of Solving the Work/Family Puzzle and A Journey of Work-Life Renewal

“This book presents a convincing case for slowing down in a multi-tasking world:  to reboot one’s natural rhythm for the sake of health and happiness. It’s time to take an adult time-out to achieve greater balance and improve life quality. Christine makes it practical and easy. What are you waiting for? Slow Down.…” --Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress

 

" [Hohlbaum] offers thought-provoking commentaries on efficiency and expectations while providing concrete tips for saying no with kindness, taking time out, and breaking habits." -- Library Journal

About the Author

Christine Louise Hohlbaum is a public relations professional, freelance writer, and the author of S.A.H.M. I Am and Diary of a Mother. She lives near Munich, Germany, with her husband and two children.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312570481
• ISBN-13: 978-0312570484
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.3 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christine Louise Hohlbaum is an American author of several books, including The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World. She is a proven thought leader in the area of time management and often conducts Webinars for ExecSense. She works as a PR consultant for various international companies and lives in Germany with her two children. Occasionally, she appears in TV shows and feature films, playing smaller roles to satisfy her inner thespian. Writing and acting are her passion. Her biggest dream is to change the world through words.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh, Modern Look at Slowing Down and Befriending Time November 16, 2009

By O. Brown HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

*****
Is it possible to create time abundance? To cultivate an attitude of experiencing time as slow, time as a friend...as there being more than enough time to accomplish everything that the day should hold? I think that it is possible, and this is what I'm doing, thanks to this wonderful book that takes a fresh and practical look at befriending time and slowing down your life.

Unlike many of the books I've read on this subject, this book goes beyond the philosophy of time abundance and the whole Slow Movement and into practical and concrete ways of implementing mindfulness and the philosophy of slow with a special emphasis on different ways of dealing with technology and information overload. The book covers useful, modern issues such as cell phone multi-tasking, creative ways of handling call-waiting, dealing with time suckers and addictive behaviors, delegating, managing expectations, and so much more. This book is not so much about time management as it is about life management so that each of us can best use the limited and uncertain amount of time that we each have. Since I have viewed time as something to race against, and have felt like time's victim, this appealed enormously to me.

I began to read The Power of Slow with my journal next to me, keeping a list of everything that struck me that I'd want to do differently or think about differently. I came up with a time abundance plan that I've been implementing and tweaking, one that is truly changing my life. If you have been looking for a practical tool that addresses your real-life concerns, look no further. You'll get far more than just a list of 101 things, however. The author shares important ideas about how to think about time differently, perhaps the most important part of the book; without thinking about time in a new way--as a friend--the changes you make won't have the impact they could.

To give you some examples of my personal time makeover: I now limit the number of television shows I keep up with. I have a list of programs I'm willing to give up my time for, and that's it. I hold myself to it. And although I work at home, I have a defined schedule, so that when people ask me for a time commitment, I check my schedule and can say, "I can't do that, I'm working, but I'll be available after 4 p.m." For the last few weeks I've been saying, "No" constantly (but kindly). I keep only ONE browser window open when I'm focusing on something intently. I've delegated work to people who work for me and stopped micro-managing thanks to the idea that if I delegate, the work will never be done the way I would do it, but that's okay, considering what I've exchanged it for--the opportunity for me to complete other work myself that is far more important to me. I've found that, as the author says, small changes can open up enormous energy.

I am learning to view time as my friend and as an opportunity. It is not an overstatement to say that this has changed my life and will continue to change my life. The author writes that our relationship with time determines all other relationships in our life. I now agree with this, and encourage you to find out why this is so by starting your own adventure into "The Power of Slow".

Highly recommended.
*****

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book on managing your time and life... July 22, 2010

By Alexis Leon

Format:Hardcover

The pace of modern life is fast. We want fast transportation, fast communication, fast computers, fast photos, fast music, fast foods, and so on.

But does fast always mean the best? Does it mean that we can achieve our goals? Does it ensure that we have a happy, healthy, and satisfied life? Does it ensure that we get enough time to spend with our family or indulge in our favorite hobbies? If you want to find out the answers to the above questions then you should read the book The Power of Slow.

Are you running the mad race to survive and thrive? Is your time controlled by others? Are you always chasing deadlines and milestones? Do you ever get time to spend time on activities that you want to do? Do you get time to do nothing or do a bit of self reflection? Do you have time for your family and friends? Are you always busy, work all the time, go to bed late only to get up early and work even more? Do you always feel frustrated, depressed, or dejected? If the answer to most of the above questions is `Yes,' then you should read the book The Power of Slow.

If you want to stay on top of your life, if you want to take control of your time rather than being controlled, if you want to manage and balance your work and personal lives, if you want to set your goals and achieve them comfortably, if you want to manage your expectations about yourself and others and also handle other people's expectations about you, if you want to create time by delegation, if you want to say `No' to thing you don't want to do, and if you want a calm, peaceful, happy yet successful life, then also you should read the book The Power of Slow.

The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World is a book that will revolutionize, reorganize and change your life. In this small, concise, and extremely readable book, Christine Louise Hohlbaum tells us how to manage our life using the power of slow. She explains the various problems that pull us down, obstacles that hinder our progress, and habits that hamper our productivity. She gives 101 powerful and efficient strategies to increase the quality of life and productivity where we have time for doing all the activities we want while achieving our goals and fulfilling our dreams.

This 250-page book contains a foreword, an introduction, prologue, 11 chapters, epilogue, notes, helpful websites, and a bibliography. In the 11 chapters the author deals with a wide range to topics from time management, multitasking, habits, saying `No,' to focus, expectations management, and delegation. The first 10 chapters contain 10 ways each to deal with the problems discussed in them. The final chapter sums up all the tips and put them in perspective--how each problem affects our lives and those around us.

The author has an engaging writing style and uses real-life examples, interesting anecdotes, graphs, cartoons, etc. to make the reading interesting and enjoyable. The tips are simple, practical, effective and most importantly can be implemented immediately.

One aspect that makes this book unique is that it contains the wisdom and knowledge that you will otherwise get only by reading more than a dozen books on productivity improvement, time management, and self-help. It is a MUST READ for all those who want to bring sanity and happiness into their lives without compromising on their dreams and aspirations.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a Walk with a Knowledgeable Friend January 23, 2010

By M. Petruzzi

Format:Hardcover

With tongue-in-cheek, I'll submit that one of the challenges to readers of self-help books, is the authors themselves.

What I am getting at is, not every reader is going to have the same focus and passion for personal or life change as the author they are reading. A book might represent a quantum leap, when what the reader could really use is smaller, more doable steps. Too often I've seen it where a reader feels brimming with possibility and potential while s/he is reading a book, but sure enough, once s/he completes it, the book goes on the shelf with the other self-help books of similar type and format... and the feelin's gone...

If this seems like an all-too-familiar pattern to you, well, read on. I am betting that your experience with "The Power of Slow" will go differently.

Reading "The Power of Slow," you get the feeling that you and author Christine Hohlbaum are a pair of friends who are out for a walk together. You are casually discussing lots of small, doable things that you can do each day to take your life back. All these "small, doable things" add up. A lot of small, doable things is exactly how you gave your life away in the first place.

What am I talking about?

I am of the school of thought that *we* are accountable for our choices, and many of our choices (and some of the most important) have to do with how we choose to manage and spend our time. Many of us wake up one day (and then probably every day after that) and ask, "Where did all the time go?" Just replace "time" with "life" and you have my point. That's how it feels when you're always racing the clock: "Where did all the *life* go?" We gave it away--choice by choice.

"Walking" with Ms Hohlbaum through "The Power of Slow," you are gently directed to look here... and here... and there... and you begin to see where all the time and life went. Along the way she asks you questions and gives you feedback. She offers suggestions neatly organized under "principles" like "The Rule of Full" and one of my personal favs, "Toss out the Blame Game."

If you are tilting your head at the last sentence, by the time you read this one you might be guessing this isn't just another time-management book - and you'd be right. Ms. Hohlbaum looks at ways to invest time to get a big time return (pun intended); she suggests ways to change your very relationship with time through mindful living; she takes away excuses - ones that we are grateful to give up for something else returned... more time... more life.

If you are among those of us who have a particular challenge to our relationship with time, then chances are, you'll find help with yours in "The Power of Slow". My personal challenge is focus, and in the "Focus Factor" chapter, I found tools and techniques that I've already put into practice to my great advantage.

"Focus Factor: 'Principle #8 Honor Setup Time.'" I am not going to give away any secrets here (sorry), but I will say that putting this principle into practice - especially when it means preparing *emotionally* for artistic expression like my writing or songwriting - has made a huge difference in both my focus and the quality of my output.

I'll wrap this up by bragging that I had the pleasure of meeting Christine Hohlbaum via Video Skype when she interviewed me for her blog. She laughs easily, thinks creatively, and comes across sincere. She is passionate about her topic, and she makes room - and time - for dialog. One could do worse than choosing to spend time with Ms. Hohlbaum. "Take a walk" with her in "The Power of Slow," and get some life back.

M Petruzzi
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