Time Power: A Proven System for Getting More Done in Less Time Than You Ever Thought Possible (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The Law of Correspondence says that your outer life tends to be a mirror image of your inner life..." (more)
Key Phrases: major definite purpose, multitask job, major time waster, Action Exercises (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bookstore shelves may be stuffed with time management tomes, but Tracy’s stands out for its insistence that the desire to become more efficient doesn’t always result in the necessary will to do so. Thus before bogging readers down with the necessary evils of time management—lists, lists and more lists—Tracy (Victory!; Focal Point; The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success), who has spent more than 20 years as a motivational consultant, builds enthusiasm for the task by showing how it extends beyond the office cubicle to create a successful and satisfying life. "You cannot even imagine a happy, fulfilled person whose life is in a state of disorganization and disarray," he writes. Assuming that readers don’t have the time to camp in an armchair and mull over his advice, Tracy "chunks up" the book by using headings to subdivide chapters and peppering his prose with numbered lists, such as the "12 Proven Principles for Peak Performance" and the "16 Ways to Overcome Procrastination." On occasion, his motivational bent can be too bubbly, especially in the "action exercises" found at the end of each chapter: "Resolve today that you are going to work and practice until you become one of the most efficient, effective, and productive people in your field," or "Resolve today to dedicate yourself to lifelong learning; decide to pay any price, invest any amount of time required, to be the best at what you do." This book offers a smorgasbord of tools and tips for time management, but readers should pick judiciously from this buffet—lest they burn more hours planning how they’ll manage their time than they actually save managing it.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Tracy, a consultant on personal and professional development, presents a comprehensive system designed to help us increase our productivity and income by taking control of our time. We learn that time management is really managing our lives, and it requires self-control, self-mastery, and self-discipline. Time is a scarce resource, and successful people value it, continually working to become more efficient and better organized. The author covers such topics as setting goals and objectives, establishing priorities, managing multitask jobs, overcoming procrastination, and saving time when dealing with others. His philosophy of time management includes a warning that the wrong job is a major waste of time; he also believes that one should admit mistakes and get on with one's life, adopt a long-term perspective, which will sharpen short-term decisions, and plan to retire at 75, which will be the norm for knowledge workers in the twenty-first century. Tracy has many thoughtful things to say, and while all of his ideas are not new, they are worth considering. We cannot be too successful at managing our lives. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (March 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814472478
• ISBN-13: 978-0814472477
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #626,651 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A lot of repeated material, June 25, 2005

By	Shane A. Brewer (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Time Power by Brian Tracy is about taking control of your schedule so that you free up more time to do more and more. Using strategies like using a organizer, figuring out what your goals and priorities are, and things like refusing to take coffee breaks are examples of what can be found in this book.

The advice in this book is solid. I especially liked the chapters on organizing your tasks by priority, developing excellent work habits, and overcoming procrastination. The ideas presented are logical and beneficial to maintaining a highly productive lifestyle, while they remain practical and easy to implement.

However I felt I had read this book before because many of the ideas presented in this book are repeated in his other books. I found very little content in the book that was actually new. I also thought the chapter "Time Management Techniques for Salespeople" didn't belong in this book. That chapter should have been in a book directed to salespeople rather than a general audience, and which made me think it was just added for the sake of adding material.

This book is a good read if you never have read Brian Tracy material before, or if you would like to review Brian Tracy's material again. But if you are looking for new material, best to steer clear. 3 out of 5 stars.

56 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another powerful program by Brian Tracy, February 28, 2004

By	[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

When I read the inside cover describing this new book by Brian Tracy, I expected to gain at least 2 hours of extra time per day by following Brian's strategies. I actually gained more than that.

Like most people, I assumed all there was to time management was to get a Daytimer, set up a To Do list etc. No wonder I never got anywhere! Brian has an easy to follow system that is based on over 20 years of research....and his system really works.

Why a book just on Time Management? As Brian explains in Time Power, those who get more done in less time get more out of life....more rewards, more success, and more free time to pursue their dreams and enjoy themselves.

The fact of the matter is, as Brian Tracy says, "The quality of your life is largely determined by the quality of your time management."

For many people, getting organized is a real chore. Not if you follow Tracy's dynamic system. In Time Power, you will find that you don't have to be cold and calculating to be well organized. Time power does not mean letting the clock rule your life. In fact the opposite is true. : time power gives you absolute freedom to do what you want, when you want to do it, ironically, you even learn to make time for spontaneity. The more time you make for yourself, the more free time you have.

Unlike many programs and books on time management, Time Power has no charts, no forms, no dailty schedules. Brian Tracy believes in them but knows that you are quite capable of developing them for yourself. His purpose in this book is to teach you the philosophy of time management, to help you internalize it,a nd to help you develop a belief system that will m ake your every moment very efficient.

Time Power is the result of over 20 years of experience---of research and teaching with more than 200 corporations. The program was designed to give you everything you need yo know about mastering your time for your personal life and career.

Tracy will show you how to become excellent at time management...to concentrate on the highest payoff tasks. Your life will simply begin to work better.

After following the advice in Time Power including the many exercises, you will learn to:

* Use positive self talk and affirmations
* Change your self concepts about time
* Use powerful mental rehearsal techniques
* Model your own behavior after time management leaders
* Learn to lead others
* Become results oriented
* Learn to work smarter, not harder
* Delegate more effectively
* Become more adept at prioritizing
* Energize yourself with the positive results of your labor

By using the techniques in Time Power, you'll greatly improve the sense of control you have and in turn improve your well being in every aspect of your life. I know it's working for me.

Time is indeed your most precious and perishable asset. You can begin investing it more wisely by reading Time Power, doing the exercises and putting this time tested wisdom to use.

I have read many books, listened to many tape programs and even attended seminars on time management. Time Power is the most results driven program that I have ever used.

Use it. It will make a major difference in your personal and professional life.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Ford was right, September 2, 2004

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When discussing time management, the more important issue is life-management which inevitably forces us to address self-management. Even books as thoughtful, practical, and eloquent as Tracy's are essentially worthless unless and until one is both willing and eager, indeed determined to gain and then sustain control of one's self. Also, it is impossible to "create more time": there are 60 seconds each minute, 60 minutes each hour, 24 hours each day. etc. No more and no less. But what is possible, obviously, is to reorganize consumption of finite time. For that, there are two essential elements: will-power and a system. In this volume, Tracy offers what is characterized as "a proven system for getting more done in less time than you ever thought possible." Such a system must be both effective and efficient, two different attributes which are incorrectly used interchangeably. Tracy's core concept focuses on the ROI of time consumption. First, priorities must be set. Next, specific objectives to be achieved. Then a determination of what must be done to achieve them. Finally, a realistic estimate of how much time will be needed to do so. It is also helpful to know what the most common time-wasters are (other than lethargy) and most of the worst involve others. ("Gotta a minute?") Hence the importance of focus amidst distractions. Effective time-, life-, and self-management can indeed produce highly beneficial results. Tracy identifies four:

1. Gain [at least] two hours each day.

2. Improve your productivity and performance.

3. Increase your sense of control.

4. Have more time for your family.

To "gain" time is to reduce the waste of time. I agree with Tracy that there are several barriers to overcome. They include anxiety about decreasing "naturalness" and "spontaneity," negative mindsets, and self-limiting beliefs. In this context, I am reminded of what Henry Ford is alleged to have observed years ago: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." In response to such barriers, Tracy correctly recommends the use of positive self-talk, visualizing one's self as highly efficient, "acting" the desired "part," benchmarking against the best by patterning one's self after someone who makes maximum use of available time, becoming a teacher (i.e. imagining that one "is going to teach as course in time management one year from today") and becoming a role model for others (e.g. spouse, children, business associates). To assist his reader, Tracy offers Three Self-Esteem Builders, Three Steps to Performance Improvement, and Twelve Proven Principles for Peak Performance. At the end of each chapter, moreover, he provides an "Action Exercises" section which enables his reader apply effectively what she or he has learned in that chapter.

What we have in this volume is indeed a cohesive, comprehensive, and (yes) time-effective system. How valuable this system proves to be will, of course, vary from one reader to the next. Tracy reminds his reader that "Time management is a lifestyle that must be practiced every hour, every day, all the days of your life. It is the one habit, the one discipline that is essential to everything else you want to achieve. With excellent time management skills and practices, there are no limits." Again, I agree. To paraphrase Ford, whether you think you can or cannot benefit from the system which Tracy recommends, you're right.