Review of Make Every Second Count by Robert W Bly

You must be thinking, "Not another time management book." Yes, I know how you feel.

A few months ago I received an email asking for permission to send me a copy of Make Every Second Count by Robert W. Bly. I said, "Sure" and gave my mailing address but did not pay any attention to who the author was. I shortly received the book and placed it in my stack of books to read, when I noticed that it was written by Robert W. Bly (Bob Bly). I know Bob Bly as a copywriter.

So what does Bob have to say in Make Every Second Count: Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success With Less Stress? A lot actually, more that what you would expect in a time management book.

One of the things I've noticed with Bob Bly is that he structures his books, at least the ones I have read, in such a way that you can start at any point, and this book has 14 clearly titled chapters.
Chapter 1: Work Habits That Speed You UpChapter 2: Do You Really Want to Be ProductiveChapter 3: Goal-SettingChapter 4: Save Time and Money When You TravelChapter 5: The 10% Solution for Increased Personal EfficiencyChapter 6: Networking OnlineChapter 7: Using Technology to Save TimeChapter 8: Going MobileChapter 9: Delegation and OutsourcingChapter 10: Getting OrganizedChapter 11: Planning Systems and Software to Increase Your ProductivityChapter 12: Maximizing Your Personal EnergyChapter 13: Managing Information OverloadChapter 14: Saving Time at HomeThere were times while I was reading that I had adverse reactions to what Bly was saying, and had to take a step back, and remind myself that that's okay. My responsibility as a reader is to take in information, evaluate it, then decide if the information makes sense for me. And that's something that I recommend. I also have a responsibility to my readers to be honest in my feedback.

I'm sure that there are things that you will not like about the book, but the beauty is that because Bly has done such a great job in laying out the information, you can quickly find what you need.

What I liked about Make Every Second Count.

Bly uses a system where he has three to-do lists: Daily to-do, Projects to-do and Long-term to-do (This could be some personal projects that are important to you, but do not have a definite end date, so allocate a few hours a week working on them), which I think would be very helpful and allow you to carve out the time to do things that are meaningful to you, but will not necessarily earn money in the short term.

I found chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 most useful. For instance, in Chapter 6, which is Networking Online there is a Networking Grid which would be a welcome to a social media strategy because it allows you to structure the actions you take. There are some helpful tips in the book on how increase personal efficiency, and I was delighted to see a section on how to think faster which uses the creativity model that we have discussed on this blog many times. And very timely, are great tips to deal with email overload.

He offered an example of setting up your folders on your computer, and though some may think that information is basic, I'm glad it was included because so much time can be wasted searching for files on a computer. There is also a very detailed chart, which includes productivity software so you can compare them and determine which is best suitable for your needs.

And for those who love to travel, Chapter 4 has some great tips. I discovered that in addition to Kayak.com, SideStep.com allows you to search multiple websites for deals on hotel, airline and car rental packages. CleverDude.com provides tips on how to get free airline upgrades.

Though I couldn't figure out why some historical information on mobile technology, and other were included, I recommend Make Every Second Count: Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success With Less Stress but I suggest that you read only the chapters that would be useful to you. Despite my adverse reaction (I think that some of the time saving tips for home are a bit extreme, and takes out some of the joy out of life for people) to some of the content, I'm happy that I read Make Every Second Count because I picked up some tips that will increase my personal efficiency.

Avil Beckford, Chief Invisible Mentor, has over 17 years writing, research and analysis experience. If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to The Invisible Mentor Blog by email or by RSS Feed.

View the original article here

Make Every Second Count - Time Management Tips and Techniques by Robert W. Bly - Review

Synopsis of Content:

This book teaches you how to manage and use your time most effectively. He teaches how to use to-do lists, how to manage time, how to handle information overload and gives you some tips about on-line resources you can use.

Bly stresses the need to organize and plan your day, each day. Create a schedule for the day in 15 minute increments and plan your activities. He suggests you refer to your schedule often throughout the day and stick to it. He describes the kinds of to-do lists you should maintain and how to best use them. You will learn the importance of prioritizing your activities and how to avoid procrastination.

Bly advocates using the SMART system of goal setting. He also suggests ways to manage your resources and how to use the best personal habits to achieve the most. He wraps up with some on line resources that can help.

This book is full of good suggestions and tips. This short review cannot begin to list them all. Not everyone will agree with all of Bly's suggestions nor will they all work for every type of person - but everyone will find a great deal here that can help them organize their work and use their time more effectively.

Readability/Writing Quality:

As with all of Bly's writing this book is well organized and easy to follow and understand.

Notes on Author:

Robert Bly is the author of 75 books and an accomplished copywriter and internet marketer. He publishes an internet newsletter called The Direct Response Letter.

Three Great Ideas You Can Use:

1. Time is your most valuable and limited resource. You must manage it effectively to be most effective in your work.

2. The proper use of goals greatly enhances effectiveness. Use a good system of developing and implementing goals such as the SMART system: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed.

3. Use your time on those activities that create the most return. Develop sound priorities and stick to them. Avoid common time wasters.

Publication Information:

Make Every Second Count - Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success with Less Stress by Robert W. Bly

Career Press © 2010

Rating for this Book

Overall Rating for Book: Excellent

Writing Style: Easy to understand.

Usefulness: Highly useful.

Difficulty: Not difficult.

Daniel R. Murphy writes on success and how you can build wealth. Would you like to learn how others have been successful in business and in life? For a free success eBook and much information which can help make you successful and financially independent visit http://www.bookstowealth.com/. Begin your self-education today learning how others have become successful and rich! Do it today!

View the original article here