FBR: "Time Management from the Inside Out", Morgenstern, Chapter 4

This chapter is on "Developing Your Big-Picture Goals", and it's funny how several things I've read lately have had this step.  It's obviously something important I've been procrastinating on, and Morgenstern helps me identify why that is - not believing I can reach the goals I actually want to have, and feeling insecure about my goals, for example.  Not letting myself want what I want is a big problem that I have to fix!

Working through the exercises I was able to write down life categories, big-picture goals, and specific activities I could do to reach those goals.  There's still a bit of a tenuous connection - I tend to go to what activities I think I "should" do, rather than what I want to do, which I'm realizing is why I procrastinate.  But, it's a list I can work on for a month, then I'll re-evaluate and see what I've learned.  I'm ready for Part Three - "Strategize"!

FBR: "Time Management from the Inside Out", Morgenstern, Chapter 3

I found this chapter to be weak.  It relies too much on following the same format as Morgenstern's "Organizing From the Inside Out", starting with two worksheets on "What's Working" and "What's Not Working".  Although I found them useful in the organizing book, I did not find them useful here.  The other worksheets on Preferences and Energy Cycles were even less illuminating, since they seemed to say simply "figure out what works for you" without any idea how to determine it.

In summary, although this chapter was titled "Understanding Your Personal Relationship to Time", I didn't find it helped me to do that.

FBR: "Time Management from the Inside Out", Morgenstern, Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of this book is where things get tough - it's called "What's Holding You Back?", and it's probably the reason I've waited (i.e., procrastinated) on writing about it. Morgenstern identifies three levels of obstacles that keep people from getting what they want - Technical Errors, External Realities, and Psychological Obstacles. I've detailed the ones that pertain to me after the cut.

Fortunately the psychological obstacles, which seem the hardest to solve, can be left to the end of the process, Morgenstern assures me!

FBR: "Time Management from the Inside Out", Morgenstern, Chapter 1

I've been writing book reviews for a while, and there are times when a short review just doesn't capture everything I want from a book. Some books are so important that I need to make notes on them, but those notes then end up lost in the piles of paper that still defeat me occasionally. That's why I'm going to try what I'm thinking of as "Focus Book Reviews", which deal with only one chapter at a time. It's a chance for me to slow down my reading and make actual changes to my life, rather than whipping through the book in a few days, taking it back to the library, and never acting on the information.

The first book up is Julie Morgenstern's Time Management from the Inside Out. I've been a fan of her organizing books for years, so this was a natural for me. I read a library copy a few months ago, and recently received my own copy from a friendly donator on BookMooch.com. Now that school is going back in, it's a perfect time to get my time under control.

Before I dive into Chapter 1, here's the most motivating quote I found in the Introduction: "Being organized... is all about being ready. It's about feeling in command so that you are prepared to handle all of the opportunities, distractions, and surprises life throws your way." I would like to feel that way!

The first chapter talks about changing my perception of time. At first I thought her comparison of a cluttered schedule to a cluttered closet was rather a reach, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. She also promises to show methods that will let individuals design a schedule that's right for them, rather than necessarily showing how to be more productive; after all, learning to take time for myself is one of the things I need to do, even if it makes me less productive in the short term.