This book review was written by Elizabeth Renter. She is a freelance writer from Raleigh, NC and you you can learn more about her and her work at www.elizabeththewriter.com or contact her at renter.liz@gmail.com.
The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management:
Proven Strategies for Increased Productivity and Inner Peace
You may be thinking, “Oh great! Another book on managing time. Aren’t there enough of these?” That’s sort of what I was thinking when I agreed to review this book. Something in the title, however, told me this one might be different. Not only was I going to hear about managing my time, but I may learn something about actually managing my life and establishing inner peace. That was the kicker.
This isn’t a new book. First published in the early 1990’s this book has almost become a classic, at least as much as a time management book can be. Author Hyrum W. Smith, co-founder of the Franklin Quest Company and later FranklinCovey, has made his mark as a time management pro. His company is responsible for the well known Franklin Day Planners and seminars, coaching professionals of the world in increased productivity for years.
Establish what your values are
The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management is all about establishing what your values are, what is really important to you, and then planning your life around them. Dissatisfaction comes in, Smith says, when our schedules don’t line up with our values. Essentially, when we tell someone “I don’t have the time” we are really telling them “There are other things I value more”. By learning to recognize and honor your values, you are able to free up more time for those things most important to you, leaving you more satisfied with your career and personal life.
The meat of the book is in dissecting the 10 Laws as Smith presents them. The first five are all about managing your time. The second five address managing your life. For many of us, however, managing our time is such a huge part of our existence that the separation of time and life are not even necessary.
On the subject of time management and the first of the 10 laws, Smith points out that when we effectively manage our time, we increase productivity. He ties this increase to an equal increase in self esteem, effectively arguing that better managed time makes you feel better about yourself. By eliminating “time robbers” we can better gain control of our days and our lives.
One of the crucial aspects of this book is establishing what your governing values are. We each have them and they are different for everyone. You can’t expect to line up your schedule with your values if you are unclear of what they are. Smith walks readers through the process of determining their governing values and then describing them in a concrete way. The purpose here is to familiarize yourself with what is really important to you so that you can make better choices in your time management decisions.
Be satisfied with how you spend your days
The book isn’t just about scheduling and planning, it is about truly being satisfied with how you spend your days. The appeal to me wasn’t just due to the simple solutions and easy conversational tone it was in Smith’s way of conveying the importance of living a life of integrity and truly dedicating oneself to a happier and more productive existence.
A book from the co-founder of a company that made its mark with daily planners wouldn’t be complete without a few plugs for their products. While I initially was turned off by the paragraphs gently urging me to buy a Franklin Day Planner, I now see the value of their inclusion in the book overall. As a matter of fact, when I was about ¾ of the way through the book I found myself choosing a new planner online.
The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management is a book that I would highly recommend. It is perfect for the multitudes of adults who just don’t feel like they have enough time. As Smith points out, there is always plenty of time, it’s what you choose to spend it on that matters.
