Mark Forster

The most useful book on working efficiently and effectively that I've read for a long time. Helped to galvanise a lot things I was already doing half-heartedly or discovering partially, as well as introducing some new ideas and tips. I like that Mark works from home as his own boss - he has discovered how to crack most of the issues I've run into doing the same. The chapter on procrastination is bizarre but true - we really can learn to catch our reactive brain off-guard using our rational show more brain.

Top tip? Rather than work half-heartedly when you have one of those days where nothing is pressing, set a deadline of finishing early! Work efficiently and effectively to 2pm, and then take the rest of the day off rather than working half-heartedly til 6pm! I'm really going to try that one!

I will be coming back to this book regularly to review my systems and thought processes. show less

Foster offers a fresh, wise system for greater productivity -- he blasts the traditional "to do" list in lieu of the "will do" list. The keys are: reduce random events, schedule realistic and doable tasks that can actually be accomplished each day, carve out time for system maintenance on a regular basis and attack long term projects in pieces on a daily basis before attempting any other daily tasks. Great, clear advice.

Get Everything Done - what, like read this book? I failed on that, although it was quite interesting, because it seemed to focus on people like Forster who are terminally disorganised. But I'm not that bad!

I found that I had already developed a lot of the suggestions as my own way of doing things, but I found the idea of a "Current Initiative" to be a better idea than my usual method of keep transferring a "to do" and never actually doing it because it seemed overwhelming.