Time Power

March 1, 2004
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.