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Stay focused with The Productivity Book by Michael Brecht
Every once in a while a book comes around that catches your eye and you think “I absolutely have to read that!” For anyone that seems to have too much to do and too little time to do it all in, and anyone who has ever asked the question “how am I going to be able to get it all done?” I would highly recommend for you to read this book: The Productivity Book.
Normally I don’t review and recommend advice books, but since I felt I could personally benefit from this book, I gave it a read and now am giving it a recommendation. This book of interviews is compiled by Michael Brecht, the CEO of Doodle, which for those who don’t know is an organizational and project/event management online platform. Companies and individuals use it worldwide to keep event planning easy and everyone on the same page. So, if anyone would know about productivity and staying on top of things, it would be Michael Brecht. Not to mention that his position puts him in direct contact with the industry professionals who use the Doodle platform to in fact make them more productive, which is how he came in contact with the industry professionals interviewed in this book.
Ultimately the book is a compilation of interviews with 30 different professionals in various different industries, all speaking on their time management techniques and giving advice for how they stay focused, stay productive, and get the job done. The advice that these professionals give, from waking up early to establishing a daily routine are all simple enough for absolutely anyone to incorporate into their daily lifestyle, and honestly, they make a whole lot of sense.
”How do you begin your morning? Honestly? I don’t really have a morning routine, nor do I pretend to. Almost every productivity person I’ve heard interviewed gives a long answer about how they crush up kale and make smoothies, meditate, exercise and so on. I don’t believe most of them. I go through phases and every day is slightly different. That’s not to say it’s all chaotic and I definitely run a quick mile round the park most mornings, but I hate the idea that people feel like a failure by 7:30 a.m. if they’ve not followed some elaborate routine!I found the concept of time blocking to be personally really helpful, as it helps you to break down your day into smaller, more manageable portions. Instead of having to think “I have 5 book reviews to write this morning” all I have to do is put everything into my calendar and focus on one thing at a time, which translates into “I have to write this book review in this one hour time span.” Somehow this makes everything seem so much easier to manage and I make much better use of my time. I can also see exactly how I am using my time and be able to gauge at which point during the day I am most productive and what tasks take up most of my time, which can help me to better plan my workload and time in the future.
Unlike other advice books, I actually found this one to be helpful and engaging. It’s a little more entertaining than the usual advice books because there are so many different contributing voices, all with interesting personalities and a sense of humor that tends to come through in the writing. So instead of dry and factual, it is lighthearted, funny, and still incredibly useful.
By Michael Brecht
Publisher: Doodle AG
Release Date: October 21,
2015
Genre: Non-Fiction/Time
Management
Format: eBook
Length: 205 Pages
ISBN: 9783952453407
ASIN: B016UQV92K
About the book:
Ever
wondered what the secret is to productivity? Here’s a hint: there isn’t just
one. Introducing the Doodle Productivity Book! Containing in-depth interviews
with 30 of the world’s top productivity & time management experts, this
book lifts the lid on the industry’s best kept tips and tricks. The result? An
engaging and practical guide that will help you find your natural pace, so you
can work smarter—not harder.
EXCERPTQuote Laura Stack:What are some of your favorite productivity tips & apps?Obviously, I love Doodle! I use it to schedule client conference calls and I talk about it in my presentations! Other apps I like:TripIt. I use this for plane, hotel, directions and ground transportation. Simply forward your confirmation emails and TripIt automatically populates your digital itineraries. It also means I can access all my details on my phone as I’m walking through the airport.Evernote. Sync content from the cloud to your desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. When I see an article I like online, I simply right-click, clip the page, file it in a Notebook and tag it for easy searching. I drag large PDF documents into new Notes to read on upcoming business trips. I use Evernote in conjunction with my Livescribe Smartpen, so my handwritten notes from meetings and conference calls sync through Wi-Fi to my online account. I can listen to recordings right before meetings to refresh my memory.TouchDown. Microsoft Outlook users can sync their data to their phones, which is really handy, except the native apps require them to tap multiple icons to access different modules. Instead, I use the TouchDown ActiveSync Exchange client. This allows me to click ONE icon to access my Email, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes, as well as handle Out of Office and Rule settings.Square. My smartphone is a portable credit card processing machine. Using a small scanner that plugs into the earphone jack, I can accept payments for things like book sales and speaking fees. I slide the card through the scanner, enter the dollar amount and ask the buyer to sign with a fingertip. The buyer can enter an email address to receive a receipt.
I am a serial entrepreneur,
have more than twenty years of experience in IT and Digital Media and have held
several international leadership positions in Europe and AustralAsia.
Since the beginning of 2014 I
am CEO of Doodle – the world’s favourite online scheduling tool. Together with
my fantastic team we have integrated Doodle into the Digital Portfolio of
Tamedia AG, Switzerland’s largest media company. Our focus is to grow the
business into a global application while strengthening its product offerings
and continuing its successful monetisation. Doodle AG is a highly profitable
business with offices in Zurich and Berlin.
My experience ranges from
founding a start-up to various exits to multi-national corporates and
subsequent integration. I enjoy topics of digital transformation and the
leadership of highly innovative teams with a particular focus on growing a
business internationally.
Now that digitalisation is
increasingly becoming a topic for all businesses from start-up to large
corporate, I have decided to start my own blog. Here you’ll find information on
productivity topics, quotes about personal and professional efficiency, my
reviews of awesome apps I use myself and I am trying to present a few stories
that aren’t meant to be too serious too.
In my private life I am
married and our home comprises of four children and our dog (an Australian
Labradoodle). We are currently living in five different countries and I myself
carry a German and an Australian passport. I enjoy sports, in particular
football, swimming, tennis and all kinds of outdoor activities and I am passionate
about the discovery of great wines.
Links:
Website: http://productivity-book.com/
Website: http://michaelbrecht.com/
Book links:
Thanks for hosting!
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