Literature of Leadership - October Book Review

Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt. (2019, Kindle Edition)

“I was on duty 24/7 in a nonstop whirlwind of projects, meetings, and tasks… My energy and enthusiasm were waning, and now my health was suffering. Something had to give.” (pp. 12-13, Michael Hyatt, Free to Focus).

Does the above scenario sound familiar? Virtually all of the Chair Academy program leaders I coach struggle with balancing work/life demands. Productivity solutions abound for improving time management and boosting efficiency, so why does this issue remain so prevalent? According to leadership expert and bestselling author, Michael Hyatt, the solution lies in rethinking traditional solutions to focus on “getting the right things done”.

Hyatt argues that traditional productivity solutions focus largely on doing more and faster which, in turn, can result in misspent time, talent and burnout. In Free to Focus, Hyatt advances a practical framework for accomplishing more by doing less.

A simple 3-step approach is detailed that constitutes the core chapters of the book and include:

1. STOP to Formulate your vision for productivity, Evaluate what consumes your energy, and Rejuvenate

2. CUT to discover ways to Eliminate, Automate and Delegate

3. ACT to Consolidate and focus, Designate tasks in your schedule, and Activate

The book is designed for use as a self-help tool, beginning with a personal productivity assessment to obtain your baseline score and a summary of your productivity personality type. As you progress through each of the remaining chapters, links are provided to relevant online worksheets that aid you every step along the way in developing a personal strategy for success.

If you are in constant overdrive and ready to “hit the reset button on your life”, take the productivity assessment at FreeToFocus.com/assessment and read this book!

Image source: Amazon