With the countless distractions that come from every corner of a modern life, it’s amazing that we’re ever able to accomplish anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary – freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better.
The Power of Less will show you how to:
• Break any goal down into manageable tasks • Focus on only a few tasks at a time • Create new and productive habits • Hone your focus • Increase your efficiency
By setting limits for yourself and making the most of the resources you already have, you’ll finally be able work less, work smarter, and focus on living the life that you deserve.
What will consumers think in 2009? What will they feel? What will they buy (if anything)?
Leo Babauta tells you in "The Power of Less."
No, it's not a marketing book, but marketers BETTER read it. No, it's not economics or politics or investing, either. It's LIVING.
Babauta, author of the uber-popular productivity site [...] and the writer's blog [...], has turned his passion for and experience with SIMPLIFICATION, FOCUS, HEALTH, AND HAPPINESS into a book that promises to re-ignite life itself.
After 3 decades (yes, the 1970s were the "Me" decade that started it all), Western civilization has taken the fine of accumulation to pathological extremes. We have stuff atop stuff piled on crap and crammed into things that cost $200 more than our neighbor's things that everyone went ga-ga over at the annual subdivision "I spend more than you" party last spring.
Somewhere between opening day of the 2008 baseball season and Lehman Brothers' collapse in September, we all woke and said, "Do I really need all this stuff? And do I really WANT to try to collect MORE?"
Babauta takes you through the liberating, exhilarating, and RESTORATIVE process of freeing your house, your desk, you life, your calendar, and YOUR MIND from the stuff that gives no value or meaning despite costing a lot of money and creating stress every time you look at it.
And I'm not just talking about stuff you can throw away. Babauta will also help you trash that accumulation around your waist.
How does Babauta work this magic? Through development of QUALITY and HEALTHY HABITS that you develop one-at-a-time through LOW-IMPACT, HIGH-RESULT focus.
It Works! I've been following Leo's mantra since late November and the results are:
* Quit smoking 11/29
* Single list of all of my obligations since 11/19
* Wake at 5:00 a.m. (or earlier) every morning
* Write one quality blog post 5 days a week (I still write so-so posts whenever the mood strikes, though)
* My work area is free of crap and distractions, both at home and in my office!
* I am in a better mood
I have a long way to get to reach Leo's state of productivity, organization, and stresslessness. "The Power of Less" will be my guide, though, and I plan to adopt EVERY POSITIVE HABIT he recommends.
Buy this book today, and consider buying a 2nd loaner copy for the people you love.
Ours is a world of excess. Most people complicate their lives while accumulating more of just about everything. Leo Babauta explodes the "more" myth with The Power of Less.
He really does understand the concept of simplifying a life, as his blog, http://zenhabits.net has grown exponentially to be one of the leaders in the personal productivity field in the past two years.
A look at his blog shows that his writing style is easy to get into and enjoy. The Power of Less is the same. You'll be engrossed in no time.
And know this, Leo doesn't just write about his topic -- he lives it!
The Power of Less will be a game changer -- a life changer -- for all who dig in and follow the plan.
This book is certainly not a `management' style book in the sense of a Covey or Blanchard publication. However, if I really wanted my managers to be more productive, efficient and serve the customer better while maintain dignity for the employees I would have to recommend this book over the other `management' types. Why? Because this book captures the essence of good management and (to go out on a limb) good leadership as well.
While providing great tips and techniques for clearing out the clutter in your life, more importantly, the spirit of the book provides the real foundation for a successful career. Applied in its totality, I believe LESS can help the poor manager manage better and the better manager to become the best he or she can be.
If I were to present a first time supervisor a gift, it would be a three book set (all published in 2008). They would be High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success, Wingtips with Spurs and Power of Less, The: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential...in Business and in Life. With these three, I have given them the knowledge. The ambition is up to them.
As a corporate director of human resources, I will ensure that everyone has this important new book on their bookshelf within easy grasp.
