Michael S. Hyatt

Hyatt has packed this book full of great stuff for everybody, not just productivity nerds. His three step system to help you focus starts with "STOP". And believe it or not, it's exactly what most of us need. I had hundreds of tasks littering several projects and "areas of focus" (to borrow a phrase from another well-known productivity system). Hyatt's exercises helped me whittle that list down by about half based on what I actually WANTED to get done (desire zone) and what needed to get done (distraction or disinterest zone); almost everything else (drudgery zone) was chucked because it was either never going to get done or didn't fit in with what I wanted.

There are several points to his system that just won't work for the type of business I do, but the Freedom Compass is a great tool I plan to use to keep my tasks on track.

I don't hesitate recommending this book to anybody looking to become more productive, to learn about productivity, to implement their own system, or even just to reboot your current system with some new tips.… (mere)

Another goal-setting book... another rehash of all the goal-setting tactics that get splattered all over social media in the days leading up to January 1st. Hyatt insists his approach is different, but the book is just a thinly-veiled sales pitch for his online programs and extravagantly priced planners.

I was hoping for more. Different. Better. Instead, I got a series of common-sense suggestions sprinkled liberally with quotes from other writers and their books. A couple of ideas seemed original (like doing the easiest thing first rather than "eating the frog"), and I made a note of those. Otherwise, the book felt like a cheap marketing tactic with a whole lot of filler content.… (mere)

This book does exactly what it sets out to do: lead its reader through a life-management system called a Life Plan. True, most of the information contained in it is not groundbreaking; however, the totality of the book does lead to a good (and, dare I say, inspiring) system for life management. It's clearly written from the point of view of male executives, but should still be accessible to all.

Highly recommended to anyone who feels a bit lost and needs something to help them focus. I would also recommend it to anyone who already has a system to see if there was anything they could use to bolster what they have.… (mere)