Part 4Springing Yourself From Time Traps

Consider what you’ve been up to in the first three parts of this book: leaving the office on time, choosing priorities, getting help, and recognizing that we are all in the same boat. Then you went in quest of getting more sleep, not being overwhelmed by tasks and information, whipping your office and files into shape, and using tools profitably. Maybe none of the individual changes were too huge, but you’ve been busy. By contrast, you’re going to like the next three chapters—these tips and recommendations require less work! You can simply think your way through some situations, and they’ll come out all right!

In Chapter 17, “Decision Making: Step It Up and Go!” you’ll see why you’re facing way too many decisions in a day, and you’ll see that the more decisions you have to make, the harder it gets to make them. In Chapter 18, “The Art of Concentration,” you’ll discover a fundamental secret (oops! the title gives it away) for how to slow down the clock once and for all. In Chapter 19, “It Pays to Travel Light,” you’ll learn how to be on the lookout for the bells and whistles that over-complicate your life. Complexity is a tricky character. There you are, minding your own business, and before you know it, BOOM! Complications land on you like a ton of bricks, one at a time. You didn’t even realize you were aiding and abetting the dumping. Once complications take hold, they spread like kudzu in Tennessee; beating them back becomes increasingly difficult.

Okay, enough pre-section banter. Here’s a look at making big decisions in record time—and not making small decisions at all.