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Decide: Work Smarter, Reduce Your Stress, and Lead by Example
How to make better decisions and achieve your goalsWhat shapes a person's career and life, and defines them as a leader? Their decisions. We all want to be more productive and deliver our best results. But doing this effectively--and consistently over time--is a significant challenge. Managing it all is hard, and leading in today's hyper-paced world is even harder.The good news is that leadership expert Steve McClatchy makes it easier. In "Decide," McClatchy--who works with Fortune 1000 people every day to help them achieve outstanding levels of performance--shows you how to cut through the complexities and excuses to start realizing real gains simply by changing one thing: the way you make decisions. With McClatchy's help, you can quickly begin to: Use the time you have each day to move your business and your life forwardMake decisions that yield better resultsWaste less time, reduce stress and regain balanceAgain and again, McClatchy has helped people learn for themselves how great decision-making habits yield a lifetime of accomplishments. Follow McClatchy's no-nonsense and practical approach, and you'll soon manage--and even lead--at your highest level of personal performance.
193 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2014
108 people are currently reading
846 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 14, 2014
I'm fascinated by the negative and lukewarm reviews here that describe this book as "just common sense" and "the same as all the other time management books." While they are right to a certain extent, "common sense is not so common," to be sure. And what I like about this framing of the same basic principles is that his way of explaining them sticks with me.
What this book spells out more explicitly than others seem to is that there are many things we can't delegate or put off indefinitely, that are NOT part of my life goals except in the sense that they preserve access to food and shelter, **but they are still important to do**. Time management books that tell me to have my children or my executive assistant take care of these things, or hire someone else to do them, annoy me.
McClatchy understands that repetitive tasks like errands and laundry can eat up the whole day (and, if one is not careful, they will). He explains the psychology of scheduled vs. unscheduled tasks, and gives tips on how to reserve time and complete activities that will bring growth and accomplishment (Gain) beyond the relief of dodging bullets (Prevent Pain).
As with any self-help book, I now have that honeymoon feeling that This One Will Make a Difference. Only time will tell -- but this time, the actions the author recommends seem possible for the person I am today, not the person I will someday become. We'll see.
What this book spells out more explicitly than others seem to is that there are many things we can't delegate or put off indefinitely, that are NOT part of my life goals except in the sense that they preserve access to food and shelter, **but they are still important to do**. Time management books that tell me to have my children or my executive assistant take care of these things, or hire someone else to do them, annoy me.
McClatchy understands that repetitive tasks like errands and laundry can eat up the whole day (and, if one is not careful, they will). He explains the psychology of scheduled vs. unscheduled tasks, and gives tips on how to reserve time and complete activities that will bring growth and accomplishment (Gain) beyond the relief of dodging bullets (Prevent Pain).
As with any self-help book, I now have that honeymoon feeling that This One Will Make a Difference. Only time will tell -- but this time, the actions the author recommends seem possible for the person I am today, not the person I will someday become. We'll see.
August 5, 2014
I almost never give up on a book before finishing it, but I couldn't keep going on this one. I made it about halfway through. The book is one idea, dragged out over 190 pages. This one idea is something that anyone who has ever thought about productivity for more than half a second is already aware of. Here it is: motivation consists of carrots and sticks... and carrots work better. Gasp! He manages to drag this out into an entire book by adopting all of the worst self-help and motivational speaker tropes, and rehashing various object-level ideas that you've already heard a dozen times. There's a nice trend of self-help and pop science books becoming actually worth reading, and this book looked like it may have been part of that trend. It isn't.
February 12, 2015
Great time management tips and I am always glad to be reminded about Opportunity Costs!
I like his definition of Work/Life Balance - "Balance is a feeling you get when you are satisfied with where you are and where you are going in life."
Also: "Management is keeping things the way they are today. (maintenance). Leadership is moving things forward from where they are today. (Improvement)."
Fantastic distinctions.
I like his definition of Work/Life Balance - "Balance is a feeling you get when you are satisfied with where you are and where you are going in life."
Also: "Management is keeping things the way they are today. (maintenance). Leadership is moving things forward from where they are today. (Improvement)."
Fantastic distinctions.
October 27, 2019
This book should be useful for someone whose job and life need some direction, Steve gives many tips and tools to be more effective at work and keep up with an effective agenda.
Managing = maintenance, what you have to do to avoid pain, to keep things working.
Leading = improving, enhancing.
Moreover, he talks a lot about cost of opportunity. Although it's a concept many already have in mind, he gives some interesting examples.
Not a book I enjoyed and it isn't useful to be at this moment of my life, but I don't discard the idea it might be an amazing book for the target public.
Managing = maintenance, what you have to do to avoid pain, to keep things working.
Leading = improving, enhancing.
Moreover, he talks a lot about cost of opportunity. Although it's a concept many already have in mind, he gives some interesting examples.
Not a book I enjoyed and it isn't useful to be at this moment of my life, but I don't discard the idea it might be an amazing book for the target public.
March 6, 2018
Yes, there is repetition. But don't let this distract from the main message of the book, which is quite important. There must be more to life. And there is. If you let the drudgery of day-to-day life responsibilities takeover, they will. They always do. Using the suggestions in this book, you can build a slimmer of light in your day, which, with time, can become sunlight. But, you must consciously decide to do it. McClatchy gives you the tools and way forward needed.
January 20, 2018
Not really about the decision making process so much as time allocation and prioritization. All in all, McClatchy puts together a solid pragmatic approach to ensuring we make time for the rewarding things we “want to do” in life while avoiding getting avalanched by all the things we “have to do.” I also enjoyed his philosophical rumination on time.
May 15, 2014
Fantastic book with some great ideas on how to improve your time management and work smarter, and how to schedule in tasks that actually help you move forward instead of continuing to tread water. Definitely recommend to anyone!
June 14, 2014
This was a wonderful book. I had the pleasure of hearing Steve speak at an event and the book closely resembles the talk. A lot of good time management tips and eye openers.
November 19, 2014
If you have any common sense, don't bother! I can't think of one thing I learned from this book that would help me.
August 17, 2014
A few interesting points in here. Yes it's repetitive, you quickly get the idea that there are a handful of big ideas he's working to explain in several different ways. But they are useful.
June 27, 2022
Appreciated that this book got straight to the point. Rare for this genre!
Offers a solution to getting past just managing your life and into actually taking the lead. By changing the way you prioritize your time, you can actually make progress towards achieving them.
Task types
Tasks are categorized as A, B, or C. A is what you WANT to do - your goals that provide a GAIN. Generally these are longer term and will be broken down into smaller daily tasks and scheduled as needed.
B tasks are HAVE TO DO tasks that have a deadline and PREVENT PAIN. This would mostly be work related things or appointments.
C consists of tasks that are not time bound but PREVENT PAIN. Things like getting a haircut.
Planning
By planning out your A tasks monthly, you will commit to doing them. Break them down into smaller tasks that will go into your weekly and daily planning.
B and C tasks live in a task list. This is where you pull from when creating your daily to do lists. Each day gets its own fresh list - you DO NOT keep a "rolling list".
Offers a solution to getting past just managing your life and into actually taking the lead. By changing the way you prioritize your time, you can actually make progress towards achieving them.
Task types
Tasks are categorized as A, B, or C. A is what you WANT to do - your goals that provide a GAIN. Generally these are longer term and will be broken down into smaller daily tasks and scheduled as needed.
B tasks are HAVE TO DO tasks that have a deadline and PREVENT PAIN. This would mostly be work related things or appointments.
C consists of tasks that are not time bound but PREVENT PAIN. Things like getting a haircut.
Planning
By planning out your A tasks monthly, you will commit to doing them. Break them down into smaller tasks that will go into your weekly and daily planning.
B and C tasks live in a task list. This is where you pull from when creating your daily to do lists. Each day gets its own fresh list - you DO NOT keep a "rolling list".
January 21, 2018
Makes a few arguments about how to best use your time. As some reviews have pointed out, these aren't exactly ground-breaking insights, but maybe this book will be the impetus that gets the reader to finally put those "common sense" things into practice.
I found it super repetitive - I get the feeling the author had a few key points to make and then had to stretch those ideas to fill a book.
Some of the arguments were:
* you're probably prioritizing day-to-day, "have-to" tasks more than you should - try to prioritize progress on long-term goals more
* positive reinforcement can be a better motivator that negative reinforcement, so spend more time pursuing those "positive" outcomes
* manage your time using calendars and to do lists
I found it super repetitive - I get the feeling the author had a few key points to make and then had to stretch those ideas to fill a book.
Some of the arguments were:
* you're probably prioritizing day-to-day, "have-to" tasks more than you should - try to prioritize progress on long-term goals more
* positive reinforcement can be a better motivator that negative reinforcement, so spend more time pursuing those "positive" outcomes
* manage your time using calendars and to do lists
November 11, 2020
Если вы ждете от книги по саморазвитию каких-то уникальных рецептов и откровений, то вы просто не понимаете суть жанра.
Нет никаких тайных знаний, способных кардинально улучшить вашу жизнь. Те, кто такое предлагают - шарлатаны или сектанты.
Есть только планомерная, шаг за шагом, работа над самосовершенствованием. А книги нужны, чтобы периодически дать пинка или сделать 'тонкую настройку'.
С этой ролью МакКлетчи справился на отлично.
Смело рекомендую книгу, подойдёт и тем, кто не знаком с жанром, так и тем, кто уже начитан. Написано доступно и приятно, советы полезные, несмотря на то, что местами тривиальны. Что-то полезное вы для себя так или иначе почерпнёте.
Отдельно отмечу мотивировочные части, они написаны не слащаво, но проникновенно.
Нет никаких тайных знаний, способных кардинально улучшить вашу жизнь. Те, кто такое предлагают - шарлатаны или сектанты.
Есть только планомерная, шаг за шагом, работа над самосовершенствованием. А книги нужны, чтобы периодически дать пинка или сделать 'тонкую настройку'.
С этой ролью МакКлетчи справился на отлично.
Смело рекомендую книгу, подойдёт и тем, кто не знаком с жанром, так и тем, кто уже начитан. Написано доступно и приятно, советы полезные, несмотря на то, что местами тривиальны. Что-то полезное вы для себя так или иначе почерпнёте.
Отдельно отмечу мотивировочные части, они написаны не слащаво, но проникновенно.
July 25, 2017
Does it ever seem like the more you try to get stuff done, the less you accomplish? It may be that you’re expending too much energy on doing and not enough planning ahead of time. This week on Viewpoints, Steve McClatchy provides simple strategies you can use to make more of the time you have to get things done. Listen here: https://viewpointsradio.wordpress.com...
December 27, 2020
I found this book to be like a "getting things done for beginners". Which, honestly, was really pleasant to read. GTD is great, but can be overwhelming, especially for those of us who don't regularly read business books.
Decide explains how to find fulfillment and establish your goals, as well as some practical tips for prioritizing tasks and staying organized. It is easy to read and doesn't overwhelm. I'm looking forward to scheduling some Gain into my day!
Decide explains how to find fulfillment and establish your goals, as well as some practical tips for prioritizing tasks and staying organized. It is easy to read and doesn't overwhelm. I'm looking forward to scheduling some Gain into my day!
July 27, 2023
Great Book for those who are overwhelmed and busy
I read this book because a very busy and successful band director suggested it at a TMEA. It has been very helpful and eye opening. There are great suggestions in this book that are attainable and sustainable. Great breakdown on the different types of things we do day to day. Perhaps I'll post an update with how this goes once the new school year begins.
I read this book because a very busy and successful band director suggested it at a TMEA. It has been very helpful and eye opening. There are great suggestions in this book that are attainable and sustainable. Great breakdown on the different types of things we do day to day. Perhaps I'll post an update with how this goes once the new school year begins.
July 8, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I have read other productivity books which were more detailed in some areas, but I think this book did a better job of highlighting why I work so much but don't get enough of the "right" things done. I thought McClatchy's concepts of Preventing Pain and realizing Gain were right on the mark, and I have been doing too many Prevent Pain tasks. I would recommend this book to anyone who has been struggling with balancing their work and personal lives, or anyone that is constantly working hard at their job and not getting enough done or making progress in their career. I think McClatchy points out some things that can help put things in perspective and gives the reader some approaches that can help.
January 31, 2019
Очень простые и понятные вещи, без какого-либо сектанства, которые я осознал за последние полгода-год. Теперь благодаря книге я все эти знания для себя закрепил.
Понимаю, что кто-то это уже давно прошел, кто-то ещё не понимает суть и сложность проблемы, кому-то может это ещё в детстве родители рассказывали, но мне повезло, и книга оказалась в самый раз.
Буду рекомендовать коллегам.
Понимаю, что кто-то это уже давно прошел, кто-то ещё не понимает суть и сложность проблемы, кому-то может это ещё в детстве родители рассказывали, но мне повезло, и книга оказалась в самый раз.
Буду рекомендовать коллегам.
July 24, 2017
This book basically puts a name or term to principles I already try to live by. But it is a great recommendation for those who feel they are victim to their "busy" schedule, indecision, or discontent.
November 1, 2017
I have to agree with others, the premise is a good one but it probably could have been wrapped in fewer chapters. Found myself skimming some sections. Overall, it was a quick read and I will take the general premise and put it to work.
January 1, 2019
O Livro aborda conceitos sobre gestão de prioridades, produtividade e as decisões que influenciam a vida. Achei o conteúdo interessante mas nada que eu já não soubesse . Recomendo a leitura, porque com certeza algumas pessoas se beneficiarão.
March 9, 2022
This book is exactly what I needed to read right now. The ideas on time management and how to get out of a rut while seemingly simple can be game changers. I’m taking the books ideas and now looking at my days to make sure “gain” is included.
May 29, 2017
Sola Yayınları
June 23, 2017
interessante, porém chato
October 7, 2017
Near the end of the book you find out it's really just another Getting Things Done system wrapped in the guise of how to make better decisions.
February 8, 2018
Like 3.5 stars.
April 23, 2018
It took me a long time to finish this book, but I did get some nuggets out of it. I'm fascinated by to-do-list iPhone apps, and following the book's advice, I really just need to pick one.
September 26, 2018
Esperava mais
November 7, 2018
This book did a good job of convincing me to start a calendar/be better organized, and it was a quick read, but that's about it.
January 7, 2019
Really liked it an insight of what could be accomplished with simple and sustainable steps to balance your life and feel less stress for all unfinished and "urgent" tasks at work and in life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews