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Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life On Purpose
A guide to making the most of each day.
In "Design Your Day, "productivity guru Claire Diaz-Ortiz introduces the Do Less Method, a productivity and goal-setting model that will help you do more in less time and succeed more often.
When it comes to productivity, hard work is half of the battle. The first half--the crucial half--is planning well, and that's what Claire helps you do, from start to finish.
From the big-picture to minutia, Claire walks you through every step of setting "and achieving "smart goals.
Whether you want to finish a house project, lose weight, or write a book, "Design Your Day"--by someone who read 150 books as a first-year mom--is an all-in-one guide to crossing off your to-do list and loving life along the way. When you take back your time and use it strategically, you'll be amazed at everything you can accomplish.
In "Design Your Day, "productivity guru Claire Diaz-Ortiz introduces the Do Less Method, a productivity and goal-setting model that will help you do more in less time and succeed more often.
When it comes to productivity, hard work is half of the battle. The first half--the crucial half--is planning well, and that's what Claire helps you do, from start to finish.
From the big-picture to minutia, Claire walks you through every step of setting "and achieving "smart goals.
Whether you want to finish a house project, lose weight, or write a book, "Design Your Day"--by someone who read 150 books as a first-year mom--is an all-in-one guide to crossing off your to-do list and loving life along the way. When you take back your time and use it strategically, you'll be amazed at everything you can accomplish.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2016
196 people are currently reading
1160 people want to read
About the author
Claire Díaz-Ortiz
28 books60 followersClaire Diaz-Ortiz is an author, speaker, advisor and startup investor who has been named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. Claire was an early employee at Twitter, where she was hired to lead corporate social innovation.
In Claire's work, she has been called everything from "The Woman Who Got the Pope on Twitter" (Wired) and "Twitter's Pontiff Recruitment Chief" (The Washington Post) to a "Force for Good" (Forbes) and "One of the Most Generous People in Social Media" (Fast Company). As CNN said in 2017, "If Twitter has a soul, it probably looks something like Claire Diaz-Ortiz."
Claire is the award-winning author of nine books that have been translated into more than ten languages, including One Minute Mentoring: How to Find and Work with a Mentor - and How You'll Benefit from Being One (with Ken Blanchard) , Social Media Success for Every Brand: The Five Pillars that Turn Posts into Profits, Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time, Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life on Purpose, and Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption.
She is a frequent international speaker on business and social innovation and has been invited to deliver keynotes and trainings at organizations like the US State Department, Toyota, South by Southwest, TEDX, and many others.
She writes a column at Inc. Magazine online and is a LinkedIn Influencer, one of a select group of several hundred global leaders chosen to provide original content on the LinkedIn platform.
Claire holds an MBA from Oxford University, where she was a Skoll Foundation Scholar for Social Entrepreneurship, and has a B.A. and an M.A. in Anthropology from Stanford University.
She is the co-founder of Hope Runs, a non-profit organization operating in AIDS orphanages in Kenya.
She has appeared widely in major television and print news sources such as CNN, BBC, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Washington Post, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, and many others.
In Claire's work, she has been called everything from "The Woman Who Got the Pope on Twitter" (Wired) and "Twitter's Pontiff Recruitment Chief" (The Washington Post) to a "Force for Good" (Forbes) and "One of the Most Generous People in Social Media" (Fast Company). As CNN said in 2017, "If Twitter has a soul, it probably looks something like Claire Diaz-Ortiz."
Claire is the award-winning author of nine books that have been translated into more than ten languages, including One Minute Mentoring: How to Find and Work with a Mentor - and How You'll Benefit from Being One (with Ken Blanchard) , Social Media Success for Every Brand: The Five Pillars that Turn Posts into Profits, Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time, Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life on Purpose, and Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption.
She is a frequent international speaker on business and social innovation and has been invited to deliver keynotes and trainings at organizations like the US State Department, Toyota, South by Southwest, TEDX, and many others.
She writes a column at Inc. Magazine online and is a LinkedIn Influencer, one of a select group of several hundred global leaders chosen to provide original content on the LinkedIn platform.
Claire holds an MBA from Oxford University, where she was a Skoll Foundation Scholar for Social Entrepreneurship, and has a B.A. and an M.A. in Anthropology from Stanford University.
She is the co-founder of Hope Runs, a non-profit organization operating in AIDS orphanages in Kenya.
She has appeared widely in major television and print news sources such as CNN, BBC, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Washington Post, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
June 29, 2017
Gah! That was not worth my time! Most ideas in this are copied form other books and just re-summarized. At least the author gives credit often is the one thing I can give. Honestly I felt like I was reading a long ramble on mainstreaming life goals and ideas. There are a couple decent ideas, but not original. I didn't get anything new out of this. Just a "been there, read that." Several of the ideas you have to live a certain lifestyle to qualify. And no, I could not think of a way to apply it to my life.
Now the real reason I rated it so low: The grammar and spelling was atrocious! Now I must admit I was reading a review copy so I could over look the terrible formatting (like how the first word of every paragraph had a space in the middle of it) and hope they would be fixed but the sheer amount of basic errors baffled me. If this was a paper turned in to any English teach I ever had in Middle or High School I would have received an F. When it is that bad, it should not be submitted as a review copy even. So it was very frustrating to get through. A final copy might have earned 2 starts but the formatting would have to be amazing and grammar near perfect even still. This whole book just rambled like a bad blog entry. Maybe if I keep going on this rant, you will get the idea...
1.5 stars
Now the real reason I rated it so low: The grammar and spelling was atrocious! Now I must admit I was reading a review copy so I could over look the terrible formatting (like how the first word of every paragraph had a space in the middle of it) and hope they would be fixed but the sheer amount of basic errors baffled me. If this was a paper turned in to any English teach I ever had in Middle or High School I would have received an F. When it is that bad, it should not be submitted as a review copy even. So it was very frustrating to get through. A final copy might have earned 2 starts but the formatting would have to be amazing and grammar near perfect even still. This whole book just rambled like a bad blog entry. Maybe if I keep going on this rant, you will get the idea...
1.5 stars
July 31, 2025
This was a short book with good advice about setting goals and using your time well! Nothing super groundbreaking, but was a helpful and easy read!
February 3, 2016
The book is written in two parts (Decide and Organize), so I'll review them seperately.
The first part (Decide) was all right. I liked the general ideas; though, considering that they were far from being new or original (SMART goals chapter, for instance), that may not have anything to do with this book itself. Being the (sometimes over-) organizer I am, the chapter Fine-Tuning Your Goals had my heart, but I think Word of the Year isn't something a lot of people can apply to their lives.
The second part (Organize) was the part that got me disappointed all over again. Yes, good advice everywhere and yes, nothing new again, yet only a handful of people would be able to apply them well enough to actually benefit from them. Not because they are hard in and of themselves but because most of us don't have the opportunity. I'm a morning person who believes in the merits of the morning rituals and time control and scheduling and limited willpower and all, a productivity maniac more often than not, yet I find the whole chapter unrealistic because life. If you're living the kind of life that you can control your work, including when and how to work, then yes, you can swear by it to live the perfect life. Otherwise, it's wishful thinking because, again, life.
Overall, it was an all right handbook. 2/5
The first part (Decide) was all right. I liked the general ideas; though, considering that they were far from being new or original (SMART goals chapter, for instance), that may not have anything to do with this book itself. Being the (sometimes over-) organizer I am, the chapter Fine-Tuning Your Goals had my heart, but I think Word of the Year isn't something a lot of people can apply to their lives.
The second part (Organize) was the part that got me disappointed all over again. Yes, good advice everywhere and yes, nothing new again, yet only a handful of people would be able to apply them well enough to actually benefit from them. Not because they are hard in and of themselves but because most of us don't have the opportunity. I'm a morning person who believes in the merits of the morning rituals and time control and scheduling and limited willpower and all, a productivity maniac more often than not, yet I find the whole chapter unrealistic because life. If you're living the kind of life that you can control your work, including when and how to work, then yes, you can swear by it to live the perfect life. Otherwise, it's wishful thinking because, again, life.
Overall, it was an all right handbook. 2/5
October 8, 2018
Some decent ideas, but nothing new. It’s been said before, and better. It’s a quick read, though.
January 4, 2018
this may be a small and easy read but it gets you to think on what is important.
I have always been a big believer on "work smarter not harder" type of a person and this book just high lights why.
highly recommended
I have always been a big believer on "work smarter not harder" type of a person and this book just high lights why.
highly recommended
March 20, 2018
Shorter then I expected (a lot of reference pages at the end) but this book had very good concepts including how to set goals and talking about digital detox and how you should go about doing one. Overall great read.
December 28, 2022
Just another average productivity book. Nothing groundbreaking or new revelations, just repackaging of the same old-same old. I read this in about an hour.
January 12, 2018
I like the part that you need to set your goals with SMART concept, that helps to achieve the wanted results quickly.
November 9, 2015
Days get away from us. “Days shouldn't live themselves, and this is a book about making sure they don't,” the author writes.
Her strategy is her Do Less Method. It is a productivity and goal setting model designed to get more done in less time and succeed more often. The book is in two parts. The first part concentrates on deciding what is important and what we really want. The second part is about organizing. It includes productivity strategies to reach SMART goals and includes the four steps of limit, edit, streamline, stop. (Decide, Organize, Limit, Edit, Streamline, Stop – DO LESS)
I liked her idea of brainstorming and free writing to get as many ideas as possible. We are to welcome unusual ones and withhold criticism. Then ideas are combined and improved upon, then structured into SMART goals. She suggests creating goals for the major areas of life: God/Faith, Family, Health, Personal, Work, Money.
But having goals is only half the process. She suggests we limit ourselves to work our best 20%. She helps us understand how to identify those activities. Next she suggests we edit the time we spend at work, like establishing specific work hours, and taking time off. She suggests we schedule our day and gives several strategies for doing our best work at our most productive times. She also helps us know when to stop working, that is, when to stop trying.
I really appreciated this book. It is a good book for anyone wanting to get more done in less time. The idea is not to work more but to work smarter. This might take some experimentation to find our best times and places for work. But the reward is getting more done with time left over.
This is a good introductory level book on living life more effectively. People who have read many productivity books may not find much new here. Diaz-Ortiz includes many ideas from other authors too. I've read many productivity books yet I was inspired again to write and review goals and plan my day better. She includes a good bibliography for those who would like to read more.
Diaz-Ortiz says her goal is, “...discovering why God put me on this earth at this particular time and place and then doing that thing He wants me to do.” If you have a similar goal, this book will get you well along the path.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
Her strategy is her Do Less Method. It is a productivity and goal setting model designed to get more done in less time and succeed more often. The book is in two parts. The first part concentrates on deciding what is important and what we really want. The second part is about organizing. It includes productivity strategies to reach SMART goals and includes the four steps of limit, edit, streamline, stop. (Decide, Organize, Limit, Edit, Streamline, Stop – DO LESS)
I liked her idea of brainstorming and free writing to get as many ideas as possible. We are to welcome unusual ones and withhold criticism. Then ideas are combined and improved upon, then structured into SMART goals. She suggests creating goals for the major areas of life: God/Faith, Family, Health, Personal, Work, Money.
But having goals is only half the process. She suggests we limit ourselves to work our best 20%. She helps us understand how to identify those activities. Next she suggests we edit the time we spend at work, like establishing specific work hours, and taking time off. She suggests we schedule our day and gives several strategies for doing our best work at our most productive times. She also helps us know when to stop working, that is, when to stop trying.
I really appreciated this book. It is a good book for anyone wanting to get more done in less time. The idea is not to work more but to work smarter. This might take some experimentation to find our best times and places for work. But the reward is getting more done with time left over.
This is a good introductory level book on living life more effectively. People who have read many productivity books may not find much new here. Diaz-Ortiz includes many ideas from other authors too. I've read many productivity books yet I was inspired again to write and review goals and plan my day better. She includes a good bibliography for those who would like to read more.
Diaz-Ortiz says her goal is, “...discovering why God put me on this earth at this particular time and place and then doing that thing He wants me to do.” If you have a similar goal, this book will get you well along the path.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
August 21, 2017
Just when I had almost given up on the notion that I would somehow make order out of the chaos that is my life, I found Claire’s book, Design Your Day. I must admit, I picked up her book with skepticism. What did this book hold that every other book or article on organization didn’t?
“There are a lot of books out there about goal setting. This one is special,” Claire boldly asserts.
Only a few pages in, I hoped her declaration would hold true. By the end of the first chapter, I found out she was absolutley right. It is special. In this short but power packed easy read, Claire lays out a simple process in identifying, clarifying, and setting realistic goals. I stopped when she instructed me to stop and I completed the tasks as I read along. I finished the last page excited to start my next day.
My next, planned out and organized day.
I knew the proof would be in the sustainability of the goals and routine the book allowed me to develop. Yet again, she didn’t disappoint. I am now weeks into my new routine and I have been more productive and focused than ever before. If you want to drastically improve your productivity and inspiration for that productivity, please, give Design Your Day a chance. You won’t be sorry.
I received a free copy of this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
“There are a lot of books out there about goal setting. This one is special,” Claire boldly asserts.
Only a few pages in, I hoped her declaration would hold true. By the end of the first chapter, I found out she was absolutley right. It is special. In this short but power packed easy read, Claire lays out a simple process in identifying, clarifying, and setting realistic goals. I stopped when she instructed me to stop and I completed the tasks as I read along. I finished the last page excited to start my next day.
My next, planned out and organized day.
I knew the proof would be in the sustainability of the goals and routine the book allowed me to develop. Yet again, she didn’t disappoint. I am now weeks into my new routine and I have been more productive and focused than ever before. If you want to drastically improve your productivity and inspiration for that productivity, please, give Design Your Day a chance. You won’t be sorry.
I received a free copy of this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
October 20, 2015
As a busy mom who also works part-time outside the home, I am always on the lookout for any tips that will help with productivity, time management, and focus. As with most books in the genre, I began Claire Diaz-Ortiz’s “Design Your Day” simultaneously excited for a new “a-aha!” moment, and skeptical that the book would only contain the same old re-hashed ideas. I’m happy to say that the book delivers new concepts, and reinforces why brainstorming and other efforts that can seem like time sinks are necessary.
Diaz-Ortiz spends much time addressing goal setting (including realistic and relevant goals), and an action plan for determining where one should focus his/her efforts based on priorities, core competencies and enjoyment. The book also contains many helpful time tracking, goal setting, and other productivity resources.
3.5 stars.
Thank to you NetGalley and Moody Publishers for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Diaz-Ortiz spends much time addressing goal setting (including realistic and relevant goals), and an action plan for determining where one should focus his/her efforts based on priorities, core competencies and enjoyment. The book also contains many helpful time tracking, goal setting, and other productivity resources.
3.5 stars.
Thank to you NetGalley and Moody Publishers for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2015
I’m a professional procrastinator.
Seriously, I have my own talent doing everything at the very last second.
Unfortunately, managing to get any project, assignment or job done within 5 minutes of the deadline is not a satisfying experience and can be quite stressful.
“Design your Day” is based on easy concepts that really helped me starting with the right foot. It's all about decide what your goals are, create good strategies that work and organize yourself at the very best.
It's a good book, clear enough to make you want to give it a try.
*This book was kindly sent to me via NetGalley by Moody Publishers*
Seriously, I have my own talent doing everything at the very last second.
Unfortunately, managing to get any project, assignment or job done within 5 minutes of the deadline is not a satisfying experience and can be quite stressful.
“Design your Day” is based on easy concepts that really helped me starting with the right foot. It's all about decide what your goals are, create good strategies that work and organize yourself at the very best.
It's a good book, clear enough to make you want to give it a try.
*This book was kindly sent to me via NetGalley by Moody Publishers*
February 8, 2022
I mentioned when I began this book that there was nothing new here but as I continued reading I appreciated more and more the author's personal spin. I did receive an advance copy to review, so hope that the sections that appear faded and difficult to read have been dealt with.
This is a quick read with a good refresher on principles covering how to take control over your time and your schedule. Claire makes her Do-Less system appealing. She writes with a very engaging style.
There are good tips and practices contained, something for everyone, depending on the effort and attention you are willing to employ.
This is a quick read with a good refresher on principles covering how to take control over your time and your schedule. Claire makes her Do-Less system appealing. She writes with a very engaging style.
There are good tips and practices contained, something for everyone, depending on the effort and attention you are willing to employ.
November 19, 2015
I received this book just as I was about to start my annual process of setting goals for next year. I have been going about that task somewhat haphazardly in the past, but this book offers some very pragmatic ideas for setting those goals and breaking them down into achievable portions. This is instrumental in actually accomplishing those goals. In addition, the author offered some great insight into organizing a workday in order to be more productive and waste less time. Very practical guide for anyone with busy days or who might want to take a good look at what they want to accomplish
January 3, 2017
This is a great book to read at the start of the year. You'll learn strategies for planning out your day/month/year. Part 1 is about goal setting, and part 2 is about dealing with day-to-day work.
What I found most useful:
- Choose a "word" as a theme for your year.
- Create strategies to complete your goals.
- Limit your work to your best 20%.
- Track your time.
- Develop a morning routine.
It's short enough to read over a weekend and will get you motivated to start planing out your upcoming Monday. It's not rocket science, but it's a good reminder to focus on what works for you.
What I found most useful:
- Choose a "word" as a theme for your year.
- Create strategies to complete your goals.
- Limit your work to your best 20%.
- Track your time.
- Develop a morning routine.
It's short enough to read over a weekend and will get you motivated to start planing out your upcoming Monday. It's not rocket science, but it's a good reminder to focus on what works for you.
October 14, 2015
Clear, to the point, & strategies that look like they will work. I received a digital copy of Design Your Day from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From goal setting, to changes to make daily, the author is clear & thoughtful with her writing. Not too long, but filled with just enough information.
From goal setting, to changes to make daily, the author is clear & thoughtful with her writing. Not too long, but filled with just enough information.
December 29, 2015
Simplistic method on how to reach goals whether they are big or small. This book helps to break down goals into chunks that are manageable with acronyms that you can remember. I really picked up some useful tips on planning to reach my goals even though I consider myself an organized person. Definitely recommend.
August 11, 2016
The most amazing part of this book is learning a mom of young children gets 9 1/2 hours of sleep each night. It's amazing even if you don't have children.
Diaz-Ortiz doesn't share anything that's revolutionary here, but her style and words are energized as she lays out how she works through accomplishing goals and living life on purpose.
A quick refresher on living life on purpose.
Diaz-Ortiz doesn't share anything that's revolutionary here, but her style and words are energized as she lays out how she works through accomplishing goals and living life on purpose.
A quick refresher on living life on purpose.
February 5, 2017
May adjust the rating higher later. IDK.
October 10, 2015
Copy received through NetGalley.
Review on my blog illbefinealonereads
Review on my blog illbefinealonereads
September 18, 2016
I loved that this gave action items and easy to-do's. It's helped me consolidate my work day and approach work smarter. Loved it.
February 4, 2017
It’s clear from the first sentence of Design Your Day, that author Claire Diaz-Ortiz understands the plight of the modern day person: there never seems to be enough time to accomplish the goals you actually WANT to do. It’s also obvious that she has an intimate understanding of what it’s like to feel the weight of too many conflicting obligations, coupled with the daily curve balls that inevitably occur. I found her simple message of “learn to live your days well” is inspiring and I believe you will as well.
The first piece of advice from Design Your Day is to pick a word of the year, which seems a little short changing. I can only have one word for the whole year? What if my priorities inevitably change and I need a new world? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to have a word of the month or quarter? It’s respectable to have an overarching objective no doubt, but with so many hats to wear with different focuses and value sets, I feel I may personally need several words of the year. Luckily, the author gives us permission to change that word after “trying it on” and seeing how it works for you.
The overall structure of the book introduces the novel methodology called the DO Less method. I’ll leave you to read the book to find out what that means), but Suffice it to say that the Do Less Method is especially powerful in knowing that it works for someone as successful as Claire Diaz-Ortiz, and seems adaptive enough to apply to anyone’s life. I must say that this book is smartly written, and I’m not just talking about SMART goals either. For example, when explaining the breaking down of goals, Diaz-Ortiz utilizes reading a certain number of books as an example, which I though this a clever use of association since it’s apparent that we’re reading at this point. She also expertly distills Alex Osborn’s "Applied Imagination" (A book also referred in “The Psychology of Winning” by Denis Waitley) information and succinct set of instructions on how to brainstorm, and also calls on Mark Levy’s “Accidental Genius” to examine the benefits of doing so.
Design Your Day also mentions the all too famous 80/20 principle (80% of your works comes from 20% of your time), which oddly enough seems to appear in 20% of all modern self-help books in some form or fashion (think of Timothy Ferris’s “4-hour Work Week” *). Although this section isn’t that revolutionary if you have a habit of reading self-improvement books like these, there are still numerous gems scattered throughout this and following sections of Design Your Day, such as:
“Remember to keep your goals relevant at all costs” p.47
Work with time tracking software sure as Rescue Time and Moment
“Put strict boundaries around your work responsibilities” p. 77
“Morning people do better in life” p. 79
*editor’s note: I actually wrote this before reading section “E” in the book that directly mentions the same book!
I enjoyed this book mostly due to the connectedness to the author which derived from the feeling of being “cut from the same cloth”. That feeling, I believe, comes from our shared passion for the attainment of knowledge through feverish reading and the hailing of personal improvement and achievement. Reading Design Your Day actually spurred a rather exciting addition to my own reading list.
It also may be my fondness of clever acronyms, but the biggest net gain I received from reading Design Your Day was from the “hack your morning” section that introduces the PRESENT System. This system is an excellent approach to not only kicking off your morning effectively, but in empowering the rest of your day. I also loved the token advice about not going through your email inbox first thing in the morning (something I am certainly guilty of). I’d also like to comment Diaz-Ortiz on sticking up for the much vilified multitasking by recommending doing so in an intelligent manner while performing those brainless activities we do without having to be conscious of them, such as doing the laundry or other household chores.
In closing, I found much of this book to be extremely quotable and believe that the majority of readers will find the advice in this book practical and easy enough to implement. The author is obviously well educated in the subject matter of the importance of organization and planning, and the book is also a fairly quick read and therefore, Design Your Day, is worth a read if you are seeking to enforce the principles of deliberate accomplishment in your life. Here’s to designing your perfect day!
The first piece of advice from Design Your Day is to pick a word of the year, which seems a little short changing. I can only have one word for the whole year? What if my priorities inevitably change and I need a new world? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to have a word of the month or quarter? It’s respectable to have an overarching objective no doubt, but with so many hats to wear with different focuses and value sets, I feel I may personally need several words of the year. Luckily, the author gives us permission to change that word after “trying it on” and seeing how it works for you.
The overall structure of the book introduces the novel methodology called the DO Less method. I’ll leave you to read the book to find out what that means), but Suffice it to say that the Do Less Method is especially powerful in knowing that it works for someone as successful as Claire Diaz-Ortiz, and seems adaptive enough to apply to anyone’s life. I must say that this book is smartly written, and I’m not just talking about SMART goals either. For example, when explaining the breaking down of goals, Diaz-Ortiz utilizes reading a certain number of books as an example, which I though this a clever use of association since it’s apparent that we’re reading at this point. She also expertly distills Alex Osborn’s "Applied Imagination" (A book also referred in “The Psychology of Winning” by Denis Waitley) information and succinct set of instructions on how to brainstorm, and also calls on Mark Levy’s “Accidental Genius” to examine the benefits of doing so.
Design Your Day also mentions the all too famous 80/20 principle (80% of your works comes from 20% of your time), which oddly enough seems to appear in 20% of all modern self-help books in some form or fashion (think of Timothy Ferris’s “4-hour Work Week” *). Although this section isn’t that revolutionary if you have a habit of reading self-improvement books like these, there are still numerous gems scattered throughout this and following sections of Design Your Day, such as:
“Remember to keep your goals relevant at all costs” p.47
Work with time tracking software sure as Rescue Time and Moment
“Put strict boundaries around your work responsibilities” p. 77
“Morning people do better in life” p. 79
*editor’s note: I actually wrote this before reading section “E” in the book that directly mentions the same book!
I enjoyed this book mostly due to the connectedness to the author which derived from the feeling of being “cut from the same cloth”. That feeling, I believe, comes from our shared passion for the attainment of knowledge through feverish reading and the hailing of personal improvement and achievement. Reading Design Your Day actually spurred a rather exciting addition to my own reading list.
It also may be my fondness of clever acronyms, but the biggest net gain I received from reading Design Your Day was from the “hack your morning” section that introduces the PRESENT System. This system is an excellent approach to not only kicking off your morning effectively, but in empowering the rest of your day. I also loved the token advice about not going through your email inbox first thing in the morning (something I am certainly guilty of). I’d also like to comment Diaz-Ortiz on sticking up for the much vilified multitasking by recommending doing so in an intelligent manner while performing those brainless activities we do without having to be conscious of them, such as doing the laundry or other household chores.
In closing, I found much of this book to be extremely quotable and believe that the majority of readers will find the advice in this book practical and easy enough to implement. The author is obviously well educated in the subject matter of the importance of organization and planning, and the book is also a fairly quick read and therefore, Design Your Day, is worth a read if you are seeking to enforce the principles of deliberate accomplishment in your life. Here’s to designing your perfect day!
May 11, 2018
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Moody Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
I must admit that there was little in this book that struck me as new, being someone who often reads book relating to managing one's life or one's time better [1]. That said, this book did reinforce certain ideas that I mull over and gave me encouragement to test out certain approaches to make my life more efficient and allow me to do more of what I want to do (reading and writing, much like the author) and less of what I have to do but do not really enjoy doing. Indeed, there is a great deal to be said about the author's productivity and her concern about the way that the pressures of life often suck productivity out of our lives. Task switching and its harms to productivity are certainly a problem I have noted in my life although it is not easy to solve them when one is around people who do a lot of interrupting, a problem I am sure that many people face.
The book is a short one that was quick enough for me to read in my lunch break one day at work at a bit more than 100 pages. The book is divided into two parts, after beginning with the familiar story of the rocks and sand fitting in the jar. The first part of the book looks at how one decides and intentionally plans on how to live one's life, setting a word of the year to practice (like rest and renew), setting smart goals and fine-tuning them, and creating strategies to reach those goals and keeping them top in the mind. The second part of the book focuses on organizing, limiting one's work to the 20% one does best, editing the time spent on work to make it more efficient, streamlining the work you do by outsourcing that which is less enjoyable or less important to other people, and knowing when and how to stop working. After the conclusion there are some suggestions for further reading--clearly the author has read a great deal about management--as well as notes and some information about the author, who was an early employee at Twitter and is the author of several books that I have not yet read.
Basically, this work treats its reader like a manager. The author assumes that the people reading the book are either managers or entrepreneurs who can easily manage their time or are people who take the attitude that they are managers of themselves and will use their time productively in pursuit of what is most important, including the occasional respite in order to renew one's energy. I can see this book being popular with some people and not very popular with other people who look at the quantity of time that is spent rather than the quantity of work (and its quality) that are being done. Likewise, I consider this book possibly an early book that one reads on the subject of planning one's life, and not necessarily the last book one will read on the subject. Given the author's prolific writing and voracious reading, it is unlikely that she would have a problem with the reader using her book as a way of introducing oneself to the larger body of literature concerning time management and workflow management, an approach that may need to be more common for individual contributors as well as managers and entrepreneurs.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
I must admit that there was little in this book that struck me as new, being someone who often reads book relating to managing one's life or one's time better [1]. That said, this book did reinforce certain ideas that I mull over and gave me encouragement to test out certain approaches to make my life more efficient and allow me to do more of what I want to do (reading and writing, much like the author) and less of what I have to do but do not really enjoy doing. Indeed, there is a great deal to be said about the author's productivity and her concern about the way that the pressures of life often suck productivity out of our lives. Task switching and its harms to productivity are certainly a problem I have noted in my life although it is not easy to solve them when one is around people who do a lot of interrupting, a problem I am sure that many people face.
The book is a short one that was quick enough for me to read in my lunch break one day at work at a bit more than 100 pages. The book is divided into two parts, after beginning with the familiar story of the rocks and sand fitting in the jar. The first part of the book looks at how one decides and intentionally plans on how to live one's life, setting a word of the year to practice (like rest and renew), setting smart goals and fine-tuning them, and creating strategies to reach those goals and keeping them top in the mind. The second part of the book focuses on organizing, limiting one's work to the 20% one does best, editing the time spent on work to make it more efficient, streamlining the work you do by outsourcing that which is less enjoyable or less important to other people, and knowing when and how to stop working. After the conclusion there are some suggestions for further reading--clearly the author has read a great deal about management--as well as notes and some information about the author, who was an early employee at Twitter and is the author of several books that I have not yet read.
Basically, this work treats its reader like a manager. The author assumes that the people reading the book are either managers or entrepreneurs who can easily manage their time or are people who take the attitude that they are managers of themselves and will use their time productively in pursuit of what is most important, including the occasional respite in order to renew one's energy. I can see this book being popular with some people and not very popular with other people who look at the quantity of time that is spent rather than the quantity of work (and its quality) that are being done. Likewise, I consider this book possibly an early book that one reads on the subject of planning one's life, and not necessarily the last book one will read on the subject. Given the author's prolific writing and voracious reading, it is unlikely that she would have a problem with the reader using her book as a way of introducing oneself to the larger body of literature concerning time management and workflow management, an approach that may need to be more common for individual contributors as well as managers and entrepreneurs.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
September 1, 2017
When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be a quick book that I’d fly through. Granted, the last half of the book I did do just that. However, the first half of the book made me pause, get out a pen and a notebook, and start writing.
According to the back of the book, “The first half–the crucial half–is planning well.” Claire Diaz-Ortiz explains her DO LESS method to help you think through what your goals are so that you can acheive them.
Honestly, goal writing is a lot easier for me when I consider my own business. I usually forget about writing down goals for my own personal life, which I know I should. So as I started this book, the question I kept asking myself was, “How much more intentional would my family’s life and my life be if we had goals?” That’s when I grabbed the paper and notebook and started writing down my thoughts for different areas in my life.
I was glad that she gave a few examples of her goals throughout the book because it gave me a springboard to work off. She shares that some possible categories that you can use to break your goals down are: God, Family, Health, Personal, Work, Money, Home, Parenting, Marriage, Giving, Church, etc. It really did help me to clarify my goals once I broke them down into categories. I could easily see which were manageable and which were dreams.
Another thing that she says is extremely helpful is to pick a word for each year. I don’t do that myself, but I choose words that I want God to teach me throughout the year. But I did like her example of rest and how when people heard it, they didn’t expect so much from her and half-expected her to say “no.”
One thing I do struggle with, though, is saying “no.” I’m a list girl, so her list ideas of Things Only I Can Do, Things Others Can Do, and Things to Quit have been extremely insightful for me this week as I’ve made out my lists. As someone who likes control, it’s hard to let go of the reigns a little.
I think you’ll be surprised how much time you spend reading this book. If you take the time to stop and work through the first few chapters, you’ll end this book feeling inspired and ready to flesh out those goals even moreso. Get ready to be productive and live an intentional life!
_____________
I received this book free from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
According to the back of the book, “The first half–the crucial half–is planning well.” Claire Diaz-Ortiz explains her DO LESS method to help you think through what your goals are so that you can acheive them.
Honestly, goal writing is a lot easier for me when I consider my own business. I usually forget about writing down goals for my own personal life, which I know I should. So as I started this book, the question I kept asking myself was, “How much more intentional would my family’s life and my life be if we had goals?” That’s when I grabbed the paper and notebook and started writing down my thoughts for different areas in my life.
I was glad that she gave a few examples of her goals throughout the book because it gave me a springboard to work off. She shares that some possible categories that you can use to break your goals down are: God, Family, Health, Personal, Work, Money, Home, Parenting, Marriage, Giving, Church, etc. It really did help me to clarify my goals once I broke them down into categories. I could easily see which were manageable and which were dreams.
Another thing that she says is extremely helpful is to pick a word for each year. I don’t do that myself, but I choose words that I want God to teach me throughout the year. But I did like her example of rest and how when people heard it, they didn’t expect so much from her and half-expected her to say “no.”
One thing I do struggle with, though, is saying “no.” I’m a list girl, so her list ideas of Things Only I Can Do, Things Others Can Do, and Things to Quit have been extremely insightful for me this week as I’ve made out my lists. As someone who likes control, it’s hard to let go of the reigns a little.
I think you’ll be surprised how much time you spend reading this book. If you take the time to stop and work through the first few chapters, you’ll end this book feeling inspired and ready to flesh out those goals even moreso. Get ready to be productive and live an intentional life!
_____________
I received this book free from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
May 12, 2018
This little book not only helps you to define and refine your goals, it helps to strategize, keep your goals on the top of your mind, and shows you how to organize these goals. As we organize, Claire makes suggestions on how to limit our work to our best 20%, edit the amount of time spent on our work, how to streamline what we do, and to help us know how and when to stop working.
Although this book is designed more for those who have work to juggle with life and children, the main points and organization of goal setting seems to be an effective way to keep goal oriented without being bogged down by unrealistic expectations. A lot of the suggestions can be found in other publications across the internet and upon bookshelves, but Claire breaks it down into easy digestible bits that can help one who may be overwhelmed with a lot on their plates. This would be a great tool to have on hand before creating a New Year's resolution.
Although this book is designed more for those who have work to juggle with life and children, the main points and organization of goal setting seems to be an effective way to keep goal oriented without being bogged down by unrealistic expectations. A lot of the suggestions can be found in other publications across the internet and upon bookshelves, but Claire breaks it down into easy digestible bits that can help one who may be overwhelmed with a lot on their plates. This would be a great tool to have on hand before creating a New Year's resolution.
June 7, 2017
This book isn't revolutionary by an means, the idea behind being more productive and living more purposefully is obviously a very popular theme (check any self help section), but what I felt this book does and does well is really break down the absolute basics and zero in on the best ways to not only improve ones life but go from survival mode to thriving.
I absolutely loved how to the point and succinct the whole book was, you can easily sit down and read it in an evening, although I don't necessarily advocate that as it would be best to slowly savor it and actually think about what is being said so change will have more of a chance of occurring.
Filled with witty acronyms this book is a great read,
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I absolutely loved how to the point and succinct the whole book was, you can easily sit down and read it in an evening, although I don't necessarily advocate that as it would be best to slowly savor it and actually think about what is being said so change will have more of a chance of occurring.
Filled with witty acronyms this book is a great read,
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 21, 2018
This short book is a quick read, but it comes with homework that will last a lifetime. I am researching personal productivity strategies for a new course I hope to teach in the next year or so, and originally ordered this book after catching one of Claire's webinars. This is a text version of the webinar's information, which suits my learning style. Between this book and "Do More Better" by Tim Challies, I'll be referring to both of these books often as I refine my own productivity system. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2019
This was a super inspiring book that has actionable content that is helpful when it comes to setting goals and becoming the person you've always wanted to be.
I extremely loved the chapters where she talks about achieving your goals. And she gives helpful tips and tricks for setting smarter goals. When I saw she was going to cover setting smart goals, I was almost afraid I'd be reading everything I've read about smart goals. I've read a lot about them, but was happily surprised to find so much more in this book. The goals section was AMAZING!
I extremely loved the chapters where she talks about achieving your goals. And she gives helpful tips and tricks for setting smarter goals. When I saw she was going to cover setting smart goals, I was almost afraid I'd be reading everything I've read about smart goals. I've read a lot about them, but was happily surprised to find so much more in this book. The goals section was AMAZING!
December 18, 2021
This book started off with inspiring suggestions, but lost something along the way. I have to admit, though, I stopped doing the exercises, so it's likely I would have gotten a lot more out of it had I done so. The part where she really lost me was when she insisted that we have to get up early and do our hardest tasks first. Advice I've heard from plenty of other sources and still am not persuaded to follow. Still, this is a short book that will not take up too much of your time, so if you're looking for productivity prompts, this wouldn't hurt to read.
January 6, 2018
This was a quick read which I wanted because the goal is to pack more into the time I do have and be more productive. I appreciated the author’s nod to other books that dealt with the same premise. I am glad I started off my year with this read because juggling my schedule has not been easy this last year and I want this year to be different. I’m looking forward to tracking my progress on some long and short term goals.
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