Juliet's School of Possibilities: A Little Story About the Power of Priorities

by Laura Vanderkam

A charming, life-changing fable that will help you rethink your whole approach to time, priorities, and possibilities.

Riley Jenkins is in trouble. An ambitious, hardworking consultant in her late twenties, she's used to a lifetime of nearly perfect evaluations - until she gets a terrible performance review from her boss. How is that possible when Riley does everything her clients want - including answering emails 24/7 - faster than they expect it?

That's precisely the problem: she's spread too thin. Despite her insane hours and attention to detail, Riley can't produce the thoughtful work her clients expect. Now she's been given thirty days to close a major deal, or she's out. Meanwhile, her personal life is also on the edge of disaster, with her boyfriend and close friends losing patience with her chronic unavailability.

The last thing Riley wants, at a stressful time like this, is to attend a women's leadership retreat with some of her colleagues. But she can't get out of her commitment: a weekend in New Jersey at some silly-sounding place called Juliet's School of Possibilities.

Yet before long, Riley is surprised to find herself intrigued by Juliet, the lifestyle maven who hosts the conference. How does a single mother of two run a successful business while acting as if she has all the time in the world? The answer may lie in one of Juliet's Zen-like comments: "Expectations are infinite. Time is finite. You are always choosing. Choose well."

By the end of this story, you'll join Riley in rethinking the balance between your present and your future, between the things you have to do and the things you want to do. Like Riley, you can free yourself from feeling overwhelmed and pursue your highest possibilities.

Genres: Fiction, Productivity, Self Help, Personal Development, Business, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 2019

About the author

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including:
The New Corner Office
Off the Clock
I Know How She Does It
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast
168 Hours

Laura is also the author of a time management fable, Juliet’s School of Possibilities and another novel, The Cortlandt Boys, which is available as an ebook.

Her 2016 TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed more than 5 million times.

She regularly appears in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune.

She is the host of two weekly podcasts, Before Breakfast and The New Corner Office and she is the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the weekly podcast Best of Both Worlds.

She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Message delivered, though the packaging could use a little work.

I like my parables a little less obvious, the lessons more illustrative, the epiphany a bit more illuminating. I read quite a few books of this ilk, the Go Giver is a standout, but this was not in the best of class category.

That said, the idea that how we choose to spend our time becomes our priorities and that we may not be choosing well, that’s a message I can get behind. With a limited amount of time and energy, how much do we devote to other’s expectations and how much to fulfilling our own purpose? And are we focusing on immediate gratification rather than what matters most in the long term?

Our actions determine our course. How we live our hours is how we live our lives.

If you’re struggling with time management and want to get to the root cause, not just tips and tricks, then this cautionary tale might be a good way to start to think about how you manage those hours.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I ranked this fable five stars. My daughter wrote it and I enjoyed it! It's a short read and incorporates the ideas she promotes in her non-fiction books, blogs, and podcasts in a story of a young woman who learns that--

Expectations are infinite.
Time is finite.
You are always choosing.
Choose well.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure if I love or hate it. I must give a full-blown rant a bit later.

[Tai Marie (TMarieReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Laura Vanderkam fan. I have read and loved all of her books, and I listen to her podcast weekly. Juliet's School of Possibilities is a small, enjoyable book that takes some of Vanderkam's most important lessons and turns them into a work of literary fiction. This book is perfect for people who don't think they like non-fiction, or don't think a time management book would be interesting. The main character of this story, Riley, is struggling in her career and personal life. She feels like she never has enough time and she's failing in both areas. Then a hugely successful woman teaches her that "Expectations are infinite. Time if finite. You are always choosing. Choose well." Riley learned that possibilities are endless when you learn how to prioritize in all aspects of life. We can all benefit from thinking about that and how we can use it in our own lives. I highly recommend this powerful book.

[Serena · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you have limited time and have a hard time prioritising your task, this book is an example of what you should skip.

I can see what the book is trying to do; wrapping productivity tips in a story to make it more palatable. But the story is so drily written, with such obvious, unbelievable examples of what Riley (our main character) is doing wrong, that I find my mind wandering by chapter two (perhaps listening to this book is an exercise in mindfulness?)

If you are the sort of person who loves reading anecdotes in productivity books, this story is right up your alley (it’s essentially one huge anecdote after all).
But if you’re the sort of person who want productivity books to get to the point; listing out their tips/wisdom and accompanied by short examples, this book is definitely *not* for you.

I did not finish this book because I listened to the tagline of this book, “Expectations are infinite. Time is finite. You are always choosing. Choose well.”

[Michaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Motivačné kecy zaobalené do nevydareného príbehu. Keby som sa mohla vrátiť do minulosti a poradiť svojmu mladšiemu ja, určite by som túto knihu nečítala. Žiaľ, ja sprostá, som si aj kúpila, lebo vyzerala ako sľubná oddychovka za fajn cenu a na dovolenku som sa potrebovala zásobiť eknihami. Toto bol môj úlet. Odteraz radšej regentské romance, alebo horory topiace sa v krvi.
Nepresvedčivá postava, ktorá razom zmenila svoj život, začala si po víkende s inšpiratívnou blogerkou/matkou, čo núti svoje deti radostne natáčať videá a pripravovať príspevky(!)/manažérkou/kuchárkou/majiteľkou penziónu lepšie určovať priority a čas. Nie, tie tri otravné vety tu opakovať nebudem, ale keby som sa napila rakije pri každom raze, ako sa niekde objavili ako citát, už som pod obraz ešte pred koncom knihy. Ad absurdum, videla svoju budúcnosť v búrkových mrakoch, plus zachránila svoje kolegyne pred ohňom. A nasekala skvele cibuľu. V eknihe sú mi nahovno voľné strany a lá diár na motivačné x-mesačné ciele! Vyhnite sa tejto knihe - to je moja motivačná rada a využite svoj čas zmysluplnejšie. Nemáte za čo.

[Genevieve Trono · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking forward to Juliet’s School of Possibilities since I first heard Laura Vanderkam mention it on the Best of Both Worlds Podcast last year. I love Vanderkam's books about time management and this is her first novella. She incorporates her knowledge and expertise into a short fable about a woman named Riley who is spread too thin. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
In a society where “busy” reigns supreme, Vanderkam’s books are a wonderful reminder about how we get to choose how we spend our time and energy and this book is such a fun spin-off. We meet Juliet who shares wisdom and helps Riley rethink this balance. “Expectations are infinite. Time is finite. You are always choosing. Choose well.”

A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, great parable about priorities and time management. Key points:
-“I don’t have time” = “it’s not a priority.” We have time for what matters most to us and we need to remind ourselves/keep an eye on this so as not to forget or become distracted and lose sight.
-Our actions determine our path and the life we live.
-Work will be there. Family/friends/relationships may not. Need to find balance/prioritize.
-Find/identify your passion(s).
-“Expectations are finite. Time is finite. You are always choosing. Choose well.”

[Anastasija · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all need a Juliet in our lives to help us focus on what's important. With all the busyness, we forget about that.

It is a nice combination of storytelling with practical advice on how to make the most of your time and focus on what truly matters.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fable-ish story drives home the point of time management and how to make good decisions with the limited time we all have.

The character's personalities are exaggerated opposites - extremely busy and harried Riley vs. calm and collected Juliet. I could actually feel my blood pressure rising when reading about Riley and lowering while reading Juliet.

While the take away from this parable is clearly meant to be "choose well", it also reinforced the idea that sometimes you need to step back and away to get some perspective on a situation. Our best ideas can come when we are not trying too hard.

This quick read is perfect for anyone needing a little help seeing the big picture in their life, and gives permission to make the best decisions to get to the life you want to lead. A message I feel we all need to hear, and one I am glad I read.

[Karolína Vrzalová · Rating 5 out of 5]

trochu klišé, ale překvapivě dobrý

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Dickensian-style look at the choices we make as to what is important to us and how we spend our time. This book is a very quick companion read to Vanderkam's other productivity books. Nothing noteworthy in this book, however, and the last several pages are a rehash of her time management tracking system along with some self-reflection questions.

[Seema Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fable-like ~ Easy to Read ~ Useful

tl;dr: Woman with "busy' life and excessive email learns to make better choices.

This book is life if Coelho wrote a book about the modern work world. It's extremely short, like the finish on the ride into work short. The prose isn't exceptional, or Coelho worthy, but not awful either. It's written in a sort of mass-market tone, easy for anyone to access. But, literary quality aside, I have always appreciated Vanderkam's discussions of time-management. She isn't out to shame readers or teach through hard-truths. She has a gentle way of reminding everyone we are in charge of choosing well, as she says. I would love to see women choosing this book for book clubs, as it is a great book to discuss. Most women have been the main character at one time or another. In fact, at one point, the character mentions her 1000 email inbox, and I commiserated! rather than startled. Very useful little book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[AJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

What if the "live, laugh, love" sign hanging on your bathroom wall came to life and decided to write a book? You'd get this one-- a shallow allegory that ham-fists simple truisms in it's storytelling, in case you don't know how to read subtext.

This felt like someone's high school assignment for writing a modern story like a fable. The author's end notes schooled me, however. I didn't realize before picking this up that this would be something read for a corporate meeting, spiritual workshop, or book club that hates me. I can see the value in it, especially for people who have never had an introspective moment in their life.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Laura's other books and enjoyed reading her smart time use insights in a fable format. I think Juliet's School of Possibilities would be especially great for people who aren't as familiar with Laura's work yet and/or who are skeptical of self-improvement books since this reads like a novel. I also think this book would make an excellent graduation/job change/retirement gift!

[Kacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juliet's School of Possibilities is a parable designed to help readers consider the choices and priorities they have in their lives, particularly as those choices relate to their careers.

The parable centers around a young woman named Riley who is struggling. She's having trouble meeting her employer's and clients' expectations; her boyfriend is fed up with her not having time for him; her best friend has has enough of the brush-offs.

It's as if Riley is trying to keep 1,000 plates spinning at once, but her priorities are in the minutiae of responding to emails as they come in (rather than delegating to her assistant, or prioritizing the important email). She's so distracted with everything calling for her attention that she succeeds at nothing.

Riley attends a corporate retreat at a mystical place run by a prominent, has-it-all-together woman, Juliet. Juliet takes an interest in Riley and is able to help Riley "see" some possibilities: one a lonely life with nothing to be proud of; another with all of her dreams coming true and then some. This part of the book reminded me a little of The Alchemist, and I see I'm not the only reviewer who had that thought.

The story continues, and I'll stop the plot summary so you can see how it concludes.

At page 117, Laura Vanderkam steps in and speaks directly to the reader. She reminds us something from the parable: expectations are infinite, and time is finite. Vanderkam has questions designed to help the reader look to the future and consider some possibilities with regard to career and personal life. There's blank space to record your responses.

There are additional questions for those reading the book as a group. Reading groups, especially formed among colleagues, might yield interesting conversation and practical ways someone might be able to adjust their own workflow.

I think some readers will appreciate the example within the story and discussing Riley's life and her choices. Maybe they'll see aspects of themselves in Riley; or maybe they can't relate to her.

The parable fell flat for me. I didn't think Riley's situation or the way it was presented was believable.

My favorite part was at the end where Vanderkam asks questions designed to challenge us and how we treat our priorities. These are ideas similar to what she explores in depth in her previous books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Cheryl Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a parable before, so Juliet's School of Possibilities was my introduction to the genre and it did not disappoint. The author, Laura Vanderkam, teaches us about the "power of priorities" through the story of Riley, an overworked woman in her 20s who definitely has her priorities all wrong. We see Riley go on an unexpected journey to realize where she was getting things wrong in her life and how she can fix them--all so we can be inspired to do the same in our own lives.

If you are looking for a quick and inspirational read, this one will absolutely do the trick. I mean, I started the book on Friday around 4 and was done by Saturday morning! And, I was also inspired to get started on a few With Cheryl ideas I didn't even know I had!

[Brigitta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s maybe an obvious choice to use a young management consultant as the main character. Being successful in client service isn’t always the most highly productive employee, which the main character’s performance reviewer would’ve told her if this wasn’t a short fiction book 😂.

I work in a similar place. It’s easy to pick up on this concept as one moves up the chain.

3 stars instead of fewer because maybe it would be more useful to someone that isn’t familiar with the consulting firm management training.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I preordered this because I am a huge fan of Laura Vanderkam’s work overall. I’m not sure what exactly I expected from a time management fable, but this spoke to me in a way I didn’t know I needed. It was so motivational and inspired me to take a different approach to my time and life priorities

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is nothing bad about this book, it is just very short and lacks much substance. Given it is full price I felt it was not worth the money. There are better productivity books that cover this specific method and more.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short fable ( a story you can read in an afternoon or a couple evenings) that features a professional woman on her way to a conference that she has no time to attend, but must. She is bitter and on the way there her boyfriend breaks up with her, she nearly loses her job, and her best friend won't speak to her. What has she done wrong? She can't figure out what is happening when she gives ALL HER TIME to her career, so why is she so close to losing her job.

At this conference retreat, her bitter attitude shows through and she can't seem to relax or focus until a nighttime walk with the famous owner of the retreat. Then life suddenly comes into focus.

Even though this is a fable it is a good reminder for any of us that take our personal relationships for granted, work too many hours, or want to find a way to restructure our days and therefore, our lives. Vanderkam is the Queen of time management and her example in this fictional story is a great way to reach out to a new set of readers and remind them that yes, you can have a career, and an amazing life outside of it.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short read, great fit with Laura Vanderkam's work.

[Cory Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick listen and a parable is a nice break from the typical format of non fiction books. Some good takeaways and reminders or focusing on the important rather than the urgent.

[Hanna Egorova · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Bobbie Monroe Boyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and Relatively short. Easy to read. Positive message. Kind of a feel good book about time management and setting priorities, but told through a fictional story.

[Janie Lepage · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 ⭐️

Ce n’est pas à ce que je m’attendais. Je n’ai pas accroché à ma lecture, je suis déçue parce que le sujet m’interpellait.

[Marianne Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make the time to read this book

This book is a great introduction to how to better manage time. Having it as a story makes it a quick read.

[Laura Skladzinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was VERY skeptical of the idea of a parable, but I absolutely loved this little gem. A burned out consultant striving to meet all her deadlines certainly resonated for me! I thought the story was told in the perfect way - compelling, didactic, but not hitting me over the head with the lessons. Short and sweet; I will be buying copies of this for many of my team members.

[Kelly Faysash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an inspiring, quick read. If you are familiar with Jon Gordon's books, this is in a similar style. This parable follows Riley, a young business woman, who receives a less than stellar review from her employer. Caught off guard, her life begins to spiral downward as she is forced to face the fact that she is not managing her time well. At an already scheduled retreat, she discovers a new way to look at her life and the decisions she can make to improve her situation.

If you like Laura Vanderkam (who doesn't?), you will really enjoy this short parable. It is a breezy read, but has a lot of underlying big ideas. The end of the book also includes tips to restructure your days and some questions to consider as you move forward planning your life.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect place to begin your journey to taking control of your time and your life. It’s short but impactful read that illustrates the power of priorities.