What do you think?
Rate this book
Do What Matters Most: Lead with a Vision, Manage with a Plan, Prioritze Your Time
Time management remains a huge challenge for most people. This book shares the three powerful habits that will help you minimize distractions, maximize accomplishments, and find time to do what matters most.In researching more than 1,260 managers and executives from more than 108 different organizations, Steve and Rob Shallenberger discovered that 68 percent of them feel like their number one challenge is time management, yet 80 percent don't have a clear process for how to prioritize their time.Drawing on their forty years of leadership research, this book offers three powerful habits that that will help people and teams do what matters most. These three high performance habits are developing a written personal vision, identifying and setting Roles and Goals, and consistently doing Pre-week Planning. People who live these three habits can increase productivity by at least 30 to 50 percent, while reducing stress. For organizations, this means higher profits, happier employees, and increased innovation. For individuals, it means better physical and mental health, stronger relationships, and a greater sense of peace and balance.You will learn how acquiring this skillset turned an "average" employee into her company's top producer, enabled a senior vice president to reignite his team and achieve record results, transformed a stressed-out manager's work and home life, helped a CEO who felt like he'd lost his edge regain his fire and passion, and much more. By implementing these simple and easy-to-understand habits, supported by tools like the Personal Productivity Assessment, you will learn how to lead a life by design, not by default. You'll feel the power that comes with a sense of control, direction, and purpose.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2021
69 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 18, 2021
I flip-flopped between 3 stars and 4 stars and decided to fall more on "this is valuable" than "I dislike how it's presented."
Overall, it is critically important to have a vision, to determine what roles you have in life and what goals do you have in each role, and to review your progress along that direction, with planning and determination. These are good lessons and they will serve us greatly.
However, the biggest downside of this book, to me, was the terrible way it's presented as a fix-all solution that will empower all of us and resolve every problem in life. Stories of people who achieved literally *anything* and *everything* they wanted "by just following these simple 3 steps" don't belong in such a serious topic. It sounds like an over-the-top, exaggerated, click-bait article on Buzzfeed. I wanted to take two stars from it, but decided the topic is good enough to not do so.
Another downside of this book is that it doesn't discuss the challenges with doing this and how to address these challenges. It's good as a starter, but there's much more to get to this great, awesome, amazing state that everyone can do by reading this short book. I wish they invested more in that.
Overall, it is critically important to have a vision, to determine what roles you have in life and what goals do you have in each role, and to review your progress along that direction, with planning and determination. These are good lessons and they will serve us greatly.
However, the biggest downside of this book, to me, was the terrible way it's presented as a fix-all solution that will empower all of us and resolve every problem in life. Stories of people who achieved literally *anything* and *everything* they wanted "by just following these simple 3 steps" don't belong in such a serious topic. It sounds like an over-the-top, exaggerated, click-bait article on Buzzfeed. I wanted to take two stars from it, but decided the topic is good enough to not do so.
Another downside of this book is that it doesn't discuss the challenges with doing this and how to address these challenges. It's good as a starter, but there's much more to get to this great, awesome, amazing state that everyone can do by reading this short book. I wish they invested more in that.
February 1, 2023
Very interesting book that surely made a difference in my decision to become more structured and intentional with my life. I have to say that the book is entry level, meaning is not suited for people that have been reading other productivity and life advice books. It gives you 3 habits (as mentioned in the title) and develops on them giving you insights on the outcome of applying said habits in one's life based on examples and studies, targeting productivity and performance. Furthermore each "habit section" ends with chapter talking about actual ways to implement the habit in your life giving guide points and examples so that anyone can apply the habit straight away. I have to say that it motivated me in acting towards achieving those habits. Easy and fast to read, however I find it quite repeating at some points. Nevertheless, I recomend it!
May 12, 2021
Do What Matters Most has got to be the most helpful leadership, time management and professional improvement book I have read in a long time. Maybe ever. It is full of practical advice that is easy to use and adapt to your professional and personal. Often I finish a professional book and I have a list of all the things I'm going to do to improve my working practice and then I never actually enact anything. After reading Do What Matters Most I am left feeling in control, with a definite plan. I am completely aware of how I will use the tips and skills in this book but even more than that I am also far more aligned with what I need to do in my daily work practice to reach my professional and personal goals. This book has given me the power to enact change. I love it and highly recommend this book.
So many times I have thought that I needed to write down my goals. I had a vague idea in my head of where I was going, but I'd never put it into words. Similarly, there have been many times in my day that I felt I could have achieved more or I haven't done the important things, instead just getting through a million small emergency fires. Do What Matters Most is all about changing that reactive behaviour into a proactive attitude.
I'd say half of the content in this book is providing evidence that their approach works. For someone who was already on board, I did feel like I could have skipped some of these sections. They are consistently spread throughout the book. For example, you have a chapter on why writing down a vision works before you move into a chapter about actually writing a vision statement. For me, the gold was in the doing chapters. While the evidence is great and the quotes from professionals from all walks of life shows that these practices work, it was more than I needed.
My workplaces have often asked me to write down a professional or learning goal. I've also written strategic plans for my school library. Every time, it's been a hard exercise or felt like I was picking something out of the air or from an isolated viewpoint when what I really needed is a comprehensive assessment. That's exactly what Do What Matters Most gives you in 3 easy steps.
The first part of the book is all about understanding the Do What Matters Most perspective and approach. It's about managing your days so that what you are doing is working towards achieving your goals. This part of the book is some of the most inspiration heavy, so few practical exercises and more about taking the mindset on board. There is a Personality Productivity Assessment that you can take and the book makes some big promises.
The book then provides you 3 action points. Write a vision, set goals and start pre-week planning. The book steps you through these points with activities that are really helpful in taking you from a wide vision to how this looks in your weekly planning. There are free templates and tips for how you can make it work for you. I loved that the authors address the personal alongside the professional, so you'll be writing your personal vision and goals as you write a vision and goals for your work and any other facet of your life. The authors show how using these big three, as they call them, is important across all areas of your life. It also makes it far more impactful.
I'm incredibly impresses with the process this book has led me in in creating my own visions, goals for those visions and started a process of pre-weekly planning. I am planning to share this process with my colleagues and my students. Instead of being daunted by needing to create a goal for my work and submit it to my supervisor, I am ready to go and can talk about both the big picture vision as well as yearly goals.
A note, I had this book as a digital review copy and I struggled to engage with it in a digital format. I would love to have this as a print copy and when I buy it, I'll be ensuring I purchase it in a print copy - easier to read and engage with the activities and share with my colleagues and students.
Highly impressed. If you read just one book to improve your professional practice make it Do What Matters Most.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
So many times I have thought that I needed to write down my goals. I had a vague idea in my head of where I was going, but I'd never put it into words. Similarly, there have been many times in my day that I felt I could have achieved more or I haven't done the important things, instead just getting through a million small emergency fires. Do What Matters Most is all about changing that reactive behaviour into a proactive attitude.
I'd say half of the content in this book is providing evidence that their approach works. For someone who was already on board, I did feel like I could have skipped some of these sections. They are consistently spread throughout the book. For example, you have a chapter on why writing down a vision works before you move into a chapter about actually writing a vision statement. For me, the gold was in the doing chapters. While the evidence is great and the quotes from professionals from all walks of life shows that these practices work, it was more than I needed.
My workplaces have often asked me to write down a professional or learning goal. I've also written strategic plans for my school library. Every time, it's been a hard exercise or felt like I was picking something out of the air or from an isolated viewpoint when what I really needed is a comprehensive assessment. That's exactly what Do What Matters Most gives you in 3 easy steps.
The first part of the book is all about understanding the Do What Matters Most perspective and approach. It's about managing your days so that what you are doing is working towards achieving your goals. This part of the book is some of the most inspiration heavy, so few practical exercises and more about taking the mindset on board. There is a Personality Productivity Assessment that you can take and the book makes some big promises.
The book then provides you 3 action points. Write a vision, set goals and start pre-week planning. The book steps you through these points with activities that are really helpful in taking you from a wide vision to how this looks in your weekly planning. There are free templates and tips for how you can make it work for you. I loved that the authors address the personal alongside the professional, so you'll be writing your personal vision and goals as you write a vision and goals for your work and any other facet of your life. The authors show how using these big three, as they call them, is important across all areas of your life. It also makes it far more impactful.
I'm incredibly impresses with the process this book has led me in in creating my own visions, goals for those visions and started a process of pre-weekly planning. I am planning to share this process with my colleagues and my students. Instead of being daunted by needing to create a goal for my work and submit it to my supervisor, I am ready to go and can talk about both the big picture vision as well as yearly goals.
A note, I had this book as a digital review copy and I struggled to engage with it in a digital format. I would love to have this as a print copy and when I buy it, I'll be ensuring I purchase it in a print copy - easier to read and engage with the activities and share with my colleagues and students.
Highly impressed. If you read just one book to improve your professional practice make it Do What Matters Most.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
May 12, 2021
What sets Rob Shallenberger and Steve Shallenberger apart with the release of their new book, Do What Matters Most: Lead with a Vision, Manage with a Plan, Prioritize Your Time, starts with the title. It’s something that succinctly states the entirety of its topical content in a single breath, much like the thesis statement or opening sentence of an MLA or position paper. This is also concurrent to the philosophy both Shallenbergers promote by way of the book, in effect a series of tenets and steps to maintaining a concise, easily manageable, and precise leadership prioritization. The spine of this formula, Shallenberger and Shallenberger write, lies in the implementation and active utilization of what they have called ‘The Big Three’. In other words, three particular behavioral habits maintained to ensure fluid productivity on behalf of the individual and/or individuals. The Big Three consist of articulating an acute, personal vision of goals, endeavors, or otherwise, setting relevant goals or milestones to said endeavor, and planning extensively on a week-by-week basis. Shallenberger and Shallenberger swear by the implementation of this formula, stating that based on statistics and extensive interviews they have conducted that ‘The Big Three’ not only serve to reduce spontaneity-induced stress, but also increase one’s productivity rate by thirty to fifty percent. “Whether at work and at home, we all have those occasional moments of total clarity where we know exactly what we should be doing, where we want to end up, and which tasks are the most important for getting us there,” Shallenberger and Shallenberger write in a companion piece, entitled How to Do What Matters Most - And Raise Your Productivity Quotient. “Unfortunately the brain doesn’t tend to linger there for long. That’s why we also have many more moments lost in mindless Instagram scrolling or fending off the seemingly endless list of to-dos.”
Part of what makes Shallenberger and Shallenberger’s promotions of their prioritization philosophy so effective is the simplicity of specificity. What they’re talking about isn’t in of itself, or with respect to its spare parts particularly novel. Rather it’s the profound nature of putting all the pieces together in the particular pattern they stand by that makes the individual’s varyingly complicated implementation strategies suddenly seem doable, regardless of the Richter scale of seeming facers in the pragmatic equation. This kind of discipline likely ties to Rob Shallenberger’s history as an air force veteran. Having been in service for eleven years, it’s likely such a lifestyle and set of priorities have helped solidify his more recent profession as a management expert alongside the elder Shallenberger - both associated with the latter’s management firm Becoming Your Best Global Leadership. A sign of being in genuinely good, knowledgable hands is the pitching party’s ability to keep things as simple as can possibly be. This is indicative of their being well-versed in what they preach, good communication one of the more crucial aspects of maintaining a solid, effective leadership and management style.
All in all, a satisfying read, and a nice full-circle to what both Shallenberger and Shallenberger have officiated in the last couple of years.
Part of what makes Shallenberger and Shallenberger’s promotions of their prioritization philosophy so effective is the simplicity of specificity. What they’re talking about isn’t in of itself, or with respect to its spare parts particularly novel. Rather it’s the profound nature of putting all the pieces together in the particular pattern they stand by that makes the individual’s varyingly complicated implementation strategies suddenly seem doable, regardless of the Richter scale of seeming facers in the pragmatic equation. This kind of discipline likely ties to Rob Shallenberger’s history as an air force veteran. Having been in service for eleven years, it’s likely such a lifestyle and set of priorities have helped solidify his more recent profession as a management expert alongside the elder Shallenberger - both associated with the latter’s management firm Becoming Your Best Global Leadership. A sign of being in genuinely good, knowledgable hands is the pitching party’s ability to keep things as simple as can possibly be. This is indicative of their being well-versed in what they preach, good communication one of the more crucial aspects of maintaining a solid, effective leadership and management style.
All in all, a satisfying read, and a nice full-circle to what both Shallenberger and Shallenberger have officiated in the last couple of years.
July 6, 2021
Probably a good 50% of this book is a sales pitch about the contents of the book that you already are reading, and that's excluding the vignettes that performed more or less the same function. Quite nonsensical, not to mention tiresome. The Eisenhower Method was the most innovative thing about this book, and the authors did not develop it. In a book about managing one's time, one would expect the authors to get to the point without a lot of time-wasting dilly dallying, but that is not the case here.
November 14, 2021
Decent book on time management and task prioritisation and preplanning the week.
It borrows somewhat from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and others for Urgent / Important (calls it stressful vs Urgent).
Its a decent book with classic evergreen basics but nothing revolutionary like 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris.
* Note that I listened to the abridged Blinkist version
It borrows somewhat from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and others for Urgent / Important (calls it stressful vs Urgent).
Its a decent book with classic evergreen basics but nothing revolutionary like 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris.
* Note that I listened to the abridged Blinkist version
August 25, 2021
Fell in the trap after years of avoiding this kind of book. Don’t know why. At least it’s short. But it could be 90% shorter.
May 3, 2022
While the core principles are useful the book itself uses them as a sales pitch for the authors' live training, including hard to believe testimonials and singing praises about themselves.
May 9, 2023
You already know most of this and it’s a little sales pitchy
July 20, 2024
I'm a teacher and was asked to read this book over the summer as part of my role in helping prepare Professional Development opportunities for our staff in August.
As a pre-crastinator and avid to-do list maker, I should be not only drinking, but making this Kool-aid. However, something about the presentation of the concepts in the book was such a turnoff I can't say I enjoyed reading it, which is a shame because there are some really solid ideas here.
Things I enjoyed about this book:
-I liked that creating a pre-week plan encourages you to consider what's most important in your life, and how/where you can make time for those things.
-I liked how they clarified the difference between a goal and a vision, which I think is a hang up for many people.
-I liked that they encourage you to aim for 70-80% success, and to stay consistent when you don't meet all of your own expectations.
-I also really liked the emphasis they put on being specific when wording your goals, so rather than, "I'm going to exercise every day," something more like, "3-4 times a week I'll exercise for 30 minutes." This gives you flexibility and something specific to work toward.
Things I did not enjoy about this book:
-There are way too many lengthy, similarly worded testimonials from "real people" who have read the book and implemented the planning in their life. I was skimming/skipping pages of each chapter.
-Some of the testimonials were either fake, or outright dangerous. In the earlier chapters, more than once, they reference someone who implemented pre-weekly planning and "lost 40 pounds in a month!" Red flags everywhere.
-They constantly promoted their workbook for pre-planning when someone could easily do this on a piece of paper or a word doc.
-Tied to the above, they made the pre-week planning so convoluted and complicated that I was starting to feel confused and turned off without ever even having picked up a pen to start- and I'm already a "planner"! For someone who is isn't, I feel like this would be too much too soon.
In summary:
There is a lot of fluff that was added to flesh this out to be a book. It easily could've been one long, or a series of shorter youtube videos. I wouldn't recommend reading this book to anyone, despite that at its core, there are good ideas here.
As a pre-crastinator and avid to-do list maker, I should be not only drinking, but making this Kool-aid. However, something about the presentation of the concepts in the book was such a turnoff I can't say I enjoyed reading it, which is a shame because there are some really solid ideas here.
Things I enjoyed about this book:
-I liked that creating a pre-week plan encourages you to consider what's most important in your life, and how/where you can make time for those things.
-I liked how they clarified the difference between a goal and a vision, which I think is a hang up for many people.
-I liked that they encourage you to aim for 70-80% success, and to stay consistent when you don't meet all of your own expectations.
-I also really liked the emphasis they put on being specific when wording your goals, so rather than, "I'm going to exercise every day," something more like, "3-4 times a week I'll exercise for 30 minutes." This gives you flexibility and something specific to work toward.
Things I did not enjoy about this book:
-There are way too many lengthy, similarly worded testimonials from "real people" who have read the book and implemented the planning in their life. I was skimming/skipping pages of each chapter.
-Some of the testimonials were either fake, or outright dangerous. In the earlier chapters, more than once, they reference someone who implemented pre-weekly planning and "lost 40 pounds in a month!" Red flags everywhere.
-They constantly promoted their workbook for pre-planning when someone could easily do this on a piece of paper or a word doc.
-Tied to the above, they made the pre-week planning so convoluted and complicated that I was starting to feel confused and turned off without ever even having picked up a pen to start- and I'm already a "planner"! For someone who is isn't, I feel like this would be too much too soon.
In summary:
There is a lot of fluff that was added to flesh this out to be a book. It easily could've been one long, or a series of shorter youtube videos. I wouldn't recommend reading this book to anyone, despite that at its core, there are good ideas here.
December 10, 2024
بسمه تعالی
بر اساس اولویت کارهای خود را روزانه دسته بندی کنید.
1.شیوه اولویت بندی را یاد بگیرید.
2. با اولویت بندی مهمترین کارها زمان را برنامه ریزی کنید..خلبان و رویداد های اطاف مشغول شدن در کابین خلبان
3.توسعه 3 عادت فردی.
1)نوشتن چشم انداز شخصی 2) تعیین اهداف سالانه 3) برنامه ریزی برای هفته پیش رو
4.کارتان را از ارزیابی خود و بررسی رویکرد فعلی نسبت به اولویت ها شروع کنید.تقسیم کارهای روزانه بوسیله ماتریس با اهمیت بیشتر.
5.برای هر یک از اولویتهای زندگی یک چشم انداز خلق کنید تا اولویت های آن بخش را بهتر بشناسید.
قدرت تخیل در باره هر چیز.
1- دوست دارید در بیست سال آینده به کجا برسید؟ دوست دارید چه مواردی را در زندگی شخصی خود بهبود بخشید.؟ چه ویژگی هایی را در دیگران تحسین می کنید؟ بخشهای متفاوت در زندگی فکر کنید.والدین و همسر 5 تا 7 مورد از نقش را بنویسید.از افعال مربوط به زمان حال استفاده کنید.مثل من مدیر برجسته هستم که به تیم مدیریت سیستم انگیزه کار میدهم و الهام بخش آنها شوم.من میخواهم سبک زندگی سالمی داشته باشم.
6.اهداف قابل سنجش و قابل دسترسی سالانه را بنویسید.تعیین اهداف سالانه در زندگی.شغلی و شخصی.
اهداف کارآمد اسمارت اختصاصی-قابل سنجش-قابل دستیابی-مرتبط و متعهد به زمان
تناسب اندام-> رسیدن به وزن 85 کیلوگرم تا تاریخ 31 شهریور در معرض دید باشد.(میز یا حمام)
7.با استفاده از ابزار برنامه ریزی هفتگی بیش از شروع هر هفته زمان را بهتر مدیریت کنید.
8.برای هر فعالیت زمان خاصی را در فهرست برنامه ریزی پیش از شروع هفته خود در نظر بگیرید.
9.با یادگیری شیوه اولویت بندی کارهای با اهمیت بیشتر می توانید عملکرد و بهره وری را تقویت کنیم.
برای آشنایی با اولویت برای هر نقش از زندگی چشم انداز شخصی و اهداف سالانه تعیین کنید.
در نهایت با برنامه ریزی فعالیت های هفتگی که به شما برای رسیدن به اهدافتان کمک کی کنند. شانس موقعیت افزایش بدهید.یک توصیه کاربردی.هر روز صبح اولیت بندی خود را مرور کنید.داشتن یک روتین صبحگاهب و 2 تا 3 اولویت روزانه را مشخص کنید.شروع روز کاری و مهم به شما انگیزه میدهد.کمک میکند متمرکز تر عمل کنید.
بر اساس اولویت کارهای خود را روزانه دسته بندی کنید.
1.شیوه اولویت بندی را یاد بگیرید.
2. با اولویت بندی مهمترین کارها زمان را برنامه ریزی کنید..خلبان و رویداد های اطاف مشغول شدن در کابین خلبان
3.توسعه 3 عادت فردی.
1)نوشتن چشم انداز شخصی 2) تعیین اهداف سالانه 3) برنامه ریزی برای هفته پیش رو
4.کارتان را از ارزیابی خود و بررسی رویکرد فعلی نسبت به اولویت ها شروع کنید.تقسیم کارهای روزانه بوسیله ماتریس با اهمیت بیشتر.
5.برای هر یک از اولویتهای زندگی یک چشم انداز خلق کنید تا اولویت های آن بخش را بهتر بشناسید.
قدرت تخیل در باره هر چیز.
1- دوست دارید در بیست سال آینده به کجا برسید؟ دوست دارید چه مواردی را در زندگی شخصی خود بهبود بخشید.؟ چه ویژگی هایی را در دیگران تحسین می کنید؟ بخشهای متفاوت در زندگی فکر کنید.والدین و همسر 5 تا 7 مورد از نقش را بنویسید.از افعال مربوط به زمان حال استفاده کنید.مثل من مدیر برجسته هستم که به تیم مدیریت سیستم انگیزه کار میدهم و الهام بخش آنها شوم.من میخواهم سبک زندگی سالمی داشته باشم.
6.اهداف قابل سنجش و قابل دسترسی سالانه را بنویسید.تعیین اهداف سالانه در زندگی.شغلی و شخصی.
اهداف کارآمد اسمارت اختصاصی-قابل سنجش-قابل دستیابی-مرتبط و متعهد به زمان
تناسب اندام-> رسیدن به وزن 85 کیلوگرم تا تاریخ 31 شهریور در معرض دید باشد.(میز یا حمام)
7.با استفاده از ابزار برنامه ریزی هفتگی بیش از شروع هر هفته زمان را بهتر مدیریت کنید.
8.برای هر فعالیت زمان خاصی را در فهرست برنامه ریزی پیش از شروع هفته خود در نظر بگیرید.
9.با یادگیری شیوه اولویت بندی کارهای با اهمیت بیشتر می توانید عملکرد و بهره وری را تقویت کنیم.
برای آشنایی با اولویت برای هر نقش از زندگی چشم انداز شخصی و اهداف سالانه تعیین کنید.
در نهایت با برنامه ریزی فعالیت های هفتگی که به شما برای رسیدن به اهدافتان کمک کی کنند. شانس موقعیت افزایش بدهید.یک توصیه کاربردی.هر روز صبح اولیت بندی خود را مرور کنید.داشتن یک روتین صبحگاهب و 2 تا 3 اولویت روزانه را مشخص کنید.شروع روز کاری و مهم به شما انگیزه میدهد.کمک میکند متمرکز تر عمل کنید.
January 7, 2024
"Do What Matters Most" offers a practical guide to prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively, meriting a solid 3-star rating. The book's core message, emphasizing the importance of focusing on high-impact tasks, is both relevant and impactful for anyone struggling with the daily juggle of personal and professional responsibilities.
The authors, Rob Shallenberger and Steve Shallenberger, present a structured approach, introducing readers to the concept of '3x5 why' for goal setting and the 'Rule of Three' for daily planning. These frameworks are helpful in bringing clarity and focus to one's daily routine.
However, the book occasionally falls short in delivering groundbreaking insights, and some of the advice might come across as intuitive or familiar to seasoned time-management enthusiasts.
Nonetheless, "Do What Matters Most" is a beneficial read for those new to personal productivity or anyone looking to revisit and realign their time management strategies. The emphasis on aligning daily actions with broader life goals is a valuable takeaway for readers.
The authors, Rob Shallenberger and Steve Shallenberger, present a structured approach, introducing readers to the concept of '3x5 why' for goal setting and the 'Rule of Three' for daily planning. These frameworks are helpful in bringing clarity and focus to one's daily routine.
However, the book occasionally falls short in delivering groundbreaking insights, and some of the advice might come across as intuitive or familiar to seasoned time-management enthusiasts.
Nonetheless, "Do What Matters Most" is a beneficial read for those new to personal productivity or anyone looking to revisit and realign their time management strategies. The emphasis on aligning daily actions with broader life goals is a valuable takeaway for readers.
December 25, 2025
"Do What Matters Most" by Steven R. Shallenberger is a book about prioritizing what truly adds value and purpose to your life.
*Key Ideas:*
- *Identify Core Values*: Understand what's most important to you
- *Set Priorities*: Focus on high-impact activities aligned with your values
- *Overcome Obstacles*: Address fears, procrastination, and distractions
- *Take Action*: Break goals into manageable, actionable steps
- *Live with Purpose*: Make decisions that align with your priorities
The book offers practical guidance on achieving a more intentional, purpose-driven life. Would you like to explore any of these ideas or apply them to a specific goal?
The key takeaway from "Do What Matters Most" is:
*Focus on what truly matters and take intentional action towards it.*
The book emphasizes identifying your core values and priorities, then aligning your actions and decisions with them to live a more purposeful life.
*Key Ideas:*
- *Identify Core Values*: Understand what's most important to you
- *Set Priorities*: Focus on high-impact activities aligned with your values
- *Overcome Obstacles*: Address fears, procrastination, and distractions
- *Take Action*: Break goals into manageable, actionable steps
- *Live with Purpose*: Make decisions that align with your priorities
The book offers practical guidance on achieving a more intentional, purpose-driven life. Would you like to explore any of these ideas or apply them to a specific goal?
The key takeaway from "Do What Matters Most" is:
*Focus on what truly matters and take intentional action towards it.*
The book emphasizes identifying your core values and priorities, then aligning your actions and decisions with them to live a more purposeful life.
October 5, 2025
A repetitive book about efficiency that spends a significant amount of time explaining commonly known principles (e.g. "Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand" analogy and the Eisenhower Matrix) rather than delivering actionable value. Its long-windedness is particularly potent because it highlights a failure to practice what it preaches.
The core principles, such as setting goals, prioritising, scheduling, etc., are the fundamental blocks of nearly every productivity system since the genre began. The authors are presenting these universal truths as if they are a unique new methodology. There is also a strong undercurrent of promotion for the authors' coaching and consulting business.
The core principles, such as setting goals, prioritising, scheduling, etc., are the fundamental blocks of nearly every productivity system since the genre began. The authors are presenting these universal truths as if they are a unique new methodology. There is also a strong undercurrent of promotion for the authors' coaching and consulting business.
December 11, 2022
A few months ago, Paris got a spam email at work from a training salesperson representing Becoming Your Best. He offered to send her a book for free and...he actually did! So, we decided to review Do What Matters Most by Rob & Steve Shallenberger for the show.
January 19, 2025
Best book on Goal Setting I’ve ever read
This book shows you how to set a vision, annual targets, and weekly / daily goals and how to apply it to your life. Its the most comprehensive goal book I’ve ever read and I’ve read a few. Its a must read if you’re really in to self improvement
This book shows you how to set a vision, annual targets, and weekly / daily goals and how to apply it to your life. Its the most comprehensive goal book I’ve ever read and I’ve read a few. Its a must read if you’re really in to self improvement
August 4, 2022
I listened to this book while working and it helped me immensely. I'm thinking of buying the book for myself and for one of my friends because I think that this will really impact their life tremendously. That's saying something because I never bought any non-fiction books for myself at all!
November 30, 2023
Some interesting but not entirely novel takeaways.
Create personas for yourself
Set goals for each
Preplan for each in advance every week
This book is way too long. It feels like it should have been an article. I find myself skipping a lot of pages.
Create personas for yourself
Set goals for each
Preplan for each in advance every week
This book is way too long. It feels like it should have been an article. I find myself skipping a lot of pages.
May 24, 2025
Great book as a follow up to the seminar. Reading through the steps and how to best apply them to my life has been super helpful. And the way Steve and Rob write the book feels like they are sitting there talking you through the process.
September 6, 2025
I wanted to like this book but I felt it was very surface-level, broad, without enough specifics to really let me get a sense of how to apply this to my work. I did like the analogies tying back in with being a fighter pilot, though.
July 6, 2021
Inspirational!
November 16, 2021
They make it seem so simple.
June 24, 2022
Pre-week planning, setting priorities, creating a personal vision: nothing particularly innovative, but a quick and easy read.
November 25, 2023
Average common-sense advice
December 9, 2023
A big genetic but integrating. I’ve tried to implement their suggestion of pre-week planning to feel more productive and efficient at work.
October 5, 2024
Great book to plan important things in your life and link that action plan to the mission/goal in each category: professional, family, personal growth. Clear instructions and straight to the point.
March 31, 2025
I utilize a block method and this method is similar.
November 27, 2025
More Advertising than educational content
Role based vision, goals and priorities is a very good point. Rest all only advertisements
Role based vision, goals and priorities is a very good point. Rest all only advertisements
March 31, 2022
The content of the book isn't bad, but it is quite literally the book "Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want" by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy published in 2016. Productivity/leadership books are repetitive for sure, but the structure is *frighteningly close* to Living Forward to the point where they even titled their book after one of the original book's steps and used the same system but with different terms (ex: life accounts -->roles).
It feels like they read the original and rewrote the book to create as an ebook lead generator to pitch their pay-to-play seminars. If picking, read the original as it reads a bit more concisely with less ads.
It feels like they read the original and rewrote the book to create as an ebook lead generator to pitch their pay-to-play seminars. If picking, read the original as it reads a bit more concisely with less ads.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews