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  • 168 Hours

  • You Have More Time Than You Think
  • Written by: Laura Vanderkam
  • Narrated by: Elizabeth London
  • Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (48 ratings)

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168 Hours

Written by: Laura Vanderkam
Narrated by: Elizabeth London
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Publisher's Summary

There are 168 hours in a week. This book is about where the time really goes, and how we can all use it better. It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. With the rise of two-income families, extreme jobs, and 24/7 connectivity, life is so frenzied we can barely find time to breathe. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or else, if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices. To get ahead at work we spend less time with our spouses. To carve out more family time, we put off getting in shape. To train for a marathon, we cut back on sleep. There has to be a better way - and Laura Vanderkam has found one.

After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there's time for the important stuff. They focus on what they do best and what only they can do. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer. It's not always easy, but the payoff is enormous. Vanderkam shows that it really is possible to sleep eight hours a night, exercise five days a week, take piano lessons, and write a novel without giving up quality time for work, family, and other things that really matter. The key is to start with a blank slate and to fill up your 168 hours only with things that deserve your time. Of course, you probably won't read to your children at 2:00 am, or skip a Wednesday morning meeting to go hiking, but you can cut back on how much you watch TV, do laundry, or spend time on other less fulfilling activities. Vanderkam shares creative ways to rearrange your schedule to make room for the things that matter most.

©2010 Laura Vanderkam (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

What the critics say

"We so often live our lives day by day. Laura wants us to think about doing it hour by hour. Living this mantra by example, she gets more done in a day than most of us do in a week." (Seth Godin, author of Linchpin)
"Laura Vanderkam shows us how to use our only real wealth-our 168 hours a week- to make our lives richer, not busier. That's a wonderful gift, because it's what genuine success is all about." (Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated)

What listeners say about 168 Hours

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Great ideas, sometimes long winded

While much is common sense it helps to hear how the author logically dissects how 168 hrs should be optimally spent. Overall worthwhile to listen to and I’ll go back and do exercises.

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very helpful ideas

I enjoyed the book very much but a little outdated with reference to Blackberry and Tivo

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Life changing !

Just finished listening and I can’t wait to apply all of this new knowledge into my life. I feel so inspired and motivated and excited about living every week to the fullest and making the best use of my time. I absolutely loved this book !

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Good insights on use of time

Had good ideas on how to understand your use of time and how to change things to have more time for the important things

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My 168 hours

A great book on time management. Totally changed my view on time. Now l feel I have control over my life

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