Rory Vaden

With a somewhat misleading title, “Procrastinate on Purpose” by Rory Vaden was successful in getting my attention. While the book is interesting and has a great title that draws a person in, I don’t know if it is intended for me. That is my initial thought on seeing the premise of the book. However, in this world, there are always going to be things that try to distract you from what you need to do and spend down your time. So I suppose it is worth a shot to read.

This book is focused on the entrepreneur or office worker who might feel as though they don’t have enough time in the week to get things done. That is the main thing that doesn’t apply to me. My job does not really put me into such a position, although it is true that I feel as though I never have enough time to complete all of my tasks and the things I would like to get done.

Mr. Vaden begins by writing about the usual way people approach “Time Management;” they attempt to either juggle their tasks or do their tasks faster. Eventually, they might reach a state that we call burnout. You feel spread too thin, like butter over too much bread. Forgive the Lord of the Rings reference, but it is quite apt. You just aren’t being chased by Ringwraiths. In any case, we all only have 168 hours a week. Once you take out time for eating and sleeping, you begin to find how much time you really have to work with.

The book is really good for telling you how to manage your time, and it does so in a somewhat innovative way. Rather than acting like a juggling hamster on a giant wheel, we can invest our time to have more time later. This is an interesting idea, and I don’t know if I have read about it before. Most people that are really effective don’t talk about how busy they are since they figure that talking just wastes time.

I liked this book, and perhaps I will check out Rory Vaden’s earlier book if I can find it at the Library.… (meer)

Rory Vaden discusses why success requires self-discipline. By looking for short-cuts (i.e., the escalator), we are actually making our lives worse. Procrastination only exacerbates our problems, and shortcuts require more work in the end. Vaden expands on this idea:

“Our unwillingness to take action in our own individual lives might not seem like a global problem. But as our procrastination ripples through our homes, our schools, our communities, and our culture at large, we find our country becoming a ProcrastiNation unwilling to take on the tough challenges we face, and seeking immediate gratification instead of real growth and change.”

The most important message I got from Vaden’s book is to concentrate on your actions, not your results. Your everyday activities are within your power. Take pride in your stellar effort, and let go of the anxiety attached to the results. There are many things outside of your control (e.g. disease or injury) that can interrupt your progress. Put your self-esteem into your work habits; regardless in the outcome, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you did everything within your control.… (meer)