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168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think Audiobook
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(3.03) - 645 listener ratings
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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. 168 Hours is a fun, inspiring, practical guide that will help men and women of any age, lifestyle, or career get the most out of their time and their lives.
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"I give it four stars grudgingly. It has some good ideas but it also has a lot of fluff. Fortunately, it is easy to skim past some bits and then jump back in when it has something useful to say. Personally I find repeated examples and charts to be no value added. Give me the idea, explain it efficiently, and let me use it as I see fit - that works better for me. Also, there were a lot of "as a pregnant mother" anecdotes that do me (as a single male with all his kids raised to adults) not much good. Still, I found it a worthwhile read and found some things to try out for myself."
— Tim (4 out of 5 stars)
168 Hours Listener Reviews
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" Some good tips, lots of obvious stuff. "
— Heathermarvell, 2/17/2014 -
" Really interesting. The middle bothered me a bit (I thought some of it was just a bit unrealistic for how some people live and these are definitely first world problems here), but overall, useful and insightful. Full review to come. "
— Janssen, 2/11/2014 -
" In the same way that I liked The Happiness Project, I liked how this book made me think, plus provided research about how Americans are actually spending their time. Worth checking out. "
— Jane, 2/6/2014 -
" MCL. Vanderkam suggests a different way of looking at time management. Her pet demographic is working mothers and how they can find time to do what they want, but there are lessons for everyone on prioritizing and planning one's time. "
— Kirsti, 2/3/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book. As with any 'self-improvement' book, obviously there will be propositions and strategies that you don't agree with or think are valuable. However, this book provided many useful and practical tips. Even by carrying out the few simple exercises at the end of the first few chapters, you will notice a difference. Definitely recommend this! "
— Anna, 1/25/2014 -
" Life-changing book. Longer book review to come. "
— Carmen, 1/20/2014 -
" I recommend this book to everyone--from fellow writers to my hairdresser--because it's simply that good. Vanderkam encourages you to think hard about your priorities and pokes a hole in the "I'm too busy" excuses that we often make. "
— Camille, 1/10/2014 -
" I did learn how to get more done, but I found the arguments about working versus staying home to be ridiculous and somewhat insulting. "
— Rebecca, 1/7/2014 -
" Some very good stuff in here! "
— Lindsay, 1/6/2014 -
" good concept. made me think about allocation of time. "
— Eric, 12/26/2013 -
" interesting way of looking at how much time you actually have. would be nice to have the resources to implement some of the things she suggests (i.e. pay someone to clean my house and do my laundry). "
— Erin, 11/30/2013 -
" Simple with good exercises to look more carefully at how you spend your time. What are your goals? what is more important to you in life? A quick read, but it changes how I look at my days. I don't agree with every word (do I ever?), but still loved it overall. "
— Kristine, 9/21/2013 -
" This is a clever book and really makes you look at your life in close detail. "
— Karen, 5/9/2012 -
" The book has an excellent start and end expect middle part is completely irrelevant to singles. Some of the suggestions are only for most affluent of us. "
— Sudhir, 2/23/2012 -
" Great way to think about time. There may not be enough hours in the day, but there are enough in the week. It's about prioritizing things and being honest with yourself. "
— Kristin, 12/20/2011 -
" Not much for the 'productivity' genre but this definitely put many things (especially sources of anxiety in my life) in perspective. "
— Karthik, 7/25/2011 -
" I ended up just skimming this. Not very impressed. "
— Kathy, 6/24/2011 -
" The book has an excellent start and end expect middle part is completely irrelevant to singles. Some of the suggestions are only for most affluent of us. "
— Donniezazen, 5/12/2011 -
" Life-changing book. Longer book review to come. "
— Carmen, 4/6/2011 -
" Mostly awful, but at least a reminder that I shouldn't waste so much time. "
— Lisa, 4/4/2011 -
" It gave me some things to think about but it's similar to Stephen Covey's 7 habits books/workshops. "
— Christina, 3/31/2011 -
" There are a 168 hours in a week - what are you going to do with them. Not much new if you've read Power of Less or 4 hour work week. "
— Andrew, 3/20/2011 -
" Even just a few pages in, this is awesomely inspiring to a busy person...<br/><br/>Some very good tips about prioritizing! I need this book!!! "
— Heather, 3/12/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book and have decided to try some things that the author suggested to see where I'm really spending my 168 hours/week. I will let you know when I begin training for my first triathalon *snicker snicker*. "
— Jackie, 2/2/2011 -
" We really have 168 hours/ week? Why don't I get more things accomplished?? <br/>This author will help you answer that question and also provide ways to remedy the situation. Lots of good ideas but of course, one must actually do them to make them work. "
— Pat, 1/23/2011 -
" Some thought-provoking ideas about making the most of your time, but also some things that just didn't seem practical or realistic for people with atypical jobs or living in rural communities without access to the sort of daycare, cleaning services, and restaurants that you'd find in NYC. "
— Jonathan, 1/10/2011 -
" I am always striving to be more productive. This has great stories & great ideas to help! It also reminds me there are only so mnay hours in a week, so I should use them wisely. "
— Rae, 1/9/2011
About Laura Vanderkam
Laura Vanderkam is the author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think and Grindhopping: Build a Rewarding Career Without Paying Your Dues. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, City Journal, Huffington Post, USA Today, Scientific American, and Reader’s Digest, among other publications. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children.