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Principles of Self-Management: The Key to Personal and Professional Success

By: John C. Marshall, PhD & Bob McHardy CLU

Reflection by: Emily Edwards

Why I read it?

I chose to read The Principles of Self-Management because I wanted to start the new year off on the right foot with a book that I could apply to my personal and professional life. Time management and efficiency are things I am always striving to get better at so that I have time in my day to do more of the things I enjoy. There are many areas of my job and personal life that are enjoyable, and I want to be efficient at the more mundane day-to-day tasks so I can spend more time on the exciting parts of work/personal life.

What is it all about?

The book is about nine principles that you should abide by to be more successful. Success looks different to many people, but these basic “guidelines” set up your life so that you can be successful. Each chapter dives into a principal and how to implement them into your life in a practical way. The principles range from managing your effort to managing your expectations and self-confidence.

What caused me to pause?

Something in the book that caused me to pause was the chapter on managing your return on energy. This breaks down the difference between the time we spend on a project vs. the energy we put into the project. It is typically better to spend less time with greater effort on a project rather than spending more time on a project and not being fully invested the whole time. This seems like a simple idea, but I think it’s easy to forget this basic concept.

How will this book change my habits/influence me? 

This book will influence me to be more conscious about steps to improve my performance management. Life can be hectic and it’s easy to push things off for the future, but the authors explain that changing your “I should” statements to “I will” statements is the only way to follow through.

Add this to your reading list if …

You are working in a professional setting while also looking to balance an outside life! There are inclusive and attainable tips that will allow you to maximize your time and be more efficient.

Pickle Rating: 4.5/5

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