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Never Check E-mail in the Morning
Book

Never Check E-mail in the Morning

And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work

Fireside, 2005 more...

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Typically, the mentoring process is a two-way dialogue that takes place over lunch, in the gym or on the phone. But author Julie Morgenstern changes the traditional mentoring model. Speaking out from the printed page, she mentors by remote. Morgenstern offers useful career guidance and concise tips, organized as concrete "Grab and Go Strategies." Her colorful examples, logical chapter summaries and chatty case histories make her book outstanding. Occasionally, her advice is repetitive, but overall it’s hard to find fault, because she is so clearly smart, thoughtful and on your side. getAbstract recommends this mentor’s manual to every professional, including the overworked, self-employed and underemployed.

Summary

Quick Quirk Quiz: You vs. Them and You vs. You

Denial is a disease. Your unwillingness or inability to assess your flaws honestly will cause work problems and personal issues to fester and spread into every area of your life. But at the other extreme, your failure to appreciate your own value, achievements and strengths also can be a major problem. Honestly and accurately assess the positives and negatives of your personal and professional performance. Try this quiz:

  • When faced with a deadline, are you able to concentrate and set priorities?
  • Does work pile up in your in-box?
  • Do you have a system for tracking items on your "to-do list?"
  • Are you happy with your life’s professional time vs. personal time ratio?
  • What are your top contributions to your office and your home?

Now consider this crucial question: Are the problems in your life attributable to your deficiencies, the shortcomings of others or both.

Pin the blame on yourself if: 1) Your planning is typically poor; 2) You fail to set priorities; or 3) You are plagued and paralyzed by perfectionism.

Pin the blame on others if: 1) Your peers, supervisors...

About the Author

Julie Morgenstern, the owner/founder of Task Masters, also wrote the bestseller Organizing from the Inside Out and Time Management from the Inside Out. She writes a monthly column called "Getting Organized," in O, The Oprah Magazine.


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