Max Dorofeev’s training on the “empty inbox” technique has recently become very popular among many of my colleagues and in the IT sphere overall. Probably because many of us are familiar with the feeling of having too many emails, too many tasks, with everyone working at full speed, yet the workload only seems to increase. At some point, many realize that things can’t continue like this.
This leads to a frantic search for books on self-organization, time management, and various “silver bullet” methods that promise to solve everything.
Before writing his book, Max Dorofeev successfully toured with his training sessions and also conducted webinars on the same topic. I participated in one of them myself, but I was curious to see what he compiled under the cover of the book.
Max Dorofeev’s book isn’t about introducing a brand-new methodology (and there are indeed plenty of them already). Rather, it’s a reframing of his personal experience through the lens of several well-known approaches. If you’ve been exploring the topic for a while, you won’t find anything groundbreaking.
But the book’s value lies elsewhere. Having tried many methods himself, Max shares what works and what can get in the way. It’s interesting how, in some examples, he explores both sides of the same action. If you don’t do something—here’s why it’s bad; if you do it—here’s how you might fall into procrastination. For instance, I found it fascinating when he explained how sometimes tasks don’t get done simply because, deep down, you already know the solution and subconsciously think, “So why bother?” I’ve certainly encountered this in my own practice.
The real highlight for me was the analogy of the “dumb monkey” and the “rational little human” in your head. Yes, Max openly credits Tim Urban for the idea, but it fits perfectly with the concepts of why we do or don’t get things done! This analogy alone can offer a completely new perspective on organizing tasks and managing your approach to them.
You shouldn’t expect groundbreaking revelations from this book. However, it’s written in a simple, engaging style, and the “minimalist” illustrations with the cute monkey help visualize what’s happening in your mind.
Some examples will help you identify specific shortcomings in your own process, while others will give you a fresh perspective on planning your tasks. But you won’t find solutions to all your problems here (nor will you in any other book).
My rating: 4/5
[…] years ago, also in November, I wrote a review of Maxim Dorofeev’s book Jedi Techniques. In it, Maxim aimed to consolidate the essence of his time-management training. The book was very […]