The book “18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done” by Peter Bregman had been recommended to me several times, although I no longer remember by whom. It’s about improving focus, avoiding distractions, and accomplishing what you set out to do.
Even though it’s written in a fairly easy-to-read style, I didn’t like the first half at all. It felt like a typical business book, full of fluff, self-praise, and similar things. Something along the lines of “I was a loser, but then I saw the light, and now everyone should follow my lead.” I’m exaggerating, of course, but that’s the feeling I got from the tone between the lines.
However, later on, the author switches to practical examples and more actionable advice.
And although I still believe that the book doesn’t justify its length, it offers a useful perspective on tasks and our approach to them. No, there won’t be any groundbreaking revelations. But the author simply shows through his own examples how day-to-day life and following all the smart time-management and productivity books can sometimes actually lead to a decrease in productivity.
If you summarize the main points briefly, they boil down to fundamental truths:
- Prioritize
- Do what you enjoy
- Don’t overthink, just take action
- Don’t ignore patterns (if something happens three times, it’s a trend)
The rest is literary elaboration and filling the pages. But by the end, I actually started to enjoy the book a little more.
My rating: 3.5/5
