Spring 1996

Book Review: Five Days to an Organized Life
Lucy H. Hedrick. New York: Dell, 1981.
Reviewed by Candace Cone, Department of French

Feeling stressed? Wondering how to fit 26 hours of work into a 24-hour day? If you find yourself nodding in agreement, then Five Days to an Organized Life is the book for you!

Lucy Hedrick provides a simple, fun approach to time management. There are no mission statements to write, no complicated planners to buy, and no pressure to squeeze more activities into a busy day. Instead, Hedrick focuses on simplifying life. She proposes a system of identifying goals, breaking them into manageable parts, and rewarding progress. Her ultimate goal isn't necessarily to get more work done, but to work more efficiently so there will be time for more enjoyable activities. And who doesn't want to have more fun?

This insistence on leisure is the most novel aspect of Hedrick's approach. She urges her reader not only to balance work with pleasure, but to motivate work with pleasure. Her first chapter focuses on setting rewards for working toward goals. Thus, grading a set of papers might earn a walk in the park or a trip to the movies. Hedrick maintains that these frequent breaks not only provide motivation to tackle the more unpleasant tasks but also increase one's efficiency.

The book's format is very accessible. Hedrick's plan is presented in five chapters, one per tip. She suggests reading only one point per day, taking time to internalize it by working through the exercises provided. And for those of us who can't wait five days, the book is only 161 pages long and can be read in one sitting without investing too much already scarce time.

Five Days to an Organized Life presents a logical, easy to follow approach to clearing the clutter in one's life. Does it really work? Ask me in five days!