Simplify Your Work Life: Ways to Change the Way You Work so You Have More Time to Live - Softcover

St. James, Elaine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786885963 ISBN 13: 9780786885961

Publisher: Hyperion, 2002

Synopsis

With more than two million copies of the Simplify series books in print -- now there are two million and one reasons to simplify, simplify, simplify.

Elaine St. James' Simplify series has taught the world how to start doing less and enjoying it more. Now Elaine teaches us to balance one of life's most difficult areas: the work world. Filled with tremendously helpful advice, and easy yet profoundly smart suggestions, her new book shows us big and small ways to scale down and simplify life on the job, such as:

--Breaking the habit of bringing work home from the office
--Estimating the time it will take to complete a project, then double the estimate
--Cutting back on the amount of time you spend working
--Learning how to make the right decisions quickly

Written in the same upbeat, relaxed, and matter-of-fact tone that won millions of readers to the simplicity movement, Simplify Your Work Life is certain to attract even more followers.

Elaine's syndicated weekly column Simplify Your Life is carried in 50 newspapers nationwide and is read by more than 2 million fans each week.

About this title

Review:

Now that Elaine St. James has helped readers simplify their homes, closets, and holidays, she shares her expert advice on simplifying the workplace. St. James points out that most of the conveniences Americans rely upon to make work easier--such as fax machines, e-mail, and cell phones--really make it "easier to do more work" at any time of day or night. As a result, the 40-hour workweek is a distant memory. "American workers could learn a lot from the European workplace," she writes. "In most European countries, the 32 hour work week is mandated by law."

How is it possible to be like the Europeans and still get the job done? This is where St. James gets specific. At first she asks readers to set firmer boundaries between work and home. She makes seemingly radical suggestions, such as "stop working weekends," "add one day to your vacation" (to allow for transition time), and "eliminate your commute." She also offers on-the-job advice, such as "be selective in giving out your e-mail [address]" (to eliminate distracting messages) and "double your estimate" ("face it, things always take twice as long to complete as you think"). Ultimately, she suggests ways to be more efficient spenders in order to have more flexibility (which results in saner and more meaningful work). This Queen of Simplification may seem simplistic to her detractors, but her advice-packed books really do get results. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Elaine St. James, former real estate businesswoman, is the author of the national bestsellersSimplify Your Life and Inner Simplicity. She lives a quiet, simple life in Santa Barbara, California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0786885963
• ISBN 13: 9780786885961
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296