Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

MAKE TIME by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky is subtitled “How to Focus on What Matters Every Day” and I think this would make an excellent read for our cohort on resiliency and work/life balance. The authors share their thoughts in a very conversational tone and relate the suggestions to their own experiences like scheduling a regular time with friends or going for a run after work.  Knapp spent a decade at Google and Google Ventures where he created the design sprint process and Zeratsky (or JZ), who has written for numerous financial and technology publications, worked as a designer for fifteen years at YouTube and Google Ventures. MAKE TIME is divided into sections which deal with their formula—highlight, laser, reflect, energize. They offer numerous helpful and practical suggestions such as the idea of shifting habits (e.g., turning off notifications or deleting messaging apps from your phone) and controlling where you focus attention. 

Another example involves “to do” lists where each author describes his own method. JZ maintains a "might do" list, then selects highlights (something relatively urgent that will provide satisfaction and joy) and adds those to the calendar.  Jake, instead, establishes a burner list with “one and only one project, activity or objective” on the FRONT burner; everything else goes to the back burner.  The authors' suggestions are accompanied by simple visuals and cartoon-like drawings to help reinforce each process.  If you are interested in time redesign, MAKE TIME is a humorous and insightful read; it received a starred review from Booklist.