Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing 

“How was I hitting my targets without being the first one in the office each day and the last one to leave?” 

Sound familiar? I share her cry for help. 

The title of Laura Mae Martin’s book immediately grabbed my attention. Then, the author stated that one of the biggest struggles she and many of her clients and colleagues shared was the constant push to meet expectations, despite all the effort, they still fell short. I knew I had to keep reading. She then went on to share how facing this obstacle helped her create the ultimate solution: a plan to mindfully organize her workflow (personally and professionally) and regain control of her schedule.

Like any solutions book shared on Books Uplift, I read it, take copious notes, and then put into practice what I’ve learned to see if it is, in fact, a solutions-worthy book. Uptime passed the test. 

Laura opens with a five-part book breakdown that anyone would want solutions to: What to do, when to do it, where to do it, how to do it, and how to live well. While we must make our own choices, these questions always come to mind at crossroads or life transitions. The author is very clear that one-size-fits-all solutions do not work—there are people good with vision and others good with execution. Finding a healthy marriage between the two natural tendencies is a formula for a better life—one with more balance and uptime. 

Keep in mind that uptime is operational availability, or, in the case of this book, more time. Time for what you need time for. 

The book begins and ends with the overarching question: What will future me wish I had done right now? as a litmus test for decision making. It’s one of those pearls for your bathroom mirror and vision board. Then, she makes the promise “For every minute you spend reading this book, you’ll gain at least that much back in time savings after implementing the practices that I share.” 

I took this oath to heart and applied her suggestions, following through on each one that applies to my life right now. Here’s what worked for me.

First, the ‘5 C’s of Productivity” model illustrates the lifecycle of an idea, project, or task, which helped me understand where I’m getting stuck in the productivity loop. This was key to understanding what tools and strategies are needed to get unstuck and either close the loop on my project or discard the idea altogether. I used this model to examine my current list of goals and my ever-growing to-do list. I discussed the projects I hadn’t closed the loop on, then considered why I even wanted to pursue them in the first place. This model also helped me better understand why the goals that were ‘important’ to me were out there bopping around in my mind, untethered and incomplete. I didn’t take the time to create an action plan in the first place, which is critical to really fleshing out the goal and determining its value.

Second, I worked on the guilt I often feel when indulging in two of the “C’s”: Calm and Create.

I love creating, but taking time for calm reflection sometimes feels like a guilty pleasure. Laura shares how even the busiest executives find time to think and unplug. Your first reaction to that statement might be the same as mine: If I had a team of people working underneath me at the office and at home, sure, I could easily find time. But she addresses that by asking the reader to examine the control one has over their schedule. Uh, yeah. I have that. So, it challenged me not only to look at how I’m spending (or wasting) my time, but also to consider how I could use the suggested tools to streamline my work. 

Finally, I felt vindicated with her gentle reminder that ‘saying no’ is A-okay. It’s incredible to me how much I commit to or think I need to do that I don’t really need on my plate. Learning to say “No” or push back against the rigidity of a commitment or the time allotted to something can be challenging. 

But often, others breathe a collective sigh of relief when someone states the obvious, “No thanks,” or do we really need a two-hour team catch-up meeting every week? Whittling down a two-hour coffee-and-donuts update can be better served in a ten-minute stand-up session, followed by a shared productivity calendar. Does my child really need to participate in six after-school activities? Laura says, Ask them. You might find out they really don’t like playing the violin after all.

Finally, I loved the tools presented throughout. As a Googler and productivity expert, she has many excellent tech suggestions that help streamline your commitments. She also shares how some don’t work and can bog a person down. But for those that do, she presents how-tos, hacks, and real-world examples of absolute lifesavers. 

Sure, there are a lot of people who “pooh-pooh” the idea of planning and yet still struggle to find time for the essential things in life. Uptime addresses this. Don’t have to plan too far ahead or be so rigid that you’re militant in your daily life. But increasing efficiency certainly does help.. 

I am experiencing more time and peace of mind after following some of the solutions in this book!

If you’re a planner like me, you probably share the tendency to think so far ahead and get overwhelmed or off track. Read Uptime. It’s designed to be used regularly and will take some time up front to apply. Investing some time to apply and experiment with the suggestions will help you find what works to gain more time back. Now, that’s a solution I can get behind. 

Image Courtesy of Harper Business