The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

I found the book powerful and useful. Read it through once start to finish, am now skipping through it a second time, making notes. His descriptions of how and why we procrastinate worked for me by providing basic theory about the problems I've been solving through procrastination, and behavioral examples of how they're expressed. His descriptions are spot-on accurate for me, too- using procrastination as a source of energy and motivation, using it to make problems and tasks go away, and habitually using language that reinforces the behaviors. If you're someone that can figure out your own solutions once you understand the problem(s), this book will probably work for you. The first two chapters are key, with chapters three to eight filling in details and providing solution structures. As an author, Fiore is ever-so-slightly dry and removed from his audience. I found David Allen in Getting Things Done (a great companion book, btw) more enthusiastic and present. This is a minor nit, though. His presentation is otherwise clean and uncluttered, and reasonably but not overly repetitive. I skipped the occasional page here and there, but not entire sections as with other self-help books. As with any book like this, turning some of his language into your own words will make it that much more applicable and palatable. In comparison to the few negative reviews, I didn't notice much "don't worry, be happy." Fiore focuses more on a strategy of positive thinking and taking a mature, rational, realistic, caring, and fulfilling approach to life. He doesn't sugarcoat anything, and reinforces the value and rewards of being a producer versus a procrastinator. Of all the books I've read on managing one's life, this one is in the top five.

This book greatly helped me to make it through residency. I used the principles again while studying for board exams (Internal Medicine). I now find that my weight-loss patients greatly benefit by using the techniques to stop procrastinating exercise. The most powerful tool is the "Unschedule" form he supplies with instructions. The Unschedule is one of the most ingenious techniques I've seen for getting arial view of the week and for guilt free play and multiple forceful starts on important projects. Best book on procrastination that I've read and in the top ten books on time management. I put this book on the list that will be required reading for my sons as they grow older. --Charles Runels, MD (...)

If I ever get around to reading it. Maybe then I will write an in depth, comprehensive review...maybe...or maybe not...

I think everyone should read this book (Even people who don't actually have a problem getting things done). Because it turns out that a lot of the unpleasantness we associate with work, and the ways we motivate ourselves to get it done are unhealthy and unnecessary. I got this book only yesterday, and already I've started to feel the benefits of rethinking how I look at work and my own destructive habits. My only negative feedback is that I feel I sound overly excited when I talk about this (I usually have a great deal of cynicism when it comes to self-help psychobabble) and some of the things its having me say to myself seem cheesy. (but they work, so I keep saying them, ah! its a vicious cycle!)

Highly recommended for overcoming procrastination. This book is well-written, focused, and clear. When I listened to audio version, I was so impressed that often I would re-play individual sentences because they were so clear and concise that I needed to hear it again to make sure I absorbed it before moving on to the next thought. This motivated me to order the book, so that I could do re-read without having to fumble with the forward and back on the audio player. Having just finished reading the Now Habit, I plan to use the material and have already applied many of the suggestions in my life.

This is a good book. Look at all the reviews and you will see that it is so. However, after reading it, I found that I wasn't a procrastinator, even though I felt like one. Rather, I've been acting like a procrastinator because I have been overwhelmed and things get put off because of 1) feeling overwhelmed and "I can't get to that now" and 2) not knowing what the next step is to move a given project along. After reading The NOW Habit, I went on to read David Allen's "Getting Things Done." Allen's book is fantastic and corrected both my problems mentioned above. Now I no longer behave like a procrastinator. My suggestion is that you read Allen's Getting Things Done first. If, after getting organized, feeling less overwhelmed, and having a clear focus on what needs to happen next on any given project you STILL are procrastinating, then buy The NOW Habit. The NOW Habit gives a few great ideas per chapter while Getting Things Done provides a few great ideas per page! They address slightly different topics (The NOW Habit addresses self-discipline/procrastination and Getting Things Done addresses organization/work habits), so you may want to decide which addresses your concern most directly (or buy both!).

Love this book. It has helped me.

As David Thoreau said (paraphrasing) that for every 100 people hacking at the leaves, there is one hacking at the roots. In this book, I believe Fiore gets to the essence of the problem of procrastination and offers viable solutions. He does a masterful job of helping the reader to look inside his mind and emotions to see what the real core of the problem is -- usually some type of fear. It could use a bit more focus on some of the solutions, but then the book would be longer. Start here before going to other books for solutions.

This book just might change your life. It changed mine. I had read every other book on procrastination before finding this book, including the others mentioned in these reviews. This is, quite simply, the BEST book; completely different from the rest. It is quite possibly the best self-help book I have ever read. It may also be one of the best books ever written on anxiety and on achieving one's goals in life - subjects which I have learned are all connected. Five years ago, I worked at an office job I didn't like much. Since reading Neil Fiore's book, I have written and published two well-reviewed children's books and realized my life-long dream of studying medicine. At the age of 35, I started medical school with no science background or training and in 5 months, I will graduate as an MD. This book allowed me to follow my dreams (thirty minutes at a time) and to acheive them. It can help you do the same. Do not be fooled by books with flashier covers; it's what's inside that counts. Anyone who procrastinates will recognize themselves in these pages; they will also recognize the feelings of being overwhelmed and paralyzed before even starting a project, and the disappointment in themselves that results from chronic procrastination. This is a book that actually teaches you to understand yourself, to take care of yourself, and to help yourself develop simple habits that can change your life. This is truly an easy and non-scary program, proving that you don't have to turn your life upside down to turn it around! The words in this book have stayed with me for years, and I carry a little card with reminders from it in my wallet. This program works. Believe me - I learned medicine thirty minutes at a time! And, most importantly, I had lots of time left over for fun. Stop berating yourself! You don't need more willpower. You don't need a new daytimer. What you need is the NOW HABIT. So scrap that scary to-do list. If you do only one thing this week, make it this: order this excellent book.

Once in a while a book comes along that makes perfect sense. This is a book written by someone who is extremely wise on this subject. A sage-like quality about it. No surprise that Neil has studied this subject for years. The quality in this book shows. Nearly all the books I've read have failed in their mission to get the reader motivated. This book is different. Everyone is unique and everyone has their own entry points. For me I loved the idea of designing one's day around what one really enjoys, leisure, hobbies, exercise etc. Then peppered around this one build's half hour slots of time to do some work towards one's goal. This book builds on the ideas given. Not neccessarily in chronological order. More a 3D model. A layer that also really clicked for me was that instead of focusing on finishing this task, project, goal one has a series of starts. One Starts towards the goal for 30 minutes. Then after this a reward, some fun in life. Then back to the next 30 minute session. What's reccommended is to take a 2 minute pre-project focus to get the mind in the right vibration(my word) before beginning. Procrastinating uses up valuable energy. It's a protection of sorts, but it takes energy to procrastinate. The stories of clients in the book makes one feel that this is more common that we tend to think. Some suffer more than others. For me it's been around for 75% of my life and got worse over the last few years. Having taken voluntary redundancy last November, I thought starting a new career was a simple affair with all this time available. It wasn't time, it was an out of control procrastination junkie. However, it's not always so obvious. In Barbara De Angelis's book Confidence, she speaks of 3 types of confidence, behavioral, spiritual and emotional. In my view if you've got procrastiation as the savior of your pain, you will most assurely lack behavioral confidence in yourself. This will be money so well spent. It's like having an expert right in your hands, helping you every step of the way. For me I realised that I wasn't living a life of fun, I was still waiting for something to happen before my life begun. update 05.12.10 --------------- I recently read How To Be Smart With Your Time: Expert Advice from the Star of Dragons' Den . Its the best book I've read on identifying where your time goes, getting focus and identifying your passions. Read my review as I've covered in depth my personal journey as well as the book contents. You'll notice the ADD mind in the behaviour :o) Creator of the Beginner Tai Chi (DVD)

Second hand copy in condition exactly as described. This is a useful way of challenging procrastination. It tackles why and when we delay getting on with importamt things and has useful tasks to do to help you analyse the root of what's making you anxious about a project. It shows how sometimes what we think is putting us off is just a veil for what's really going on. I'm finding it useful - like many books of this kind it's sensible to re-read and re-use it.

haven't got around to reading it yet! It was recommended to me so I know it is good.

Super fast shipping, really wonderful book, thanks!