I am nearing completion of writing 168 Hours, and am looking for people who would be willing to keep a time log for 168 hours (a week), and then let me offer tune-up suggestions. Ideally, these people would also be willing to participate in book promotion a year from now.

I’ve been doing these “makeovers” on myself for the past few months. Keeping a time log is not very laborious if you get in the habit (and I have spreadsheets you can use to make it easier). It is amazing to see where the time goes.

As I’ve become more aware of my time, I’ve made a few changes. For instance, I now usually use one of Jasper’s weekend nap times to read fiction. Granted, 2 hours a week isn’t much, but that’s 2 more of my 168 than I was doing before — and it’s enough to plow through a novel or more a month.

I’ve also cut down on time thinking about dinner by loading up the fridge with frozen meat, the pantry with easy sides, and then playing mix & match based on what produce looks good. I saved a reasonable amount of time on shopping for maternity clothes by hiring a personal shopper. And I read the books I’m reviewing during long (but easy) sessions on the stationary bike.

These are the kinds of tune-ups I’m talking about. If you’d be interested in participating in a makeover, or know someone who would, please email me at lvanderkam at yahoo dot com. Thanks!