THE SHOW
Laura Vanderkam is a prolific author whose TED talk, “How to Gain Control of Your Free Time” has been viewed more than 5 million times. Her books center on productivity and helping readers spend more time on the things they love and less time on the things they don’t.
Behind Her Brilliance: Experimentation
Say hi to Laura on Twitter
THE GUEST
LAURA VANDERKAM | Author
Laura Vanderkam helps people spend more time on what matters, and less on what doesn’t.
Laura is the author of several time management and productivity books. Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done(Portfolio, May 29, 2018) explores, through more than 900 time diaries collected on a single March day, why some busy people feel relaxed about time, while others do not. I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time (Portfolio, 2015) tackles the question of how women combine work and life through an analysis of 1001 days in the lives of women with demanding careers and children at home. What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (Portfolio, 2013) profiles prominent people who use time creatively to achieve their goals. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think (Portfolio, 2010) argues that time is best approached from the holistic perspective of a week (168 hours) rather than any single day.
Laura is also the author of a time management fable, Juliet’s School of Possibilities, which will be released by Portfolio in early 2019. Another novel, The Cortlandt Boys, is available as an ebook.
Laura’s work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, City Journal, Fortune, and Fast Company.
She has appeared on numerous television programs, including The Today Show and Fox & Friends, hundreds of radio segments, and has spoken about time and productivity to audiences of all sizes. Her TED talk, “How to gain control of your free time,” has been viewed more than 5 million times. She is the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds.
She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and four children. She blogs most days at LauraVanderkam.com.
TOPICS COVERED
Laura’s advice to people who feel like they don’t have enough hours in the day
What research reveals about what productivity advice works
Laura’s take on TV time
The importance of starting small to make big changes
Laura’s journey as an author
And much, much more!
STUFF MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Juliet’s School of Possibilities (Laura’s new book)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
Lisa Likes:
“One’s task consists first of all in mastering a life that is one’s own, not imposed or prescribed from without, no matter how noble its appearance may be. For each of us is issued but one life and we know full well how it all ends. It would be regrettable to squander this one chance on someone else’s appearance, someone else’s experience.” – Joseph Brodsky
