I know time management isn't exactly personal finance, but in my worldview your personal financial condition comes about from more than whether you're a good saver and investor. It also comes about from having a good career that pays you a decent salary, and being a good time manager can help you get there, thus giving you more money, thus explaining why I'm reviewing Time Power by Brian Tracy. That said, let's sally forth...

In Time Power, Brian Tracy says you should ask yourself one question up front before worrying about how to get the most done in the least time: what do you want? It stands to reason that if you don't have a clear picture of where you'd like to be---including career, money, relationships, etc.---then it doesn't matter if you're supremely efficient, because you'll be doing the wrong things anyway. I can agree with that. (Unfortunately, this then leads to the thought of having written goals and objectives, which has never been my strong suit.)

Now that you know exactly what you want, it's time to think about getting it done, quick-like. Tracy covers a variety of issues that affect how well you use your time. Personal organization gets tackled first, from getting your desk clear every night to getting the right seat on the airplane to use that captive time to get something accomplished.

Tracy then covers setting priorities---you may have established big goals, but are you wasting your daily time endlessly answering e-mails and not doing the important stuff that actually moves your success forward? If so, you have to rethink (each day) what is the most important thing to accomplish and carve out uninterrupted time to make that happen.

This is all good stuff, but I think Tracy loses it a bit when he gets to the chapter on work habits. Earlier in the book he makes the statement that you're not going to get more hours, so you have to figure out how to make the most of the hours you've got. But then he tells you to go to bed earlier so that you can get up earlier and get to work, then stay late to get even more done. This no doubt leads to greater success, and it's true you'll accomplish more by working in those early and late hours where there are fewer distractions. And yet---isn't this more a prescription for being a workaholic than being a good time manager? I don't tend to think of "work more" as being great time management advice.

Tracy has a habit of repeating himself, and also has a habit of telling you that the point he's about to make is a very, very important key to success. After a while, you can't help but wonder how you're going to remember all these many keys to time management mastery.

Nevertheless, it's a worthwhile book if you're trying to get your sloppy life into some order, as it's obvious that Tracy has every moment of his own life succinctly mapped out. If only I could get Brian Tracy to follow me around each day and slap my hand when I went off course---I would be a master. As it is, I'll have to settle for pulling his book down every so often when I feel my time is no longer my own.