Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews: A Book Review

By Melissa Batai

Do you stuff too many activities into your day? Are you frustrated at the end of the day because you weren’t able to accomplish all of the things on your to-do list? Do you not have enough time to exercise or sleep 7 to 8 hours a night? Do you want to have more family time but don’t know how to fit it all in? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I encourage you to read Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews.

About Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews

Amy Lynn Andrews knows about being busy. She has four kids, a husband, and a work-at-home business. Her kids attend a university model school, so while they go to school a few days a week, she homeschools them the other days. She’s tried many different planners and organizational systems, to no avail.

She decided to change the way she looked at time, and the results are in her short but powerful book, Tell Your Time: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free.

I promise you, this book is like no other time management you’ve read. She doesn’t just suggest how to organize your time. Instead, she asks you to think of time as a finite resource. Just like Dave Ramsey followers have cash envelopes that they use for certain budget categories like spending, food, gas, etc., Andrews asks you to set up your own time envelopes and budget your time accordingly.

I love this concept because before you fill your time envelopes, so to speak, you have to decide what categories you’ll have. What roles do you have and what activities do you choose to spend your time on?

You Have to Be Ready to Make Some Hard Choices

For Andrews’ system to help you manage your time, you must first be willing to do some work and make some hard choices.

First, you need to define what 4 to 5 roles are most important in your life. These roles will later form the basis of your envelope categories. You also need to look at what you want to accomplish at the end of your life and then work backwards.

Then, you must ruthlessly look at your schedule and how you are currently spending your time. Do your current activities help you achieve the end of your life goals? Do they fit into the four to five categories you created? If not, ruthlessly slash them from your schedule.

Only after you’ve done this hard work does Andrews show you how to arrange your schedule so you control your time instead of vice versa.

Final Thoughts

Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews is unlikely any other time management book I’ve read (and I’ve ready plenty). If you’re ready to create a workable schedule that helps you achieve your dreams and goals, find enough time to spend with family, and leaves you feeling accomplished and rested, I highly recommend this book.