Moving from the bustling streets of Mumbai to the serene city of Pune, I recently stumbled upon a hidden gem from my past. While packing, I unearthed an old Reader’s Digest book that I had bought during my student days in the 1990s from a Sunday street sale in Mumbai. The book, focused on “organizing yourself,” brought back memories of my long-standing interest in productivity.
As I began to reread this book, I turned to the acknowledgments page and noticed an article sourced from a book called “Getting Things Done” by Edwin C. Bliss. This discovery was surprising, as the title “Getting Things Done” has always been synonymous with David Allen. Intrigued, I read the article and was captivated by its insights. Determined to find the original book, I searched Amazon.in to no avail but eventually found a used copy on Amazon.com for $1, plus $6 for shipping. After a long wait, the book arrived, and it was a pleasant surprise to find it brimming with rich ideas. It’s evident that some of these ideas may have influenced David Allen’s work.
As a tribute to Edwin C. Bliss, this year, I decided to share 17 of his quotes on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Here is that compilation for you:
17 Timeless Quotes from Edwin C. Bliss on Productivity and Time Management
- No
- “Of all the time-saving techniques ever developed, perhaps the most effective is the frequent use of the word no.”
- Planning
- “There is no more productive use of time than planning ahead.”
- Procrastination
- “Divide and conquer applies to tasks just as it does to armies or enemies.”
- Communication
- “A frequent cause of time waste is a lack of clear, direct, germane communication between people.”
- Bottleneck
- “Keep in mind that to get anything done in this world, you often must be willing to be a bit obnoxious.”
- Crisis
- “Failure to start early enough is only one cause of crises.”
- Health
- “If you find time for watching television but not for tennis or golf or jogging, you are violating the most basic rule of time management, which is to do the most important things first.”
- Break
- “You should not think of a restorative break as poor use of time. Not only will being refreshed increase your efficiency, but relieving tension will benefit your health. Anything that contributes to health is good time management.”
- Fun
- “Work is fun only when you have it under control, and leisure is fun only when you can relax without feeling guilty, knowing that you’ve earned a good rest.”
- Crisis
- “Whenever you are faced with a crisis, ask yourself, What can I do to prevent this crisis from recurring?”
- If Only
- “There is no greater waste of time than regret.”
- Siesta
- “A siesta isn’t for everyone, but if you’re one of those who perk up after one, do your darndest to arrange your schedule accordingly.”
- Prime Time
- “The best time of the day should be spent on the things that matter most, the things that require top energy, complete alertness, greatest creativity.”
- Efficiency versus Effectiveness
- “Sound time management involves thinking in terms of effectiveness first and efficiency second.”
- Office Bag
- “The only justification for taking your briefcase (office bag) home every evening is that you intend to use it the following morning for transporting your lunch.”
- Scheduling
- “Allocate blocks of time to the one or two really important things you must get done during the day, and leave plenty of unscheduled time for visitors, phone calls, unforeseen emergencies, and secondary tasks.”
- Perfectionism
- “There is a difference between striving for excellence and striving for perfection. The first is attainable, gratifying, and healthy. The second is unattainable, frustrating, and neurotic.”
In addition to these insightful quotes, another treat from Edwin Bliss is an audiobook available thanks to Simon & Schuster. I could only get it on my Amazon.com Audible account, but it was so refreshing. This engaging, conversational book offers practical advice on how to fix procrastination. If this topic interests you, I highly recommend giving it a listen.
Revisiting Edwin C. Bliss’s wisdom has been a rewarding journey. His timeless insights continue to inspire and guide us in our quest for better time management and productivity. Whether you are seeking to eliminate procrastination, improve your planning, or balance work and leisure, Bliss’s principles provide valuable guidance for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in both your professional and personal life.
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