This text aims to offer an easy way to improve your skills fast. But it is far from a dry traditional course; as the author says, "be prepared to learn, but also be prepared to have fun". After an exploration of the key elements that make for effective time management and stress reduction, the course itself consists of a programme of 150 exercises and techniques to help you to decide what you want from life - and get it! Targeted reading ensures that the practical exercises are backed up with expert knowledge. This dynamic personal development programme is split into 30 units, all designed to be completed in your spare time in one week. Alternatively, if you are under pressure to get results, a whole unit can be fitted in within a day. The final section provides a refresher course that pulls together key learning points, ideas for further reading, and detailed tables that will help you to select the right techniques to use in specific situations.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 Getting the basics What's it for? The key elements Time management Stress management Negotiation Getting started 2 Work plan Introducing the course Checklist 3 The course Unit 1 A taster 1.1 Exercise: Where did it go? 1.2 Exercise/Technique: The top ten list 1.3 Technique: A personal project 1.4 Exercise/Technique: Little successes 1.5 Technique: Another lever Unit 2 Fundamentals -- understanding your motives 2.1 Exercise: Talent spotting 2.2 Exercise: If I were rich 2.3 Exercise: Dream day 2.4 Exercise: Obstacle map 2.5 Exercise: What's it worth? Unit 3 Finding the switches -- understanding your stressors 3.1 Exercise: Control freaks 3.2 Exercise: The big stuff 3.3 Exercise: How do you react? 3.4 Exercise: Physical checks 3.5 Exercise: Emotional and spiritual checks Unit 4 What comes first? -- prioritization 4.1 Exercise: Principles 4.2 Exercise/Technique: Focus 4.3 Exercise/Technique: Priorities 4.4 Exercise: Pareto 4.5 Exercise/Technique: Drawn and quartered Unit 5 There's nowhere like home -- work/life balance 5.1 Exercise: Scrap the briefcase 5.2 Exercise: How long? 5.3 Exercise: Reading up 5.4 Exercise/Technique: Banning homework 5.5 Exercise: Because I'm worth it Unit 6 I can't concentrate -- handling distractions 6.1 Technique: The red hat 6.2 Technique: Deflecting distraction 6.3 Exercise: Jump start 6.4 Technique: Waiting room 6.5 Exercise: Caught in the Web Unit 7 Chunking it up -- breaking down your goals into manageable items 7.1 Exercise/Technique: Chunking 7.2 Exercise/Technique: Tasks, tasks 7.3 Exercise/Technique: Task list stragglers 7.4 Exercise: We don't deliver 7.5 Exercise/Technique: Against the buffers Unit 8 Stopping -- saying 'No' and throwing things out 8.1 Exercise: Why not 'No'? 8.2 Exercise: No, I can 8.3 Exercise/Technique: Meet yourself half way 8.4 Technique: No action, no report 8.5 Exercise: No news is good news Unit 9 Managing meetings -- don't let them rule your life 9.1 Technique: Agenda bender 9.2 Technique: Garbage in, garbage out 9.3 Technique: Crowd control 9.4 Technique: Go casual 9.5 Technique: Coherent discussion Unit 10 A pat on the back -- self reward 10.1 Technique: Cherry picking 10.2 Technique: Little treats 10.3 Technique: Doggie chocs 10.4 Technique: Pat on the back 10.5 Exercise: I did that Unit 11 Look around you -- dealing with the environment 11.1 Technique: Quiet corners 11.2 Exercise: How wide is your door? 11.3 Exercise: Home, sweet home 11.4 Exercise: Environmental stuff 11.5 Technique: Coping with change Unit 12 Giving it away -- sharing your burdens 12.1 Exercise/Technique: Letting go 12.2 Exercise: Be prepared 12.3 Exercise: Delegation difficulties 12.4 Exercise: It's mine 12.5 Exercise: Mentor mine Unit 13 Making communications work for you -- rather than for them 13.1 Technique: The e-mail of the species 13.2 Technique: E-mail it away 13.3 Technique: Calling by numbers 13.4 Technique: Fluffy phones 13.5 Technique: Paper mountains Unit 14 Filling the gaps -- using your spare time 14.1 Technique: TV turn-off 14.2 Exercise: You are what you eat 14.3 Technique: Play! 14.4 Exercise: The spiritual path 14.5 Exercise: Different values Unit 15 Devils and angels -- anger and laughter 15.1 Exercise: Handling confrontation 15.2 Exercise: Laugh! 15.3 Technique: Rage 15.4 Technique: Don't do that 15.5 Exercise: When you lose your temper Unit 16 Easing off -- relaxation 16.1 Technique: Touchy-smelly 16.2 Exercise: Ritual relaxation 16.3 Exercise/Technique: Breathing is good for you 16.4 Exercise/Technique: Pushing waves 16.5 Exercise/Technique: Medicinal reading Unit 17 Dealing with a troublemaker -- de-stressing the interaction 17.1 Exercise: Sulkers 17.2 Exercise: Nemesis 17.3 Exercise: Bully off 17.4 Exercise: Cut the aggro 17.5 Exercise: Slowing the pace Unit 18 Getting what you want -- assertive behaviour 18.1 Exercise: Are you assertive? 18.2 Technique: Broken record 18.3 Exercise/Technique: Broken CD 18.4 Technique: Setbacks 18.5 Exercise: Personality types Unit 19 Make the break -- getting away from it all 19.1 Exercise: Don't bury yourself 19.2 Technique: Cafe life 19.3 Technique: Get away 19.4 Technique: Walkies! 19.5 Technique: Going solo Unit 20 Bumf bashing -- dealing with bureaucracy and paperwork 20.1 Exercise/Technique: Penalizing pen pushing 20.2 Exercise: A file in a cake 20.3 Technique: Scheduling admin 20.4 Technique: Bureaucratic bounce-back 20.5 Technique: Sharing chores Unit 21 The inner you -- dealing with physical issues 21.1: Exercise: Hot spots 21.2: Exercise: Stress workout 21.3 Exercise: Sleep! 21.4 Exercise: Stimulants stink 21.5 Technique: Integral exercise Unit 22 Development through knowledge -- using information to your advantage 22.1 Technique: Capture ideas 22.2 Exercise: Lifetime value 22.3 Exercise: Web research 22.4: Exercise: Knowing the opposition 22.5: Exercise: Knowing your products and services Unit 23 Seeing through the fog -- understanding what they're really saying 23.1 Technique: Listen well 23.2 Exercise: Are they telling the truth? 23.3 Technique: Play that back 23.4 Exercise: Remote negotiation 23.5 Technique: Appearing naive Unit 24 Finding the levers -- making negotiation work for you 24.1 Technique: It's yours right now 24.2 Exercise: Starting prices 24.3 Exercise/Technique: Throwing in the condiment 24.4 Technique: There's always an 'if' 24.5 Exercise/Technique: Doing a special Unit 25 Selling yourself -- don't shoot yourself in the foot 25.1 Technique: Talking yourself down 25.2 Technique: Getting endorsements 25.3 Technique: Delightful deals 25.4 Exercise: Selling your wider strengths 25.5 Exercise: Being you Unit 26 Making the choice -- supporting your decisions 26.1 Exercise/Technique: Taking notes 26.2 Technique: The timescales game 26.3 Exercise/Technique: Basic option evaluation 26.4 Exercise/Technique: Sophisticated option evaluation 26.5 Exercise/Technique: Options with guts Unit 27 Going beyond the obvious -- dealing with others differently 27.1 Technique: I agree ... ish 27.2 Exercise: Exploring trust 27.3 Exercise/Technique: Beautiful barter 27.4 Technique: You won't win them all 27.5 Exercise/Technique: Aim high to get more Unit 28 Be prepared -- planning for success 28.1 Technique: Stage fright 28.2 Exercise/Technique: Your USP 28.3 Exercise/Technique: Setting targets 28.4 Exercise: Future visions 28.5 Exercise/Technique: Don't leave the next step in others' hands Unit 29 Putting it across -- communicating your message 29.1 Exercise: Using emotion 29.2 Exercise: I'll be honest... 29.3 Technique: Yes ... eventually 29.4 Exercise/Technique: Using silence 29.5 Exercise: Body language Unit 30 A sense of calm -- further relaxation 30.1 Exercise/Technique: Relaxing by numbers 30.2 Technique: Music soothes the savage breast 30.3 Exercise: Cornered rats 30.4 Technique: Meditation 30.5 Exercise: Low power dressing 4 Review Pulling it together Collected reading list Appendix Techniques with high time management ratings Techniques with high stress management ratings Techniques with high negotiation skills development ratings Techniques with high general development ratings Techniques with high fun ratings Index