Get Things Done

Robert Kelsey’s What’s Stopping You? has become a self-help classic. His What’s Stopping You? books have helped thousands of people worldwide overcome their limiting beliefs and bash through their barriers to success. Now Robert is back to help us defeat the obstacles that stop us achieving more in our everyday lives. Many of us have the greatest of intentions but find ourselves procrastinating, which results in low attainment and frustrated ambitions. Grounded in solid psychological research Robert helps us examine why we might have these tendencies and how to overcome them in order to feel more together, in control and on-top of everything.

• Looks at the psychology behind why we procrastinate, in order to understand and change our behaviour, forming new, effective habits
• Provides practical solutions to help us ‘get things done’ in real life situations including meetings, on the phone, with e-mail, looking for a job and starting a business
• Includes techniques to improve focus and aid concentration
• Examines how disorganisation is not innate and how we can learn processes that will allow us to be more effective
• How to bring control to certain areas of your life and reduce stress and uncertainty

Get Things Done is emotional ergonomics for the organisationally-challenged individual – at home, at work, with themselves, and with others.

Introduction: My Own Personal Chaos 1

Part One – The Unproductive Mind 9

1 Organizational Incompetence 11

2 Conditions and Types 21

3 Procrastination, Clutter and Self-sabotage 34

4 Motivation, Goals and Flow 45

Part Two – Tools and Resources 57

5 The Need for Desire 59

6 Planning for Freedom 69

7 Getting Started 81

8 Managing Time 92

9 Developing Good Habits 102

10 Making Decisions 111

Part Three – Get Things Done … 121

11 … On the Phone 123

12 … Using Email 128

13 … In Meetings 136

14 … When Managing Others 144

15 … Beyond Work 151

Part Four – Other People 159

16 Persuasion and Influence 161

17 Dealing with Conflict 173

18 Dealing with the Family 182

Conclusion: ‘It’s All Chaos’ 195

The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective People 204

Bibliography 210

About Robert Kelsey 214

Index 216

"Full of practical advice and lots of tips on how to enhance your current situation, Kelsey offers a pragmatic and honest approach to day-to-day living and its annoyances." (The Sun, March 2014)

"Personally, I can see myself raiding it a lot for ideas as it calls me to tailor my plans, separate my trash from my treasure and stops my inbox ruling my life." (The Bookbag, February 2014)

"... his pally yet tough approach to self-improvement makes for good reading. By laying bare his own experiences, he quickly builds up a level of trust and empathy that would warm the cockles of the most cynical of readers." (Third Sector, February 2014)

"If there's one book you actually finish reading in 2014, make it this one." (Elite Business, January 2014)

Robert Kelsey is author of Capstone's bestselling What's Stopping You? exploring why smart people failed to reach their potential. He has gone on to sell over 64,000 copies across three What's Stopping You? titles.
Robert Kelsey is CEO of Moorgate Communications, a financial PR agency, and was previously CEO of Metrocube, a start-up incubator located in London's fashionable "City-fringes". He trained as a financial journalist before becoming an investment banker and a now an entrepreneur, running his successful PR agency.
Yet Kelsey remains and perennial outsider. From a rebellious childhood to an adulthood of pursuing a series of unsuitable careers, he has had a lifetime of failing to settle into any group activities, yet lacking the confidence, guile or know-how to profitably "rebel". Kelsey has developed an enormous insight into both the root causes of alienation and the all-encompassing negative consequences.

"A Smörgåsbord of practical tips for getting your life under control"
—John Williams, author of Screw Work Let's Play

What’s stopping you making progress?
Why are you stuck in the same old ineffective routines?
What causes procrastination or self-sabotage or mental clutter?

Making progress isn’t just about time management and "to-do" lists. It's about understanding the poor habits and deep insecurities that can wreck progress in both our career and our personal life.

Get Things Done is an insightful exploration of the poor conditioning and self-esteem issues that can hold us back. By understanding the root causes of our ineffectiveness, we can break free from our organizational incompetence – helping us develop strong goals and execution skills, as well as avoid the traps that can drag us back to our self-sabotaging worst.

Using solid psychological research and analysis, Robert Kelsey, author of the bestselling What's Stopping You?, provides tools and resources that help us plan and execute our desired future. Get Things Done helps you:

• Realize what’s blocking your achievement
• Generate goals that motivate you
• Get started and keep going through the setbacks
• Convert destructive habits into constructive practices
• Deal with barriers such as interruptions, distractions and family life

"The hallmarks of Robert Kelsey's work are thorough research, personal insight and thoughtful presentation"
—John Caunt, author of Organise Yourself

"Genuine, easy-to-read and based on solid research. You want to get results in your life? Then start by reading this book!"
—Tim Ursiny, Ph.D., RCC, CBC, founder of Advantage Coaching & Training and author of multiple books