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From skeptical critic, to raving fan!!

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2016

I always appreciate in depth reviews, so I'll do the best I can. From what I understood, this book is based on the premise that humans only have so much willpower and decision making ability per day, so the idea is to make your every-day routines become automatic, so you can function on auto pilot and move systematically through them. Seems like a small thing, but it really is huge.

Kathryn (the author) goes meticulously step by step through the process of how to make this work. I was recommended this book by a friend and didn't think much of it. I put off reading it because I thought it was just another self help book. I've read lots of those, and most of them end up saying the same things about "believing in yourself." I have to admit, even after I started reading, I was pretty skeptical of all the promises she made in the intro. But I am here to tell you that it works 100%. Seriously! This isn't just another one of those feel-good, dime-a-dozen habit books. This is a real-life, practical application for how to make every single day better starting immediately. If you'll follow each step and are willing to put a little extra work into your morning/evening/meal routine for just a couple days, within a much quicker time than you'd expect it becomes second nature.

Your mind can be on other, more important things. The psychological value of starting every day in a perfectly successful way is huge. Every day becomes more productive, and if you do it right every day can move you just a little closer to your dreams. That's what we all want, right?

The best part is that she doesn't tell you what to include in your routine, it's all up to you. I now have created time (in the midst of sometimes 12-hour work days) to read every day, eat healthy, volunteer for a campaign, and create a deeper relationship with my wife, all because of the little bit of effort I put in to read this book, follow the steps, and automate my routines!

Kathryn's writing style is also awesome! I finished this book feeling like she and I were good friends, and I really do hope to meet her some day, maybe set her up with one of my awesome friends. That's how much I enjoyed reading this book. Knowing what I know now about how much this changed my life, I'd pay $50 for it, maybe more.

15 people found this helpful

Awesome Concept

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2023

Great read. Kathryn did a great job of keeping me interested and engaged. Her writing style had me feeling very much like I was just sitting down having a conversation with her.

The concept of coding is interesting to me. I am very much a systems guy. I am not a programmer. I found myself tightening up inside as I thought about writing down each specific task. Can I outsource that? Lol.
I will reread this a few times I can imagine. There is some very good stuff here.

Thanks Kathryn! I am a fan!

but the week that followed was one of the most productive and centered that I've had in a good long time

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016

This book was a quick read, and entertaining read, and was without a doubt worth the time to do so. I've never thought of trying to automate routines, and found the discussion of the process to be very thoughtful, especially when it comes to adjusting said routines to set yourself up for success. I've spent the last week automating my morning routine, and the process presented here worked well. It was a decent amount of work to prepare the routine (it took most of a Sunday), but the week that followed was one of the most productive and centered that I've had in a good long time.Routine automation has been a great way to ensure that I start my day on the right foot, and Kathryn Jones was a great instructor.

3 people found this helpful

Should Become Required Reading For Everyone

Hawk Mikado

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2021

This book shares in the most fun and engaging way how to stop being a hot mess. I’ve read many books on the topic and taken several courses with sporadic results. The strategies she has shared have been the things that have stayed consistent for me. We run on autopilot most of the time anyway so why not use that to your advantage. Seriously read this book. Just do it. And then actually put it into practice in your life. You will thank Kathryn. I can confirm that she is one of the coolest human beings on the planet.

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018

I have struggled my entire life with the basics of taking care of myself. On trips, in emergencies, and taking care of other I was far more relaxed and less stressed. This book explains why. I use the sleep cycle app and my pulse is down when I get up because I’m not stressed. The morning is not something I dread. It’s actually a time I enjoy now which I thought I would never say because I always thought I was a night person. This is a review given 6 months later. The book may not be a great example of prose but it has invaluable information to a person struggling with the basics of life.
I don’t buy self help books usually, but I did because the sample was so helpful. Try the sample.

2 people found this helpful

Alyssa M.

Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2022

There are a number of extremely timely and helpful tips in this book which I am implementing immediately. I think the advice on email delays and email tactics alone (email controls my life) may add a year to my life due to a decrease in stress. Great book!

Increased motivation to live the life you want!

Mark Johnson

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016

I had a hard time putting this book down. Thoroughly engaging, this book was very thought-provoking and gave some great insights into achieving greater productivity. I love reading books about goal-setting, motivation, etc., but what I felt was unique about this book was the attention to detail. The simple step-by-step guide gave me motivation to give this a try. What do I have to lose? I love the idea of automating my morning and evening routines. There is a portion that talks about automating eating routines. Although I do think I'll continue to eat a variety of foods in a week, I do think there are valuable principles in this section that can be applied to my life (getting rid of foods that I don't want to be eating, making the foods I should be eating more accessible, etc.). Overall, this book is a fantastic read for anyone who wants to increase productivity!

2 people found this helpful

Only for those who haven't a clue on how to organize their lives

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2023

As the author points out via describing her own self organization prior to her "automation", this book is for those with extreme lack of personal organization bordering on dysfunction. As an engineer who already seems to have basic organization engaged, the book was not at all helpful. Fortunately the book was not expensive. But if you can manage to get up in the morning, feed yourself, and stay employed, it's unlikely this book will be a benefit.

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Dr. Barbara

What a great book -- hilarious!

Reviewed in Germany on September 19, 2016

What a great step-by-step method to create new routines on the fly. Kathryn is a fantastic guide, and her book is hilarious, entertaining and ridiculously helpful at the same time.

Sam London

Discover something new. Why "Routine Automation" is better than "Habit Formation"

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2016

It's not often you fall in love with a book in the first page. But this one kind of draws you in, unsuspectingly, from the first few paragraphs. As a result it's an easy and quick read and the remarkable thing is that applying these tips has already made a difference to my busy days. And trust me, I'm a tough case to help because I'm constantly travelling for my work. If you could do with a push to help you to start achieving goals you've been wanting to find time for or if you could just benefit from instilling a little order in your life this is well worth a read. At the heart of it is the author's idea that "Routine Automation" is better than "Habit Formation". ... If you're anything like me you know that forming a new habit (even if you read all the 21 or 30 days literature) is tough. Routine Automation, by comparison, turns out to be relatively easy. Try it.

O. Bender

Hard to follow. Too many jokes and slang. Not for everyone

Reviewed in Australia on August 26, 2016