Focus by Leo Babauta: A Review

Focus by Leo Babauta is a free ebook that hopes to teach you how to simplify your life, so that it is less hectic and chaotic, while still getting the important things done. But does it succeed?

Leo Babauta is what some might call a time management guru. He has created several blogs and websites (including his very popular Zen Habits blog) designed to help people be more productive. He has written several books on time management, including the bestselling The Power of Less. He also created the well-known Zen To Done productivity system, which is based on David Allen's Getting Things Done methodology. If there's one person who's done a lot of thinking about time management, and making the best use of your time, it's Leo Babauta. And Focus, his new, free ebook, is the culmination of all he has learned over the years.

Babauta believes in taking a minimalist approach to time management. Do less to get more of the important stuff done. Focus on the essentials, and let everything else fall by the wayside. Lessen your commitments, projects, tasks, and so on to feel more in control of your life. Disconnect (from the Internet, your phone, the television, your Blackberry) for at least one or two hours a day and focus on doing. These concepts are at the heart of Focus.

If there's one criticism about Focus, it's that it's not very organized. If you're looking for step-by-step instructions on how to go about setting up a minimalist time management system, you won't really find it here. Instead, this free ebook is split up into chapters that are each devoted to one problem that can make your life feel more busy and chaotic than it needs to. Then, the reader is offered several tips and strategies that will help them tackle that problem. There are chapters on learning to disconnect, dealing with email, and setting goals. There's even a whole chapter on being a more productive parent.

While Focus is a free ebook, there is a premium version available. With the paid version, readers will get several bonus chapters (by Leo Babauta and others), audio interviews (one with David Allen, the creator of Getting Things Done), how-to videos, and bonus guides. But the free ebook is packed with 121 pages of valuable information. If you have been struggling with time management, and would like to know how to make your life a little less chaotic, you should give Focus by Leo Babauta a read.