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Create Space: How to manage time and find focus, productivity and success
Take control of your life and create space to succeed
We're used to feeling stressed, rushed and overwhelmed. At work and at home there are endless calls on our attention and time. We're constantly playing catch-up. But if we want to perform optimally, and reach our full potential, we must learn to pause and create space in even the busiest day.
Informed by over a decade of hands-on experience at the most senior levels of business, this book shows how to push back against the tide and create space in your life to think, relate and act on a deeper level. Learning to focus, manage time, and take control of your mental and physical space is the first step in developing and excelling in anything.
This book shows how to do just that, drawing on real-life examples and the best of both classical and cutting-edge psychological and behavioural thinking. Each chapter contains models, tools and tips that have been used effectively in some of the world's biggest organisations, and which will allow you to set your strategy, raise your productivity and create meaningful change for lasting success.
We're used to feeling stressed, rushed and overwhelmed. At work and at home there are endless calls on our attention and time. We're constantly playing catch-up. But if we want to perform optimally, and reach our full potential, we must learn to pause and create space in even the busiest day.
Informed by over a decade of hands-on experience at the most senior levels of business, this book shows how to push back against the tide and create space in your life to think, relate and act on a deeper level. Learning to focus, manage time, and take control of your mental and physical space is the first step in developing and excelling in anything.
This book shows how to do just that, drawing on real-life examples and the best of both classical and cutting-edge psychological and behavioural thinking. Each chapter contains models, tools and tips that have been used effectively in some of the world's biggest organisations, and which will allow you to set your strategy, raise your productivity and create meaningful change for lasting success.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
33 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 17, 2019
Takeaways:
Reflection is key to doing good work, but it takes space, effort and a willingness to confront unpleasant things.
Checking in emotionally (how do I feel) is essentially a way of growing your emotional intelligence.
To properly plan, you need to do two things. First, create a clear goal – what needs to be done. Then, create a clear plan for achieving that goal – how it should be done.
Space for doing is about avoiding distractions and learning to prioritize.
Studies show that CEOs only get around 28 minutes per day of uninterrupted work time and that the average worker has an eight-second attention span!
For every interruption, it takes ten minutes to return to your previous level of concentration.
That’s because distractions aren’t just productivity-killers; they’re also a source of dopamine, the addictive neurochemical that your brain releases when you do something pleasurable. Receiving emails and text messages triggers little hits of dopamine, so it’s no wonder millennials are likely to open an incoming email within 90 seconds.
Leadership is about them! Not me!
Schedule meetings weekly with yourself to focus on productivity and strategy.
Reflection is key to doing good work, but it takes space, effort and a willingness to confront unpleasant things.
Checking in emotionally (how do I feel) is essentially a way of growing your emotional intelligence.
To properly plan, you need to do two things. First, create a clear goal – what needs to be done. Then, create a clear plan for achieving that goal – how it should be done.
Space for doing is about avoiding distractions and learning to prioritize.
Studies show that CEOs only get around 28 minutes per day of uninterrupted work time and that the average worker has an eight-second attention span!
For every interruption, it takes ten minutes to return to your previous level of concentration.
That’s because distractions aren’t just productivity-killers; they’re also a source of dopamine, the addictive neurochemical that your brain releases when you do something pleasurable. Receiving emails and text messages triggers little hits of dopamine, so it’s no wonder millennials are likely to open an incoming email within 90 seconds.
Leadership is about them! Not me!
Schedule meetings weekly with yourself to focus on productivity and strategy.
April 30, 2023
Yes and no. Similar themes to other books, and I enjoyed the personal stories of people the author has worked with and how he takes his time to get to know them, their core beliefs and lenses they view the world through. There were many different characters there and aspects I could personally relate to. At other times I felt this was a bit of a repetition for me of many other books. But, a different perspective and reinforcing positive messages never hurts.
December 31, 2020
MY LAST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020! :)))
I read this book thanks to Blinkist.
I liked it, because the author has summarised 4 vital practices for a balanced and good life ALL IN ONE book! Very handy!
I rate it 3 stars, because I’ve already read similar ideas in SO many other non-fiction books...
But if you’re a beginner, or you just want to buy the physical copy of one book, with all 4 ideas in one place, then this is for you!
The key message in these blinks:
If you want to grow and be the best you can be, you need to make space for that growth to happen. This space needs to be focused on self-awareness, willingness to learn, interpersonal relationships, productivity, accountability and delivering consistently great work. Creating this space is hard work and requires honest reflection on your weaknesses and experiences that may be difficult to confront. But if anything is worth the trouble, it’s your self-improvement, finding your true purpose in life and making the most out of what little time you have.
Actionable advice:
Need to relax? Try square breathing.
This technique is used by yoga practitioners, Navy SEALs and executives alike in order to calm down and focus.
It's called square breathing since it's a four by four structure. As you breathe in, you count to four, then you hold on to that breath for four seconds. Then you breathe out for four seconds, and pause for four seconds before breathing in and starting the cycle over again.
What to read next:
Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
Create Space is partially about prioritization and how it’s the key to productivity and delivering your best work. But learning how to prioritize is such a tricky business that it’s really a topic unto itself. This is why we recommend Essentialism, which dives deep into the murky waters of figuring out what’s most important as well as identifying and eliminating the rubbish that’s slowing you down.
If you want the supreme satisfaction of being more efficient and doing more with less, check out the blinks to Essentialism.
I read this book thanks to Blinkist.
I liked it, because the author has summarised 4 vital practices for a balanced and good life ALL IN ONE book! Very handy!
I rate it 3 stars, because I’ve already read similar ideas in SO many other non-fiction books...
But if you’re a beginner, or you just want to buy the physical copy of one book, with all 4 ideas in one place, then this is for you!
The key message in these blinks:
If you want to grow and be the best you can be, you need to make space for that growth to happen. This space needs to be focused on self-awareness, willingness to learn, interpersonal relationships, productivity, accountability and delivering consistently great work. Creating this space is hard work and requires honest reflection on your weaknesses and experiences that may be difficult to confront. But if anything is worth the trouble, it’s your self-improvement, finding your true purpose in life and making the most out of what little time you have.
Actionable advice:
Need to relax? Try square breathing.
This technique is used by yoga practitioners, Navy SEALs and executives alike in order to calm down and focus.
It's called square breathing since it's a four by four structure. As you breathe in, you count to four, then you hold on to that breath for four seconds. Then you breathe out for four seconds, and pause for four seconds before breathing in and starting the cycle over again.
What to read next:
Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
Create Space is partially about prioritization and how it’s the key to productivity and delivering your best work. But learning how to prioritize is such a tricky business that it’s really a topic unto itself. This is why we recommend Essentialism, which dives deep into the murky waters of figuring out what’s most important as well as identifying and eliminating the rubbish that’s slowing you down.
If you want the supreme satisfaction of being more efficient and doing more with less, check out the blinks to Essentialism.
December 16, 2022
"Create Space: How to Manage Time and Find Focus, Productivity and Success"
By Derek Draper
Reviewed on 16 December 2022
This book is absolutely excellent. I hope I can remember everything in here as I find some of the suggestions very helpful. For instance, even if you are top in whatever business you are doing, you need to find yourself doing things that some of your entry level employees do to really know the ins and outs of your business.
You need to schedule time to yourself to think and get your thoughts together. If you need to cancel a lunch date so you can have more time to yourself to organise your thoughts, then do it. You need to clear your agenda and make time for things that are important. I love knowing that Obama has two choices to make when he gets dressed in the morning: a blue suite or a grey suit. Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every single day because he has more important decisions to make in his day. It's inspirational for me to hear this as people are faced with way too many options and once you clear your space, you conserve energy for the things that truly matter.
Take away from this is that I need to be clearer with me goals and my agenda needs to have more purposeful items on it. I will reread this book.
By Derek Draper
Reviewed on 16 December 2022
This book is absolutely excellent. I hope I can remember everything in here as I find some of the suggestions very helpful. For instance, even if you are top in whatever business you are doing, you need to find yourself doing things that some of your entry level employees do to really know the ins and outs of your business.
You need to schedule time to yourself to think and get your thoughts together. If you need to cancel a lunch date so you can have more time to yourself to organise your thoughts, then do it. You need to clear your agenda and make time for things that are important. I love knowing that Obama has two choices to make when he gets dressed in the morning: a blue suite or a grey suit. Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every single day because he has more important decisions to make in his day. It's inspirational for me to hear this as people are faced with way too many options and once you clear your space, you conserve energy for the things that truly matter.
Take away from this is that I need to be clearer with me goals and my agenda needs to have more purposeful items on it. I will reread this book.
December 31, 2020
This book provides a great explanation of creating space for growth. To be the best version of yourself, this space needs self-awareness, learning, interpersonal relationships, productivity, accountability and delivering consistent work. It is hard work, and it requires honest reflection on your weak spots and pushes you to confront difficult experiences. But if anything is worth the trouble, it's self-improvement, determination in real purpose and making the most out of what little time you have.
December 31, 2020
Create Space (2018) is a collection of the many tools and methods used by Derek Draper in his role as a coach for business leaders around the world. As a practicing psychologist and sought-after consultant, Draper has honed his knowledge and is generous in sharing what he’s learned and observed over the years. Whether you’re a CEO or an intern, or somewhere in between, Draper’s valuable insights help you establish a balanced and successful career.
February 24, 2021
Create space is an insightful and experience-guide for those who need to improve their productivity at work or in business. There is space for so many things in life; Space to learn, Space to Do, Space to Reflect, Space to Create, etc.
Depending on which space you want to adjust, it is for everyone
Depending on which space you want to adjust, it is for everyone
October 11, 2021
Imagine if all this effort was directed at something other than bureaucracy, sales, administration, HR and finance! What might we achieve if we were more reflective, more thoughtful and kinder to each other in order to make the planet a more equitable place?
September 30, 2019
One of the best books I've read this year.
November 8, 2020
Such vital reminders for these days and times.
February 25, 2023
DNF. Case studies were basically counselling sessions, advice not very generalisable
May 23, 2025
Headway
December 31, 2020
Reflection is key to doing good work, but it takes space, effort and a willingness to confront unpleasant things.
*for deep and meaningful reflection to happen, you need space. In fact, you need four kinds of space: temporal, physical, relational and psychic.
Read this book if If you want to grow and be the best you can be. It can help you motivate yourself and focus your energy...”you need to make space for that growth to happen. This space needs to be focused on self-awareness, willingness to learn, interpersonal relationships, productivity, accountability and delivering consistently great work. Creating this space is hard work and requires honest reflection on your weaknesses and experiences that may be difficult to confront. But if anything is worth the trouble, it’s your self-improvement, finding your true purpose in life and making the most out of what little time you have.
Actionable advice:
Need to relax? Try square breathing.
This technique is used by yoga practitioners, Navy SEALs and executives alike in order to calm down and focus.
It's called square breathing since it's a four by four structure. As you breathe in, you count to four, then you hold on to that breath for four seconds. Then you breathe out for four seconds, and pause for four seconds before breathing in and starting the cycle over again.”
*for deep and meaningful reflection to happen, you need space. In fact, you need four kinds of space: temporal, physical, relational and psychic.
Read this book if If you want to grow and be the best you can be. It can help you motivate yourself and focus your energy...”you need to make space for that growth to happen. This space needs to be focused on self-awareness, willingness to learn, interpersonal relationships, productivity, accountability and delivering consistently great work. Creating this space is hard work and requires honest reflection on your weaknesses and experiences that may be difficult to confront. But if anything is worth the trouble, it’s your self-improvement, finding your true purpose in life and making the most out of what little time you have.
Actionable advice:
Need to relax? Try square breathing.
This technique is used by yoga practitioners, Navy SEALs and executives alike in order to calm down and focus.
It's called square breathing since it's a four by four structure. As you breathe in, you count to four, then you hold on to that breath for four seconds. Then you breathe out for four seconds, and pause for four seconds before breathing in and starting the cycle over again.”
September 5, 2024
I had assumed this would be another book on time management, likely with a little mindfulness thrown in. In truth, Draper here combined some original and refreshing views on not just time management and productive, but with his own wealth of experience and tips as a psychologist and consultant. He also integrates the many often-shared principles that, should you have read a few books around this subject, you will already be familiar with. None the less, he weaves a route through them all, stitching them together with clear reasoning and a number of anecdotes and calls to action to put yourself in the right situations to deal with each challenge from a position of clarity and preparedness that few of us regularly and consciously achieve. Draper argues that to be reflective to the level needed to improve and do good work, we need to create space in four aspects of ourselves: physical, temporal, relational and psychic. He gives each a detailed treatment with clear take-aways that I think most people will find useful and refreshingly practical.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews