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Who is the author of Not Today?

The authors of Not Today are Erica Schultz and Mike Schultz.

Productivity

Not Today Book Summary - Not Today Book explained in key points

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Not Today summary

Name: Not Today
Rating: 4.3 (377 reviews)
Author: Erica Schultz and Mike Schultz

Erica Schultz Mike Schultz

The 9 Habits of Extreme Productivity

4.3 (377 ratings)

24 mins

Brief summary

"Not Today" by Erica and Mike Schultz is a graphic novel that follows the journey of two siblings trying to survive in a world filled with zombies. With captivating illustrations and a unique narrative style, it's a thrilling and emotional read for fans of the genre.

Topics

Goals Time Management Focus Effectiveness Routines & Habits

Table of Contents

Not Today
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn the secrets of extreme productivity.

If you struggle to be productive at work, you’re not alone. Modern life is full of distractions and diversions, and it’s all too easy to find your focus drifting.

But Mike and Erica Schultz have had more reason to lose focus than most of us. For years, they juggled running their own ambitious business with caring for their seriously ill son, Ari. But they managed to pull it off.

These blinks will teach you some of the habits that Mike and Erica learned while they kept up that extraordinary balancing act. Because extreme productivity really can be learned.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

the four types of TIME and how to manage them;
how to train yourself into better routines; and
how to get into the zone any time you want.

Their son’s heart defect turned Mike and Erica’s lives upside down.

These blinks are about how to be more productive at work. But they’re not just about that, because the authors, Mike and Erica Schultz, learned many of these lessons in pretty much the hardest way possible.

In the years before they had kids, Mike and Erica lived a gloriously busy life together. They ran a successful small business that was just starting to turn into something big. They renovated a house by beautiful Lake Boon in Massachusetts. And they had active social lives too.

The one extra thing they wanted was a family, so they were ecstatic when Erica got pregnant.

During an ultrasound, however, the concerned expressions on the medical staff’s faces told them that something was wrong. The problem, it turned out, was in their child’s heart. In that moment, everything changed.

The key message here is: Their son’s heart defect turned Mike and Erica’s lives upside down.

Ari, Mike and Erica’s son, had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which affected his heart’s ability to circulate blood. Even after several operations during pregnancy, Ari was born in a critical state and had two major operations in his first seven months.

Despite his heart problems, the precocious young Ari loved sports. He wowed people with his basketball moves, and was playing golf at the age of two. But in his five and a half years of life, he spent more than a full year in hospital care.

And of course, so did his parents.

Taking a break from work would have meant Mike and Erica’s whole business failing. And that would have meant losing their health insurance.

Imagine not just running a business from a hospital waiting room, but doing so while your infant son is fighting for his life down the hall. How could you get any work done at all?

Yet during this period, Mike and Erica rebuilt their business, expanded into nine international offices, and wrote four books, including a best seller. And they had two more children, Lexi and Eli.

They also did some research into productivity. Surveying thousands of professionals, they identified a group they called the Extremely Productive, or the XP, who had notably different work habits from everyone else, which allowed them to get far more done.

These habits aren’t things you have to be born with. They’re simple little hacks that anyone can learn. That’s how the authors managed to reshape their business during those dark days in the hospital with Ari.

And it’s how you can increase your own productivity too – as you’re about to find out.

Extremely productive people manage their time better – and so can you.

When you have a child whose life is at risk, you really have to make every moment count. And that’s especially true when your schedule is as busy as Mike and Erica’s was.

In fact, they started to look at time in a whole new way. For them, TIME became an acronym, with each letter standing for a different category.

Motivate yourself to get productive by recruiting your drive.

During Ari’s frequent spells in hospital, the authors got to know other families, some of whom were in even harder situations. One couple they met, Sherry and Jack, lived so far away that Jack usually had to sleep in their car when their son was in the hospital.

With Sherry and Jack in mind, the authors set up a charity fundraiser, so parents like them could stay in a nearby apartment. They dove headfirst into the project, and Ari got excited about it too.

Prioritizing important activities and developing better routines helps you make the most of each day.

During Ari’s long, final stay in the hospital, the family fell into a morning routine that involved a scarily large amount of iPad time. Ari would wake up and watch sports for hours, and soon, the morning was gone. That was that. But he was in hospital – how could Mike and Erica say no?

Still, they eventually realized they had to change the routine. So every morning they started getting Ari out of bed and walking around the hospital. They would greet everyone they met with a cheerful “Good morning!” Or, once Ari developed an interest in Japan, he’d say it in Japanese: “Ohayo!”

The fourth, fifth and sixth habits are all about managing your TIME.

During Ari’s time in the hospital, Mike’s father usually looked after Ari in the morning while Mike worked. But when his father couldn’t make it, Mike faced a problem managing his time.

One such morning, Ari was watching hockey as Mike tried to work. But Ari had developed a new obsession. He kept trying out hand signals, imitating the hockey umpires.

Habits seven and eight get you into the zone, and give you the energy to stay there.

The first and second sections of the Productivity Code have taught you how to get motivated, and organize your TIME. The final section is about how to put theory into practice, by executing in the zone – that state where you’re completely engaged with work, tuned out from all distractions, and able to accomplish remarkable things.

Sounds nice, right? But how do you get there whenever you need to?

The final productivity habit is to right the ship – no matter what life throws at you.

When he was five and a half, Ari finally got the heart transplant he needed. But tragically, his body didn’t accept it, and he passed away not long after.

Mike and Erica felt utterly drained and defeated, and they struggled to cope. They both had trouble sleeping, and Mike was drinking too much. Despite the good habits they’d developed, they were running on empty.

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What is Not Today about?

Not Today (2021) explains how you can become extremely productive through nine simple steps. The authors learned many of these lessons while running their business at the same time as caring for their gravely ill young son.

Not Today Review

Not Today (2021) is a gripping book that delves into the world of human trafficking and the rescue missions to bring victims to safety. Here's what makes this book worth reading:

Through real-life stories and firsthand accounts, the book sheds light on the gravity of the issue, raising awareness and inspiring action.
It offers a deep exploration of the complexities surrounding human trafficking, making readers more knowledgeable about this pressing global problem.
With its empathetic portrayal of survivors and the dedicated individuals fighting against trafficking, the book delivers an emotional and thought-provoking reading experience.

Who should read Not Today?

Entrepreneurs and ambitious workers who want to up their productivity
Business leaders with an eye on efficiency
Lovers of inspiring personal stories

About the Author

Erica and Mike Schulz are the leaders of RAIN Group, one of the world’s leading sales training companies. They’ve worked with top organizations including Toyota and Harvard Business School. Mike has also written several other books including Rainmaking Conversations. They are also the parents of Ari, their son, which they count as their greatest achievement.

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Productivity

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