A few years ago, Chris Ragg, a good friend, knowing of my deep interest in purpose, priority and time management, gave me a little book.

‘This little book’, he said, ‘is probably the oldest Time Management self-help book you will read outside of scripture or philosophy.’ He was right. ‘How to Live on 24 Hours a Day’ by Arnold Bennett was first published in 1908 and contains timeless truths and solid suggestions that can be applied today. It is usefully concise and historically quirky, which makes it a pleasurable, easy read; and it is now Free!

The title, for me, was a Jerry Maguire – ‘you had me at hello’ moment. ‘How to live on 24 Hours a Day’ seems eminently more useful than any other ‘How To’ book title as far as I am concerned.

This is more of an essay than a book with only 12,000 words spread over 12 chapters. No wonder it was a 1098 Best Seller in England and the USA, with Business people like Henry Ford distributing 500 copies to his staff.

This little gem is now available free via the Gutenberg Project http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2274/2274-h/2274-h.htm go there, download it, enjoy it and take some action on the content.

Some of my favourite gems…….

Time is a great deal more than money

Time is the inexplicable raw material of everything. With it, all is possible; without it, nothing

If you imagine that you will be able to achieve your ideal by ingeniously planning out a time-table with a pen on a piece of paper, you had better give up hope at once.

‘How do I begin?’ Dear Sir, you simply begin! Just start – take hold of your nerves and start!

Beware of undertaking too much at the start. Be content with quite a little. Allow for accidents. Allow for human nature, especially your own.

People say: “One can’t help one’s thoughts.” But one can. The control of the thinking machine is perfectly possible. And since nothing whatever happens to us outside our own brain; since nothing hurts us or gives us pleasure except within the brain, the supreme importance of being able to control what goes on in that mysterious brain is patent.

Mind control is the first element of a full existence.

I am entirely convinced that what is more than anything else lacking in the life of the average well-intentioned person of to-day is the reflective mood.

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