Working Hard, Hardly Working: How to achieve more, stress less and feel fulfilled: THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Paperback – 14 April 2022

I have been looking for a book/guru to organise my life and let me tell you, Grace Beverley is the ultimate organisation queen. I want to start by pointing out that although many have put their two pence in by criticising Grace for her privileged upbringing (jealousy’s a b***h), Grace writes with absolute honesty and integrity around the subject. Regardless of anyone’s background, do you really think creating two successful businesses, studying law at Oxford and staying moderately sane is an easy feat?! Her absolutely tenacity and unfaltering can-do attitude is what got her where she is. (Also before criticising her writing style, at least try to write an Amazon review with some grace and decorum)Every single person can benefit from this book. Grace writes with complete honesty and it’s refreshing to read something that genuinely comes from the heart, rather than a load of ‘do this, do that’ mantras. She’s witty, funny and smart which keeps the book easy and entertaining to read, whilst also providing fool proof ways to change your day to day life for the better. Not only that, she speaks the holy grail of hard pills to swallow by calling out the ‘hustle-porn’ plastered across social media, of which we have been brainwashed into thinking is healthy. Thank god someone said it. We are blessed that someone of Grace’s following and influence has spread awareness of the soul destroying work culture we all participate in.I really do love this book and the whole concept as it demonstrates how important work-life balance is. Give it a go, you won’t regret it!

I have followed Grace for many years, and although her writing style is very conversational, I found it comforting and reassuring as if she was talking to me. Contrary to other reviews, I do think that she acknowledges her privilege, and states many times that she is of course in her own situation, that may not be comparable to other people. She talks through her experiences, and how she has learned to create her own boundaries and understand herself. Although her advice is not ground breaking, and many of the books and theories discussed are taught in business and economics, I found the way she discusses them natural and simple to incorporate into everyday life. Overall, 4/5 stars.

This is such a great read for how to make the most amount out of the limited time that you have in a day. There are some really useful tools including ‘flow projects’ and how you find that sweet spot between projects that stretch you whilst being areas that you’re passionate about. There’s also great tools about how best to manage your time and meetings. Instead of back to back meetings, how can we get better at blocking/chunking our days. This has really helped me manage my time better and become even more efficient. Great for those in business with back to back meetings!

“Being productive means knowing when to push yourself that little bit harder, when to carry on working, as well as when to rest and recuperate.”This started out really promising and was witty and funny. There were some really good tips in here which I have taken note of. However, I did skim a lot of it as I just didn’t vibe with the experiences the author was telling.I think the reason I didn’t vibe is that the author spoke about personal experiences but came from a very privileged background (which she does acknowledge in the book) and as someone who grew up with a split family with very little, I just couldn’t relate as I have had to work hard to get where I am now.Also, I’m not sure who the target audience is. I was under the impression it would help me in my home life as well as at work but it seemed aimed at more corporate roles. However, the sections where there were tips and tools for being productive and time management, I found really useful.Overall, if you can see past the personal side of it this is actually a good read. I just couldn’t put aside my own personal feelings.

I was so excited to get this book and it definitely lived up to expectation!Not only is the cover beautiful (the kind of book you always want on show) but when reading the book you feel like you're having a conversation with Grace herself and there are lots of useful bits of advice throughout the book that I think business owners especially will benefit from.Common sense is not always common action and so while some of the ideas in the book might seem 'obvious', if you're not already doing it, then you likely needed to hear it again.I think some of the reviews on here are incredibly harsh. Grace acknowledges her privilege regularly throughout the book and anyone who has followed her journey will know that she works her ass off.I read many business books and I thought this one had a refreshing and honest perspective that I could really relate to. I felt that a lot of the thoughts and beliefs I hadn't been able to articulate were finally put into words which felt like such a relief.

Reading this book has not only made a difference to how I use the Productivity Planner but more importantly to my week.As a result I’ve put my meeting-free slots to better use, I’ve been more present in meetings (knowing I’ve blocked time when I’ll get certain things done), and I’ve felt more of a purpose (purpose is one of my values at work and in life). My Whoop has told me I’ve spent less time in the high stress zone, and I’m starting to sleep better - 8 hours Thursday night which is unheard of for me on a ‘school’ night. I feel more in control of my work and my day. I highly recommend the planner, but by reading the book you’ll get the most out of it.

I’m yet to finish this book so maybe this isn’t the time to be writing a review however Grace does acknowledge her privilege and she does acknowledge that her life is different to that of most, even in the introduction!! I felt the need to write this review as I read the other reviews before purchasing and these suggest the opposite. I’m currently studying at uni and I’ve found this book really motivational and inspiring