Can You Afford Half an Hour?

Tommy Barnett has written another self-help book – just what we need in our world!  Yes, that was oozing with sarcasm; so, if you missed it, go back and reread that opening line.  The Power of Half an Hour is a simplistic book, and the author admits so in the introduction.  Yet, that simplicity is what attracted me to the book.  Far too often, humanity likes to over-complicate the things that are simply crystal clear.

If you choose to tackle this book, I do want to throw out two specific cautions:  (1) heed the advice of the author -- do not “race” through the book but take it one chapter a day for a month by jotting down thoughts; and (2) halt the tendency to move on immediately to the next self-help/leadership book.  Therein is part of our problem!  We move from one book or one fad or one practice to the next without mastering the previous one. 

Barnett’s idea that 30 minutes, if used correctly, can change your life is absolutely correct.  Whether we believe it or not, we are defined by our moments.  The private moments that hardly anyone can see are what shape our lives, character, success, and work.  What he espouses is obviously a Biblical principal:  Ephesians 5:16 says “Making the most of your time because the days are evil” (NASB).    He quotes a man named Harvey Mackay who said it quite well:  “Time is free, but it’s priceless.  You can’t own it, but you can use it.  You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.  Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” (xii)

The book is organized into 30 chapters and is designed to be read inside of 30 minutes; so the author is reinforcing his own premise by design.  Each section has a “Half Hour Power Principle” and the last few pages of the book include a daily personal action plan.  Barnett has established a simple and useable format to assist any and all readers that wish to improve.  Everyone has 30 minutes a day that can be set aside for personal and spiritual development, so we do not have an excuse (unless we admit our laziness).

I encourage you to do what the author says in the “tag” line of the book’s title – take back your life thirty minutes at a time.  You can do it, but the question is:  will you do it?  Life is too short to drift aimlessly.  Take 30 minutes and set the direction with God’s help.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.