Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam Summary
Overview of Tranquility by Tuesday
In "Tranquility by Tuesday," time expert Laura Vanderkam reveals nine research-backed rules that increased participants' life satisfaction by 15%. Endorsed by Oliver Burkeman as an "indispensable manual," these strategies help you reclaim your schedule without waiting for life to calm down.
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Key takeaways
The Time Management Truth Nobody Tells You
Here's something nobody tells you about time management: the problem isn't that you don't have enough time. The problem is that you've never been taught how to use the time you already have. Most of us stumble through our weeks like sleepwalkers, reacting to whatever emergency screams loudest, convinced that if we could just work harder, sleep less, or find one more productivity hack, everything would finally click into place. But what if the path to feeling less overwhelmed didn't require superhuman discipline or a complete life overhaul? Let's be honest-when you think about improving your life, you probably imagine dramatic changes: a new career, a fitness transformation, finally writing that novel. You don't picture something as mundane as setting a bedtime. Yet this unglamorous habit might be the most powerful change you can make. Here's the counterintuitive truth: going to bed earlier is how adults sleep in. Most of us get around seven to eight hours of sleep, but we feel perpetually exhausted because we're ping-ponging between undersleeping and oversleeping in chaotic patterns that leave our bodies confused and our minds foggy. We stay up late scrolling through our phones, telling ourselves we deserve this precious "me time" after everyone else's needs have been met. Then we drag ourselves through the next day, tasks taking twice as long, mistakes multiplying, until our bodies force us to crash at inconvenient moments. The solution isn't complicated: calculate when you actually wake up (not when you wish you woke up), count backward by the hours you need to sleep, and set an alarm 15 minutes before that bedtime to start winding down. Simple, right? Yet most of us resist this with surprising intensity. Setting a bedtime means admitting the day is over, surrendering those quiet evening hours when the house finally settles and we can breathe. But here's what happens when you actually do it: your energy for handling daily responsibilities jumps by 13%. You stop making that false trade-off between sleep and productivity, realizing that exhaustion doesn't buy you more time-it steals the quality of the time you have. People who maintained consistent bedtimes reported having "the best days of the week" when they slept well, waking with enough energy to accomplish everything they'd planned. One person called it "the least sexy but most useful" rule-which might be the most honest endorsement of anything, ever.
Planning Your Week and Moving Your Body
The Liberation of "Good Enough" and Building Resilience
Adventures and Personal Joy That Expand Time
Mastering Small Tasks and Screen Time
The System That Changes Everything
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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