We all know what it feels like to be busy, but not just any kind of busy. Overloaded. Constant notifications, obligations, appointments, bills, messages… and somehow still feeling like we’re falling behind. It’s something I’ve dealt with, and it’s something I hear from so many of you.
That’s why I wrote Life by Design: Automate to Master Time, Health, Money, and Unlock Personal Success. I wanted to share what I’ve learned about taking back control of your time using practical strategies, and yes, a healthy dose of technology. If you’re looking to simplify life, gain time for what truly matters, and reduce the mental clutter, this book is for you.
Excerpt from the “About This Book” section
Let me share a short excerpt from the “About This Book” section that lays the foundation:
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the requirements and stresses of life? Are you trying to have more time for yourself, your friends, and your family? Do you feel like you are missing out on important events in your life because you don’t have time for them?
It feels like every moment of the day is spoken for, doesn’t it? The way we use technology is to blame. At any given time, you’ll see a flood of notifications on your phone telling you what you need to do right now, what you forgot to do, and all the things you need to get ready to do. You’re flooded with emails from your job, your children’s schools, and all those newsletters you don’t remember signing up for.
Then there are the financial institutions, utilities, insurance, government agencies, and other organizations that constantly send you texts and emails about bills, privacy notices, term changes, and offers to purchase more.
Modern life is not just extremely busy but extremely fragmented. Our ancestors were busy too, but they were able to focus more of their time on fewer things. Technology has empowered us to get more things done, but at the cost of giving us more things to do.
There are few things in this world more valuable than time. Money can buy only so much more of it, and you can run out of time at any moment. That’s why it’s important to maximize the time you have.
And, this book isn’t just about managing time—it’s about automating aspects of your life so that you can improve your life. From managing your health and fitness to maintaining your finances to strengthening relationships and home maintenance, automation can help you reclaim your time and energy and improve all these areas.
This is the kind of insight I wish someone had handed me years ago. And that’s exactly why I wrote the book—to give you a roadmap for building a more intentional, efficient, and fulfilling life.
Excerpt from the “Automating Your Job Search and Interview Prep” section
But don’t just take my word for it. I demonstrated many of the techniques and results from this book in my article about my health and fitness journey over the last year. That article illustrates the results of applying technology and automation to achieving and shaping your life to be what you want.
Also, let me give you a glimpse of one of the more tactical, hands-on chapters. This one’s about something nearly all of us will face: the job hunt. Here’s a section from the chapter on automating your job search and interview prep:
After researching jobs and applying for them, you’ll be asked to do interviews. Interview preparation is important for making a strong and positive impression that will increase your chances of receiving a job offer. Automation can help you prepare more efficiently and consistently for interviews, so you can focus on delivering your best performance. Here are some job interview automation tips:
- Interview question practice: Use AI-powered interview prep tools like Interviewing.io or Pramp to simulate mock interviews. These platforms offer automated practice sessions where you can answer common interview questions in real time. You’ll receive feedback from AI or real interviewers, helping you refine your responses and improve your delivery.
- Automated skill assessments: Platforms like Codility, HackerRank, or LeetCode provide coding assessments and tests for technical interviews, while sites like Vervoe offer skill assessments for various industries. These platforms automate the process of testing your skills, allowing you to practice and demonstrate your abilities before an interview, potentially increasing your confidence.
- Preparation reminders: Set up automated reminders in your calendar or task management apps like Google Calendar or Todoist to prepare for interviews. These reminders can include tasks like researching the company, reviewing the job description, practicing answers to common questions, and preparing thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer. You can also schedule specific time blocks for different aspects of prep, such as a 30-minute session to research the company and a 20-minute session for practicing your elevator pitch.
- Automated document storage: Store important interview documents such as your résumé, cover letter, references, and portfolio in cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox. With everything easily accessible, you can quickly retrieve the right documents whenever an opportunity arises. Many services offer automatic backups, ensuring you never lose your interview materials.
- AI-generated feedback: After practicing with automated interview prep tools or mock interviews, use platforms like Big Interview that offer AI-generated feedback on your answers. These tools analyze your responses, body language, and tone to provide insights into how you can improve.
One of the most helpful ways to automate your job search and interview prep is by staying organized. Tools like Trello or Airtable can help you track your applications, interviews, and follow-ups. You can set up boards or tables to track whom you’ve applied to, the status of your application, and when you need to follow up. Automating this ensures that no job opportunity slips through the cracks and you’ll always know what to do next.
The tools out there to help you search for a job and perform better in interviews can give you amazing results. I recommend getting familiar with them before you need them for a job search. The stress of learning the tools when you are in need of a job can make you less productive.
This is just one example of how powerful and practical automation can be when applied with the right mindset. Life by Design is filled with examples just like this, covering everything from saving time on chores to optimizing your schedule to protecting your personal data and finances.
So if you’ve ever felt like you’re juggling too much or you wish you could just breathe a little easier, I think you’ll find this book worth your time.
It’s available now as a paperback, audiobook, ebook, and hardback at stores everywhere. You can find more information about the book and links to bookstores here: https://marlonbuchanan.com/books/life-by-design/.
Thanks for being part of the HomeTechHacker community. I hope Life by Design helps you make your life a little less busy—and a whole lot more yours.
