This book called to me as I have two weeks away from home. Given I won’t have the distractions of normal daily life I thought I would be more mindful with my time. The 4% Fix is just the coach I needed to guide me how to make the most of an extra hour per day. One way, catch up on my NetGalley reviews! Another way walk!
Also I it’s ok to simply enjoy the zen!
When I return - I’ will add tacking one shelf or drawer per day. Thank you Karma Brown!

DNF @ 25%

I’m not saying this book was bad… it was just really unnecessary.

The 4% Fix is a self-help book that honestly could have just been an article.. or a brochure.. either way it definitely didn’t need to be a full length book. The main idea behind this book is that one hour is only 4% of your day, therefore if you wake up early and have an hour to yourself before everyone else is awake, and before there are any distractions, you could accomplish your goals easier and focus on your first before taking care of others the rest of the day.

The advice in this book is actually pretty good, which is the reason why I ended up giving a two star rating. As a person who wakes up before everyone else, I do find that I can get a lot done before the rest of the world wakes up. Unfortunately the issue with this book is that the author uses an incredible amount of repetition, irrelevant stories about her personal life & stores of others and their self-help books that they wrote.

At the end of the day, I could no longer keep listening to this book. I personally think this book could have been published at 1/4 of the length and done a better job of getting the point through.

Non fiction is always a go to when I am wanting to read an audiobook while commuting, doing house projects or talking a walk around the neighborhood. This audiobook did all of those things.

I loved how Karma Brown equated one hour of our day as a part where you should get up, but not to do something productive for work, but instead do something solely for yourself. The way she presented this idea and solved all the reasons and excuses that one could make not to do this, I loved this book.

It was funny as all of Karma Brown's fiction books are on my TBR, so to read her non fiction first kind of made me giggle since I haven't experienced the primary genre that she has published in. After hearing what she has done to create those books, I want to go read them very soon!

In the 4% Fix, bestselling author Karma Brown tells her secret to success. She gets up early in the morning and uses that early hour to write. An hour of your day is 4%, so if you get up an hour earlier every day, you can use that hour to write or complete any hobby or task that you want to get done, but can’t find time during your regular day. That hour can be used for any project or skill, not just writing.

The arguments against the 4% fix were also described in this book. Some people say “I don’t have time,” so that’s why you get up an hour early and use that time for your task or project. I’m guilty of arguing, “I’ll be too tired.” The solution to that is to go to sleep an hour earlier. I’m a night owl, so it’s difficult for me to get to sleep earlier, however I do notice an increase in my productivity when I do get up earlier in the morning.

I listened to the audiobook edition of this book. The conversational style made it feel like a friend was telling me her tips and tricks to success. There were interesting anecdotes about Karma’s life and examples of other successful people, which proved how these strategies can turn you into a success.

The 4% Fix is a great read for anyone who wants to find some “extra” time in their day!

Thank you HarperAudio for providing a copy of this book.

A worthwhile read/listen with some good tips for time blocking, project management, etc., albeit at the cost of waking up a BIT earlier.

This was an interesting and timely book. The basic premise is that you can spend just one hour daily towards your most important life goals, then the efforts compound and create momentum to success. There are some very valid practical tips on how to find that one hour too!
I have always been a productive and efficient person, but after the birth of my daughter, my schedule went to shreds. I love my daughter, but this book helped me get back on track and find time for other priorities like writing my book and upskilling my skills.
Some parts felt a bit repetitive which I skimmed over, but the author seems to speak from a good deal of experience, so I enjoyed the book overall.

I loved this book! Karma Brown gives some great insights into how to manage time and how to make sure you put aside time for yourself. I found this so inspiring, as often books can talk about how to make time to better help others; Brown emphasizes that this time should be used to help YOU. Her advice was incredibly helpful and using her own experiences as anecdotes to underline how useful these strategies are was very relatable. I have recommended this book to family and friends, and I look forward to revisiting it in the future. It is a great reference for those who wish to better manage their time and ensure they have the time for their own goals.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Easy message of prioritize one hour a day (4% out of the day) for your own personal goals. Wake up at 5 am to fit in the time.

I have no interest in waking up that early but I will start going to bed a bit earlier and set an alarm. Also I have been trying to figure out what my next project to focus on will be and this book had me contemplating ideas.

Ann Marie Gideon did an excellent job narrating the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Karma has me convinced I need to at least attempt to get up at 5am to start my day and to get my creativity juices flowing. I have always wanted to write a book and after the stories Karma told of her friends/acquaintances passing, it is kind of scary to imagine not getting to accomplish something I have dreamed of doing. This book really though is for anyone who has or wants a hobby or time to make a dream come true. Give the 5am club a shot. I know I am.

Do Something For You

Audiobook Review
I'll admit I'm a total night owl. In fact, I love that nursing (my profession) has a night shift where that always needs workers! Though I am currently working days, I don't think I could ever see myself as a morning lark, which the author pushes strongly for in this book. I am lucky I have no other commitments than work, so on my off days, I can choose to order my day as I like or as needed. The author certainly got me thinking about how to make the best use of an early hour on those off days. You don't have to set your alarm an hour earlier, as the author recommends throughout the book, to reap the benefits of the ideas in the book. Rather, choose an early hour to work on a project that interests you (and preferably something motivating and enjoyable), like preparing for a race or writing a book. Always had something you wanted to do but didn't think you had the time? Carve out an hour for yourself to make it happen. The author is a strong fan of waking up an hour early to do so. She talks about her own experience and even a bit of cognitive science. The book is friendly and conversational. It certainly got me thinking about how I spend the early part of my day on my days off—because nothing is going to happen for me on a 12-hour workday except sleep, eat, and work. If you've ever wanted to make time for yourself or a pet project a priority, this book will cheer you on and give you actionable ideas to make it work for you.

The 4% Fix: How One Hour Can Change Your Life by Karma Brown
Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
Publisher: Harper Audio, HarperCollins Publishers
Genre: Business & Investing | Self-Help
Release Date: 15 December 15, 2020

The 4% Fix is a practical guide on how to change your life with one hour a day by Karma Brown.

I am naturally (through lots of practice over the years) an early riser. I'm up at 4am each week day to complete my morning routine and get ready for work. While I didn't need this book to convince me to wake up early, it offers great tips and reminders to make better use of my time (doing something I want to do).

I really enjoyed the conversational style of this book. This was easy to listen to and the content was great! I have read many books on the topic, as well as attended conferences, and I have to agree that being up before the rest of the house has made my life easier.

I also enjoyed the narration. Ann Marie Gideon read the book with a pleasant tone and great pace. She made the book easy to listen to.

I'm so grateful to Karma Brown, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is more than a book about "get up at 5 a.m. and it will change your life," and I believe it comes at a time where many are looking for guidance and order in their lives after this past year.
I retired two years ago, and until that point, I lived this highly organized, get up early, pack it all in a day. I'd found out years ago when my goals were to train for races and write a book that working full-time (and a part-time job for a few of those years) the only way to get my running miles in was to get up before the sun and run before work. I focused my late nights on writing.

Then I retired. The saying "if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it" rings true. My life became unorganized, unfocused, because I had all day to get it done, right? That's where this book comes in. I no longer get up super early, I don't need to, but I needed focus and organization so I could continue with my life goals. The author has many excellent quotes and inspiration throughout the book, and here are some favorites I'm taking with me into my daily scheduling and goals: Your 4% time spent should focus on something FUN, something you WANT to do (specifically for your goals, dreams.) "A goal without a plan is just a wish" which is so true! You can't just say "I want to run a marathon, I want to write a book" (my goals years ago) without figuring out a step-by-step plan to get to that point, and be willing to put in the work to get there. The author mentions a Japanese term, Ikigai (pronounced Ick-ee-guy) which is a reason to jump out of bed each morning. That resonated with me once I retired. We all need a reason and purpose to our day. This book helps you focus on accomplishing the purpose you choose. If you are looking for inspiration to organize your day, help you achieve your dreams and goals, this is the book to help you get there. I listened to the audiobook of this, and I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the informative audiobook.

I was unable to listen to this audiobook because it would not fully download on my NetGalley app, even after multiple attempts. I would love to read this and will be requesting it in ebook format. I appreciate being approved for this title and hope to read it in another format.

I loved the information provided in this novel, it made me really think and evaluate what I was using my time for. I found the narrator talked really slow so had to speed it up, I also found her voice differed a lot from Karmas and would have loved to hear karama read her book.

If you think that there aren't enough hours in the day for you to be creative, or to dedicate yourself to something you are passionate about, let Karma Brown's The 4% Fix show you how to find the time without sacrificing your other commitments. This is not a book filled with jargon and spreadsheets—Brown provides her readers with a solid, practical approach that's infused with humour and personal experience.

How will you use this one hour—only 4% of your day—to change your life?

We are all busy and overwhelmed by our responsibilities and daily tasks, and feel like we have no time or motivation. The 4% Fix is about finding an hour that is just for you to harness, to exploit, or to take on a project that you want to do. You may be wondering where you are supposed to come up with an extra hour when you are already feeling like you don't have enough time to accomplish what is already on your plate. Brown's solution is to wake up an hour earlier each day. She gets up at 5 a.m. to write all of her books and has been doing so for years. For Karma, it is the right time to carve out that hour that is just for her—it's pretty quiet at 5 a.m. For the sleep deprived, this sounds impossible and quite frankly, unappealing. But the idea is to find that hour, make it a habit, and dedicate it to yourself.

Brown's cake analogy is that there are 24 pieces of cake, one for every hour of the day, yet in your life there are cake-loving people and everyone wants some. It’s delicious...I mean who doesn't love cake? And there are other things in your day like work, commitments, running errands, etc., that also take their slices. But quite simply, if you don’t serve yourself first, you will be left with just crumbs. Even if you take your slice and tuck it away for later, you still need to take that first piece—have your cake and eat it too!

The 4% Fix is part how-to and part motivation. In a refreshing and gentle way, Karma shares the latest research about time management and goal setting, as well as what strategies have worked for her. Brown's first non-fiction project is enjoyable, helpful, and practical. It it is the perfect book to kick off your year and will help you be more productive, purposeful, and focused. One hour can change your life!

I received this book as an audiobook which has to be my favorite format for this genre of literature. The narrator for this audiobook was wonderful and engaging. While I don't tend to find much value in self-help type books I would say this one is less offensive than others. Where other self-help type books will provide next to no direction this book provided many steps and hints to push the reader along their path. I would recommend this book but especially the audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advance copy of this audio book.

I am not a fan of the narrator of this audio book, I found her voice to be lacking in intonation and excitement. I had to listen to the audio book at 1.25% to make her seem a little bit more exciting.

I did however love the book! Karma provides a lot of insight into her writing techniques and how she developed the habit of using the first hour of her day to accomplish her goals. I like that this is not a preachy self-help book; instead Karma provides a lot of great information interspersed with whimsical stories about her own life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to find some time for themselves; whether you are looking to start a hobby, read or write a book, learn an instrument, or just relax this book is for you.

Karma Brown is a fabulous author. I’ve enjoyed some of her novels over the last few years. And I was surprised to see that she was publishing her first non-fiction book… and on productivity! As a certified organizing and productivity consultant, nonfiction author, and fiction writer, this one intrigued me. And it delivered! So many of the tips, research, strategies, and stories are ones I share with my coaching clients and audiences. And I love that the book was one part journalism and one part storytelling. Definitely makes for an engaging read.

Karma explores how getting up one hour earlier per day (for her, at 5 AM), boosts productivity and helps you focus on the thing that you most want to do (for her, writing). One hour out of twenty-four is 4%. That’s were the term 4% fix stems from.

Not everyone will be able to do the 4% fix. As Karma notes in the book, it’s a very simple approach, but that doesn’t make it easy. For those that use this as a reminder to find an extra hour in their day when there are the least distractions and interruptions, and to focus on something they truly want to do for themselves, reading this book will be time well spent.

Waking up early to "seize the day" or "eat that frog" are common themes from some of the most well-known motivational gurus. While Karma Brown leans on this same theme for The 4% Fix, the approach is entirely different and reengineered for those of us who just can't manage to set that alarm for the crack of dawn to get things done. Brown explains how we're competing against biology when we start off too ambitious with our attempts to add time to the day. She also addresses common psychological blocks that keep us from taking steps to increase our productivity. Once she covers examples of success and the possibilities available to us when we shift our mindset, we're off and running with inspiration.

Brown's insight into the science of sleep is most helpful in realizing why most of us are never been able to take the leap into early morning productivity, despite the clear benefits. She provides a step-by-step plan for easing into the concept until the alarm is set for at least a full hour earlier than we would typically rise. Her realistic account of why we can't hold ourselves accountable for unbridled success is perfect for anyone who needs a little "kick in the pants" to get moving.

A poor narrator can make or break my opinion of a book, and I'm happy to report that the narrator for The 4% Fix is the perfect match for the content. She's down-to-earth, lively, and animated without being condescending. That condescension factor is common with self-help books, but Ann Marie Gideon is an absolute delight. I only wish she could narrate every audiobook I listen to.

For anyone who can't quite get a grasp on why motivation eludes you, despite your best intentions, The 4% Fix is the perfect solution. You'll get a great deal of insight into your biological roadblocks and a plan for overcoming them and finding true success without feeling like you're sacrificing for the greater good. This might be the final book you need to take charge of your life and meet all those goals you've been setting that seem just out of reach.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to the Audio Book. This was a nice easy listen while I multitasked around the house. Karma Brown is motivating in a realistic way. Karma breaks down the steps of successfully finding time for yourself throughout the day. Karma Brown makes a 5am wake up desirable and attainable. I will definitely implement the lessons I have learned from this book. I would recommend this to my friends and family as well as anyone else looking to take charge of their day.