Not Today by Erica Schultz and Mike Schultz Summary

Not Today by Erica and Mike Schultz blends a personal crisis narrative with actionable productivity strategies. After their son’s life-threatening heart condition, the authors developed 9 habits to maintain business operations while managing hospital stays. The book emphasizes hyper-focused work sessions, boundary-setting, and systemic solutions to burnout, offering tools like time-tracking and prioritization frameworks.

This book targets professionals facing burnout, entrepreneurs balancing work-life crises, and anyone seeking productivity methods grounded in real adversity. Its mix of personal storytelling and tactical advice (e.g., 90-minute focus blocks, habit audits) resonates with readers navigating high-stress environments or health challenges.

Yes—Not Today stands out by linking extreme productivity to emotional resilience. Unlike generic advice, it provides metrics-driven frameworks tested during family trauma, such as the “Rule of 3” for daily priorities and strategies to avoid decision fatigue. Readers praise its relatable crisis-to-productivity angle.

While specifics vary, key habits include:

• Time blocking (90-minute focused sessions).
• Energy management via circadian rhythm alignment.
• Boundary-setting to protect focus.
• Habit stacking to replace unproductive routines.
  The habits stress adaptability, self-assessment tools, and aligning tasks with long-term goals.

The book frames burnout as a systemic issue requiring organizational change, not just individual fixes. It advocates for transparent workload discussions, flexible scheduling, and leadership accountability, alongside personal strategies like mindfulness breaks and “stress inoculation” practices.

Key techniques include:

• The “Two-Minute Rule” for quick tasks.
• Priority triaging using the Eisenhower Matrix.
• Time audits to eliminate low-value activities.
  These methods aim to reduce decision fatigue and create buffer time for unexpected crises.

While Atomic Habits focuses on incremental behavior change and Deep Work on distraction-free focus, Not Today integrates crisis management into productivity. It emphasizes adaptability during upheaval, offering frameworks tested in life-or-death scenarios rather than optimized environments.

Some reviewers note the 9 habits overlap with established productivity literature. Others find the dual focus on memoir and strategy occasionally disjointed. However, most praise its raw, real-world applicability compared to theoretical guides.

Entrepreneurs gain crisis-management tactics, like the “Divide and Conquer” framework for delegating during chaos, and the “Burnout Radar” system to preempt exhaustion. The book also addresses sustaining team morale under strain.

• “Productivity isn’t about time—it’s about energy alignment.”
• “Burnout is a leadership failure, not a personal one.”
  These lines underscore its focus on systemic change and intentional habit design.

Yes, it includes habit-tracking templates, time-audit spreadsheets, and a “Priority Pyramid” worksheet to categorize tasks by urgency and impact. These resources help operationalize the 9 habits.

With hybrid work blurring boundaries and AI accelerating task loads, the book’s emphasis on sustainable productivity—not just efficiency—addresses modern workforce challenges. Its crisis-tested frameworks suit economic and health uncertainties.