Welcome to Kiwi Hacks, a monthly feature which brings you ‘life hacks’ – tricks, shortcuts, skills or ideas that increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. Tailored toward the needs of NZBWN members, Kiwi Hacks will draw from the Networks’ broad base of knowledge to bring you top tips on personal and professional issues of a varied nature. As always, we welcome your feedback so drop us a line at newsletter@nzwomen.co.uk to let us know what you think about the content or if you have any hacks of your own that you’d like to share with the Network.

To kick things off we’re focusing on something most of us have to do – and many of us fear – presenting in public.

Not one to sit still for long, Anna Petchell has a CV of adventure to envy. From TV to the high seas and protecting our planet, Anna is an inspirational Kiwi.

Hailing from a farm in Kiwitahi in the Waikato, Anna studied communications and went on to work as a Camera Operator and Floor Manager on shows like Police Ten 7 and TV3 news. Leaving New Zealand nine years ago, she moved to London after being made redundant and had planned to work for the BBC, but chose to travel instead.

Leaving home for a life of travel, and then at sea on super yachts, Anna has clocked up more clocked up more than 60 countries, 10,000 nautical miles, learned six languages (basic), and made countless friends around the world.

That has seen her “live” all over the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the East Coast of USA, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and in the Auckland Viaduct. “Home is wherever the boat ends up – which was sometimes the middle of the Atlantic.”

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
By Laura Vanderkam

Review by Shayna Manchanda

Vanderkam’s main argument is right there in the title: if you feel like you don't have enough time for everything, then chances are you're not making the best use of your time.

She argues that we misuse the majority of our time during the week, through excuses, sacrifices or misplaced priorities. It’s not just the time we waste doing unimportant stuff; it’s that we spend time being productive towards ends that are not very high on our real personal priority list and values. Consequently, we find ourselves not having time for the activities that are genuinely important to us, leaving us feeling stressed and unfulfilled.

This book is more about figuring out how to focus on things that matter most to you and align with your values rather than a traditional time management book. Vanderkam uses the 168 hours figure (i.e total number of hours in 7 days) because our natural rhythm and schedules are often made up of weeks more than individual days. 168 hours seems like a lot more to play with and is a bit more flexible than a single day.

The best part of the book was Vanderkam's argument that we will be more successful and happier if we are mindful of how we spend our time and focus on those activities that align to our 'core competencies'. She recommends that we begin by assuming that all 168 hours of your week are free. Then start to fill in activities according to their true priority for you.