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    How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-Day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most
    How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-Day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most
    How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-Day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most
    Audiobook5 hours

    How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-Day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most

    Written by Valorie Burton

    Narrated by Valorie Burton

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Burton, a certified professional coach (What’s Really Holding You Back?), addresses the problem of rushed and overloaded lives in sympathetic, persuasive language, confessing that she, too, was once part of the busyness epidemic. She draws a firm distinction between being successful (reaping financial gain or status) and being fulfilled (living, working and loving in a way that brings you emotional and spiritual satisfaction). Above all, she believes busyness is often based in fear and interferes with the primary job of life: making authentic connections with others. Burton pushes the reader to make deep but simple shifts : taking all your vacation days every year and leaving the office for at least a half-hour during the day will allow you to set healthy boundaries. She outlines what she calls a self-care lifestyle, which promotes living well and in balance. Exercise, good health habits and pampering are crucial, she says. Each of the 28 short chapters ends with a challenge, a five-minute journal exercise and a one-minute meditation. Burton’s book is a wakeup call, an effective and inspiring plan for change.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOasis Audio
    Release dateDec 1, 2007
    ISBN9781608142415
    How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-Day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most
    Author

    Valorie Burton

    Valorie Burton helps readers find joy and resilience while navigating the challenges of modern life.  She is founder of the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and has written a dozen books on personal development.  Her unique combination of research, faith, and personal transparency inspires action and delivers practical tools to find fulfillment and purpose in work and life.  

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    • 5/5
      I have a simple litmus paper test to gauge the overall quality of a self-help book. I ask a question: Was there a “news-you-can-use” nugget unearthed every few turns of the page? If the answer is yes, I consider the time I spent reading the book an excellent investment. Burton’s book passes my litmus paper test with flying colors. It lives up to its billing as a work “packed with realistic strategies, practical tips, the Ten Commandments of Self-Care, and to-the-heart-prayers.”Okay, let’s get something out of the way right now. Burton’s work does indeed mix a smorgasbord of self-help advice with what many readers might consider a heavy-handed dose of spiritualism. In all candor, I probably would opt for a version of the book that doesn’t spend quite as much time weaving prayer and spiritual enrichment into the fabric of this incredibly helpful tome. Nothing against God, honest. But I think many readers who could benefit from the wisdom in this book might be turned off early on by the religious tone.But I’m nit-picking. Some of the tips and themes in Burton’s book will stay with me for years (at least that’s my hope.) I’ve spent some time trying to summarize what I consider to be the dozen most helpful insights and recommendations. I plan to post this list on a wall near my desk as a not-too-subtle reminder of what I need to do to “reclaim” my schedule and “reconnect with what matters most.” Burton’s book is not about time-management. It’s about altering lifestyles and mind-sets.I could have prepared a list of at least 25 excellent tips from this book, but I’m confining it to a dozen. True, many of Burton’s suggestions are not rocket science. But sometimes we need to hear even simple advice from an outside expert.-- Enjoy the journey. This is a common theme throughout the book. Don’t let the hectic pace of life make you “numb” to the small but delightful experiences in life. Case in point: I’m writing this review on my day off, sitting on the patio of my cottage as birds chirp in the background. The sun is showering the trees across the street with beautiful light. We need to recognize – and appreciate – the small delights in life.-- Rushing can actually eat up time. We all know the sinking feeling that occurs when we’ve scurried to save five minutes – only to realize that we forgot an important item on the kitchen table that will take three times as long to retrieve.-- When you’ve made a mistake or hit a snag, try to find a lesson in the experience. What kind of “wake up call” can this setback provide?-- Celebrate milestones, however small. When you’ve accomplished something – even a minor chore – take a minute to savor the good feeling. (“Wow, I finally cleaned the bathroom floor. And it looks awesome!”)-- Under-promise and over-deliver. This is a tenet I’ve been practicing for nearly three decades as a journalist and regional book publisher. But I needed Burton’s gentle nudge to continue using this strategy. It’s always better to agree to a Wednesday deadline, then deliver it on a Tuesday -- instead of the other way around.-- Schedule “catch-up time” to stay on schedule. This is excellent advice that few of us practice. Regardless of how chaotic our schedules are, we should build in some time for “catch-up” chores.-- Divide procrastinated projects into bite-sized tasks. Burton’s theory is that we often procrastinate because the magnitude of certain projects intimates and discourages us. Tackle tough or time-consuming projects in the same way that you might eat an elephant: small bites at a time (my words, not Burton’s.) By tackling difficult projects step-by-step, the temptation to procrastinate is dramatically reduced. A sidebar tip that is also valuable for avoiding procrastination: let go of perfectionism. A job well-done is still better than a job that you aim to perform perfectly but never get around to tackling. -- Address “adrenalin addiction.” This was among the most valuable slices of advice for me. The author suggests that many people use adrenalin as they would a drug – to give them a “high.” Hence, they create their own mini-crises, set unrealistic deadlines or take on unnecessary tasks. Recognizing this “addiction” is the first step toward overcoming it.-- Set up your schedule so that you are 10 minutes early for every obligation. How I wish some of my habitually-late friends would adopt this strategy. I’ve never quite understood how certain people can be late for virtually every single event, large or small.-- Manage the impact of technology on your life. The problem is not the flood of e-mails, text messages, pages or phone calls. The problem is how we manage the technology in our life. Figure out what works for you. I have a rigid policy where I only check e-mails two or three times a day. The only exception if there is some type of time-sensitive mission that falls on a given day. Burton also suggests having technological time-outs where you give yourself a break from the barrage of messages. My weekly visits to my cottage six months a year provide these “time-outs.”-- Trust the “timing” of life. This is another tip that is going to be enormously helpful to me. When you find yourself thrust into an involuntary “holding pattern” (late airline flights, traffic jams, tardy friends, etc.,) don’t sweat it. Use the down time to rest your mind, your eyes, etc. We sometimes can’t control life’s curves. Take them in stride, using them as rejuvenating moments.-- Fight only those battles where the outcomes will make a real difference a year from now. This is another life-lesson I need to master. Like many people, I find myself in “fight mode” far more than is necessary. True, we cannot become doormats for those who would take advantage of us. But Burton wisely urges folks to try to stay out of fight mode. What good comes from engaging in testy encounters with an impatient store clerk? Is it worth getting worked up over? In summary, if you’re among those who frequently ask yourself “How did I get so busy?” Burton’s book is a roadmap (she bills it as a “28-Day Plan”) for getting your life in order. Read it. You’ll be glad you did.