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BNH Book Review: Breaking Up with Busy

Published Friday Jul 10, 2020

Author Terri Schlichenmeyer of The Bookworm Sez, LLC

“Breaking Up with Busy: Real-Life Solutions for Overscheduled Women”
by Yvonne Tally
2018
New World Library
$18.95/$27.50 Canada
203 pages

Your to-do list is a mile long. Every day, you add three things for every one you cross off and you’re starting to resent “That List.” What’s worse: accommodating everything on the list means there’s no more time for you. In “Breaking Up with Busy” by Yvonne Tally, you’ll see that it’s time for the list to get lost.

Tally was what she now calls an “OSW,” or an overscheduled woman, which eventually led to a panic attack and an ambulance ride. Sooner or later, something has to give. The first step to ridding yourself of the problem is to know the 10 signs that it’s time to “break up with busy.” Secondly, remember that being overly busy is a habit that, like many habits, can be altered or eliminated altogether.

Separate needs from wants and know how both relate to your goals. Learn to re-wire your mind to respond to stress. Stay away from “OSW traps” that are lurking everywhere on your calendar and can cause you to lose focus. Take advantage of Tally’s worksheets, to know what kind of OSW you are, where you stand, and where work is needed. Learn her “Super Solutions Process” for assessing tasks.

At one point, Tally mentions something that absolutely lends urgency to her entire book: your kids learn by example. Is over-stressed and over-scheduled what you want to teach them? Tally shows how a packed calendar and no time for one’s self is akin to being bullied. If this sounds familiar, you might want to add “Breaking Up with Busy” to the top of your to-do list.    

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