BEYOND BUSYNESS

Sullivan argues that busyness can be the enemy of productivity and shows readers how to streamline their efforts for maximum impact.

The author, a self-admitted “recovering Busyness addict,” details how her own sense of having to always be occupied negatively affected her life. Sullivan shares both personal and professional stories ranging from the serious (“destroyed my marriage”) to the laugh-out-loud funny (“accidentally ate cat food, mistaking it for pistachios”) about the journey that led to her current role as a keynote speaker, trainer, and thought-leader for her SheCAN! nonprofit organization. She cites various negative consequences of being overly busy, including compromised thinking, a tendency toward small-picture reasoning, and added stress. Sullivan encourages too-busy readers to change tactics, such as focusing on values instead of goals: “You can’t be accountable for a goal because a goal only comes at the end. You can only be accountable to the daily actions that lead to it. But actions are not inspiring on their own. You need to be inspired first to take action. And you get inspired when the actions align with your values.” Interactive charts allow readers to participate in the lessons, which ultimately culminate in the three-step “Busy-Busting Process” (which includes “Subtraction,” “Mojo Making,” and “Values Vibing”) that Sullivan details in-depth. While some suggestions may come across as easier said than done (her solution to excessive multitasking being “just DON’T”), the vast majority of the author’s advice is practical, educational, and, most importantly, manageable. Sullivan is able to tackle both big and small changes with equal vigor; her “happiness rituals” represent minor daily changes, while her suggestions on how to determine your values (and what to do with them once you do) obviously take a bit more time and effort. Through it all, the author’s amiable tone conveys an ideal blend of authority and self-deprecation that makes self-improvement a pleasure.

A warm, engaging guide that inspires readers to look at the concept of busyness in a whole new way.