Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

Busy

When you ask people these days how they’re doing, the answer is often about how busy they are – there is always so much to do and not enough time. The book “Busy” by Tony Crabbe suggests that many of us use “busy” as a badge of honor to emphasize that we are working hard. But why? According to the author, “When you say ‘no’ to busyness, it’s not because you want to stop being busy; it’s because you want to become more immersed, more effective, more energized and more connected.”

Section one of the book, Mastery, focuses on how you use your time and analyze your choices, managing where you want to spend your attention and how and when you want to say no. The other two sections deal with Differentiation and Engagement. The chapters in these sections identify ways to feel like “you are enough,” how to play to your strengths, and how to develop the lens of looking at your mistakes and failures as places to start over and reflect on what you’ve learned. The Engagement section explores ways to get more invested and gain higher performance and satisfaction from our work with the effect that “being in the flow” has on our health and well-being.

The format of the book makes it a very easy and enjoyable read. A summary section is included at the end of each chapter, as well as a “go do” section outlining the actionable items and suggestions in the book to manage your busyness. The third section is called “experiment,” where the author describes ways to try new things in short bursts to see what works for us or to help us innovate. My favorite experiment from the book is being the outcast and never saying “I’m busy” – now that was a hard one to experiment with. Try it!

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