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

contents

To you, the reader.
I trust our paths have crossed for a purpose.

INTRODUCTION

How Busy Are You?

I think it is important that the question of managing time be addressed in a realistic manner. The reality is that everyone feels pressed for time and it is not going to change as we become more technologically advanced and everything we do can be done in an instant by allegedly working smarter, not harder. I want to know, how do I find more time without cutting my standard of living?

MONA, 32

Do you find yourself rushing from one activity to the next, from the time you wake up in the morning until you go to sleep at night? Has your to-do list grown from just a list in your day planner to scraps of paper and Post-its scattered all over your office and home? Is your social life disappearing because you dont have time for friends and fun? And do you feel that lately life has become the proverbial rat racewhere you are constantly moving forward at an ever-more-frantic pace, yet experiencing very little of the joys and rewards life has to offer?

If you are like most people, youre probably running nearly all the time. Ive been there, as have many of my clients over the years. No doubt youd like for your schedule to be different, or have even found yourself thinking, I really need to make a change. When busyness becomes all-consuming, many of us know deep down that somethings got to givebut were too busy to figure out how or what that change should be!

I believe that your path has crossed mine and that youve picked up this book for a reason: so that you can finally take control of your schedule, create room to breathe, and make time for the people and activities that matter most. The problem with being too busy is that you lose your sense of self. In the race to get it all done, you give up the experience of being fully engaged in anything. The joys of life, such as a meaningful conversation or a healthy, home-cooked meal, become hassles or impediments to getting other things done. The commitments you love, like your work or favorite hobbies, can become burdensome because they only add to your heavy load. Fortunately, change doesnt have to be difficult. It must, however, be intentional.

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your life filled with what brings you happiness, peace, and successat a pace that feels good and with a level of activity that gives you energy rather than saps it. Your life can be differentjust 28 days from now. It begins with your decision to change. I will help you delve deepso you can notice the fears that ultimately crowd your schedule with things you dont really want or need to do. I will help you get real about what you can actually accomplish in a day. And I will walk with you every step of the way.

Busyness was my way of life for years, and I was afraid to make a changeafraid that not being busy would mean my career would suffer, and hence my income would suffer, too; afraid that if I wasnt busy, then something must be wrong; and afraid to say no to people when their requests left me feeling overloaded with another to-do. It wasnt until my busy lifestyle became a burden that I realized how out of balance my life was. Love and friendships take nurturing. Good health, a body you love, and time for rest and relaxation require intentional actions. All of this takes time, yes, but there is enough time in the day to do what you were created to do. They key is identifying whats essential at this stage of your journey. For the next 28 days, I will guide you step-by-step toward understanding how youve become so busy and taking the actions that will empower you to free your time, reclaim your schedule, and reconnect with what matters most.

To be clear, this book is not about time management. Its not about getting organized. It is about you. It is about helping you get clear about what has driven you to overload your schedule and create the kind of lifestyle that allows you enough space to be your best self, experience the best in your relationships, and reach your potential in your work. Of course, whenever we set out to make a change, there is often that little internal voice that begins chiming in with doubts and pessimism. You dont really think you can take control of your schedule in just 28 days, do you? You want success and time to rest, have fun, and spend quality time with your spouse, significant other, family, and friends? Get real! Refuse to let that voice dissuade you. Getting real is exactly what you are doing. The way youve been living isnt working for youthats the reality. And now is the time to do something about it.

As life moves faster, we are compelled to do more. As a result, our lives arent just overloaded, but lived in overdrive. It is an epidemic that, for many of us, is spiraling out of control. Theres little time to live in the present because were always focused on what needs to be done next. So were here physically, but mentally were ten minutes or even ten days into the future. Isnt it draining to wake up daily and spend each day hurrying through a flurry of back-to-back activities, then fall into bed exhausted so that you can wake up and do it all over again? Its time to take back your schedule and your life. Ive written How Did I Get So Busy? to help you do just that.

Most people look for the quick fix, but this book is an invitation to begin what I call a self-care lifestyle. That is, one in which your everyday life reflects who you truly are, engages you in the relationships and activities that you truly love, and gives you the opportunity to relax, reflect, and replenish your energy. If you prefer the simple fixes, youll find some terrific high-impact ideas here that will help you lighten your load. But I hope that instead, you will accept my invitation and make lasting adjustments to adapt to a new way of living.

Many of the shifts I will encourage you to make are ones youve probably been longing to make for some time. Your journey through these pages will be a practical, but also a soul-nourishing, one. It is not enough to talk about what you need to do differently; you must also take a deeper look at who you really are and the motivating forces and fears that drive you. Without assessing our internal battles, it is impossible to make a permanent change. My goal is not only to help you become less busy, but also more fruitful, well rounded, and productive. My hope is that when you have finished this 28-day program, you will be inspired to adopt these changes as an ongoing way of life.

Before you begin taking steps to tame your overloaded lifestyle, lets find out just how busy you actually are.

How Busy Are You?

Go through the following list and check all of the statements below that are true for you; then give yourself one point for each statement checked:

I feel as though I am constantly trying to catch up at work.

I feel as though I am constantly trying to catch up with personal responsibilities.

My life feels out of balance.