The holidays are long gone and I finally managed to get all of our Christmas decorations put away. The new year has brought back our busy schedules – including an unpredicted snow storm that’s kept us trapped at home for DAYS. Many of you know the feeling. But then I was reminded of the book I read recently (that just comes out today!), Breaking Busy by Alli Worthington, which talks about how to slow down, make better family decisions and to finally break the bad habit of being busy. You see, I’m always busy. If I weren’t so busy, and so tired all the time, I would’ve had my Christmas decorations down on January 3. There are so many circumstances that keep us busy and Alli breaks them down.
When I learned about the book helping women “break busy,” I was on board. Don’t we all need permission to stop doing things? To stop being busy. To have more time for us? YES, yes, and yes!! Alli writes from the heart, and from her personal experience as a wife and mom of five boys – not to mention her business experience. She’s one busy woman!
One of my favorite quotes in the entire 200+ pages is this one from Alli’s grandfather:
“If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”
Chapter after chapter Alli give sage advice on how to live a more purpose-driven life. In chapter one she tells you to embrace “the season of life we are in and the limitations that come with it…” I needed to hear this. I do too much. I work full time, blog, do occasional freelance projects, and volunteer on large event committees – and that’s not including my kid’s activities. Just yesterday I had to make the hard decision to resign a volunteer position I’d held for the past two years. Reading this passage in Alli’s book makes me feel so much better about my decision. I can’t do everything in every season. It was also reiterated in her section later in the book where she says to make a “stop doing list.” Yes! We make multiple to-do lists, but what about a don’t do list? If we stop doing things that don’t matter we’ll free up valuable time.
Another favorite quote is,
“Our fears are rooted in lies from the enemy.”
When you reframe your fears as a force working against you, it’s easier to push them to the side. Remember that when you are busy and distracted, you are not headed toward your purpose in life.
I will tell you that Alli doesn’t shy away from her faith in Breaking Busy. If that makes you uncomfortable, then you might not be ready for this book. If you aren’t sure, take a read anyway. You’ll love what you find inside. This is the type of book that is worth reading more than once. There are so many nuggets of wisdom from a woman who’s been there. Go get it today.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of Breaking Busy from the publisher. Affiliate links are used in this post, which means if you make a purchase we will recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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ABOUT ALICIA: Alicia is the founder of Balancing Motherhood.com. Last year, she managed to stay sane while completing an MBA, working full-time, blogging, and still baking amazing birthday cakes — all while raising a young family at home.
Leticia says
February 22, 2016 at 1:27 pmI got what you mean. It is a wonderful blog.