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She was what she now calls an “OSW,” or an overscheduled
woman. Her definition is that an OSW has “Superwoman-like
powers” and is “everything from a well-intended
problem-solver to a driven and tireless overdeliverer.” You
already know that can’t be sustained and, sooner or later,
something has to give.
The first step to ridding yourself of the problem is to know
the ten signs of needing to “break up with busy” – a list of
traits with which most of today’s working women will be
familiar. 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 goals
you’ve set. Learn to “re-wire” your mind to respond to
stress and busyness. Stay away from “OSW Traps” that are
lurking everywhere on your calendar; they’re “reinforced by
the shoulds of life” and can cause you to lose focus.
Take advantage of Tally’s quick 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. Be mindful, learn to listen better, and learn to
meditate. Deschedule in a way that doesn’t add to your
stress. Finally, “count your yessings”; a little two-letter
word (“no”) can mean a world of difference.
At one point in Breaking Up with Busy, author Yvonne
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?
Using case examples that may hit uncomfortably close to
home, Tally shows how a packed calendar and no time for
one’s self is akin to being bullied. The solution doesn’t
appear to be easy and Tally’s ideas can have a whiff of new-agey-ness
to them but, while they’re quite commonplace in relation to
other books of this kind, her fixes seem usable and sound.
The one exception: at least initially, it’s not clear how
one is to find time in an overscheduled day to learn to
unschedule in order to find time…
Still, for businesswomen who long for ten extra hours in a
week, this book can’t hurt; at the very least, it’s a place
to start. You might even want to add Breaking Up with
Busy to the top of your to-do list. |
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