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Reflections from our Bookshelf: The Joy of Missing Out
The Joy of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less
By: Tonya Dalton
Reflection by: Bri Prosser
Why I read it?
Who isn’t looking for a way to free up some space on their mental (or physical) to do list? If this book will tell me that it’s okay to skip things I don’t want to do anyways, I’m all in. That’s not quite how the author ended up framing it, but it was still worth reading!
What is it all about?
Out of the million things on your list, what do you HAVE to do? Do you have to make that birthday cake from scratch or is store-bought just as good? Do you really need to follow that 24-step Christmas present wrapping tutorial or is putting it in a bag just as exciting for the recipient? Quite a bit of our stress is self-imposed. By re-thinking the impossible standards we place on ourselves, we can make our lives a lot easier – and completing a list becomes more attainable.
What caused me to pause?
“Being efficient is getting things done. Being effective is getting what’s important done.” Sure, it feels good to cross several of those tiny things off, but if it’s at the expense of the one large, important task, then you really aren’t accomplishing what needs to be done. You’ve finished a lot of things, but not the one that should have been the priority. I would rather be effective than efficient.
How will this book change my habits or influence me?
The book suggests rather than writing out a to do list, write out a priority list. I have somewhat adopted this. I write out my normal to do list, then number each item in order of importance. That way, when you finish one thing, it’s a no brainer what to go to next, saving all those tiny wins for the end of the day. I have tried this for a few days, and I can say it definitely makes a difference in what’s crossed off by the end of the day!
Add this to your reading list if…
You want to overhaul the way you think about the things you need to get done. It’s made me more productive in the ways that count, and there’s a takeaway in this book for everyone.
Pickle Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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