My brother-in-law, Chuck, is a terrific friend. He and his family provided weekend solace for our son while he suffered the grind of Marine Corps Officer Candidate and Basic Schools, and we’re happily keeping in regular contact with Chuck’s son, who is attending the University of South Florida near our Clearwater home. But a few years ago, Chuck somehow convinced me to sign up for Microsoft’s odious Instant Message program. I use the term “odious” with intent, as once the thing was up and running, Chatty Cathy messages began showing up with alarming frequency and at the most inconvenient times—all seemingly demanding immediate, drop-everything responses. After a couple of weeks of this mayhem, I canceled the service and told Chuck what he could do with those infernal, invariably insipid communications. Email was as accessible as I cared to be. I made those points to make this one…

The Scourge of Rampant Busyness

Edward Hallowell uses what he learned treating Attention Deficit Disorder (AD&D) in children to advise us all on coping with "the problem and the opportunity" of modern life: “rampant busyness.” (ala Instant Messaging). Hallowell insists he’s not anti-technology (just the opposite); he simply details how we can convert "the rush, the gush, the worry, and the blather (which also includes clutter)" into positive elements in our lives and businesses. He goes on to explain how to enjoy the things we want with “the speed, volume and emotional energy of the crazy-busy lifestyle,” without the frenetic over-activity and impatience that typically prevent us from getting the most out of life. Hallowell says most self-organization systems are useless if we embrace too many poorly focused priorities, or are out of meaningful contact with the people who are truly important to us. His highly accessible advice covers the big and little picture of managing our time, whether we’re husbands and wives with families, otherwise sterling brothers-in-law with too much time on their hands, or SBOs struggling to manage growing businesses.

CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life

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