It’s About Time: The Art of Choosing the Meaningful Over the Urgent

Burton (Successful Women Think Differently), cofounder of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute, hits the mark with this practical guide to changing how one views and spends time. Burton begins with an overview of how the human relationship to time has evolved from a home-centric, manual labor–intensive culture that began to slowly give way (Burton marks the shift as coinciding with the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800s) to the tech-dependent, consumer-driven culture of today. After laying this groundwork, she helps readers identify habits that foster a feeling of “time poverty,” where what’s urgent takes precedence over what’s meaningful. While Burton uses Christian scripture minimally, she stresses the need for balance between the everyday and the “eternal” (activities that reinvigorate the soul). She provides plenty of practical tools, including quizzes that assess core time vulnerabilities, “Meaningful Minute” meditations, and a variety of tips to help readers develop positive “time affluent” habits (eating slower, remembering to breathe deeply, and “doing a body scan” for emotional or physical pain). Burton’s upbeat writing style and doable recommendations make this a winning resource for readers wishing to slow down and regain control of their time. (Apr.)