Taming the To Do List

Taming the To-Do List
by
Glynnis Whitwer

MY THOUGHTS:
I had the opportunity to meet Glynnis many years ago at a Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference, and I was very impressed. I can't remember many of the people who led workshops, but she and the workshop she led continue to be memorable to me. She was an amazingly down to earth, caring person who honestly wanted each person in the room to be successful!

Her new book, Taming the To-Do List, is written in that same vein. She shares her struggles with perfectionism and procrastination, and she gives really tangible, down-to-earth processes for getting the important things done. One of the things I really liked about the book is the linkage to the readers' personal issues. Each chapter ends with a Practical Application section where the reader applies the lessons learned in the chapter to a regular task that never seems to get done and a personal goal he/she wants to achieve. The questions required both introspection and planning for overcoming obstacles.

When we are overwhelmed by too many things to do and not enough time, we often feel like failures. Whitwer addresses this with a statement I've placed on my bathroom mirror:
"Only Satan draws a line from our work to our worth. Only our enemy wants us to find our identity in what we do, because he knows when the work is gone so is our sense of value. God, however, has another identity for us, ones that's unchanging and independent of our actions. It's as his chosen and beloved child."

I've read many time management books that offer intricate processes for getting things done that often become just another item on my to-do list. This book addresses the issues behind my long and often uncompleted list and offers solutions that ensure I have the right list and the right motives without an artificial structure for managing my life. By helping me determine the right list and understand the reasons why I struggle so much with my lists, Glynnis Whitwer has helped me get a handle on my life! Thank you!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ever just wish the world would stop for a day so you could catch up?
No matter how much we accomplish in a day, we nearly always feel a little guilt over what we didn't do. But do we really have more to do than the women who came before us? Maybe not.

In Taming the To-Do List, Glynnis Whitwer exposes a seismic shift in society: from one in which most of us were proactive to one in which we carry the burden of having to respond--to every email, text, tweet, and message we receive. This creates a cycle where everyone else sets the priorities for our days rather than us directing our own lives. The result? We procrastinate, putting off the important stuff for later while we tend to the "urgent" stuff right now.

It's time to take back your schedule! Ready to tame that to-do list? This book shows you how.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Glynnis Whitwer  I’ve been on staff with P31 since 1999 and am currently the executive director of communications.  I oversee the Encouragement for Today Devotions, co-direct COMPEL Writer’s Training, and am in charge of all the content at She Speaks – our annual conference for writers and speakers.
Here’s a few more random thoughts.
Glynnis Whitwer is passionate about knowing God’s Word, serving in His church and loving His people. She has a degree in Journalism and Public Relations from Arizona State University. She has been on staff with Proverbs 31 since 1999 and is currently the executive director of communications.  She oversees the Encouragement for Today Devotions, co-directs COMPEL Writer’s Training, and is in charge of all the content at She Speaks – the annual conference for writers and speakers.
Before joining the staff of Proverbs 31 Ministries, she worked in public relations and marketing for developers of retirement and assisted living communities.  She has authored or co-authored nine books that deal with relationships - with God, with family, and with ones self. 


You can learn more about Glynnis at her website HERE