The Joy of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less

Tonya Dalton, founder of Inkwell Press, brings her schedule-slashing skills to the masses in this engaging book, "The Joy of Missing Out." Long an advocate of planners, organizing and putting the most important things first, Dalton has lots of experience that the reader can depend on.

She lays out the book in an easy to read, simple format that teaches us how to eliminate stress by choosing that which is best for us, not just because we feel we must add one more thing to our overflowing plates. There are four main sections in the book: Pursue Discovery, Find Clarity, Create Simplicity and Achieve Harmony. Each section has three chapters that breaks the main topic down further to make it practical and applicable.

Because Dalton has made a life helping others get organized and prioritized, she has a lot of great advice to give. I think this book would be a tool useful for anyone who feels as though they cannot stop saying yes to everything that seems good. She has a clear, decisive way about her writing that allows you to evaluate personally the choices you've made, while offering grace to eliminate that which doesn't prosper your life.

If you've found yourself overwhelmed or treading water, "The Joy of Missing Out" is a book you need to read. There are also many resources on her website that tie in with the book, which I found extremely helpful while going through the book. She has polled women who try to do it all and asked about their specific struggles, allowing her to be well informed before trying to help solve the overarching problem of doing too much.

I loved the fact that this book gave me permission to let go of things that I felt were really important, when, in fact, those things were only part of what was necessary. In dissecting all that we allow into our lives, the process of feeling free to release some less significant things in order to fully embrace the life we have was powerful to me.

This book would be a wonderful one to work through in a women's group or in a work group, as the principles could be easily adapted to work for both women and men. I think the printables and website resources really helped to flesh out the book for me, so please look up those resources as you read. Being able to review afterwards was insightful!. Don't rush through this book--there's a lot to learn here!

**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

I'm starting to think that perhaps I should stop reading productivity/self-help books. Because they're all starting to sound the same after a while.

If you're very new to the productivity world, if you're a young mom, if you're already a fan of Tonya Dalton and inkWell Press... you'll probably like this. It's not a bad book. Tonya has a certain, gentle way about her that I think will resonate most with young moms trying to figure out how to get their act together. But then, of course, the flip side of that is: if what you really need is a kick in the butt, I don't think this book is going to do it for you.

If you've read any productivity books at all, you don't need this one. It honestly reminds me of a kinder, gentler version of "Girl, Stop Apologizing" (and that was a lot of recycled material, too). Highlights of "JOMO" include:
~Life is short! Embrace the time with your children!
~Find your why (or, as she calls it, your "North Star"); dig deep!
~Daily Download (which is a lot like Rachel Hollis' "Five to Thrive"...it's certainly in the same vein)
~Skip the to-do list, have a "priority list" (which is basically the Eisenhower Matrix)
~Recognize how habits happen and how to change them (cue, action, reward)

Again: if you're new to the world of productivity, and especially if you're a young mom, this will probably be a great book for you. Particularly if you like a kind, gentle approach. It includes a lot of emails and PDFs that you can sign up for that will be helpful if you're just starting out.

But seriously: if you've read Rachel Hollis, skip this one. If you've read Brendon Burchard or The Power of Habit, or anything by Jon Acuff...skip this. It's rehashing and repackaging of material you already know.

This is a very good book. It's well written and has a lot of useful information. It's got a lot of personal stories and Tonya provides downloads, handouts, a discussion guide, and email series that go along with this book. They are all helpful and help you to determine what is important to you and how to make time for the important things. This is a book that I will reread and put to good use.

**I was sent a free advanced readers copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.**

I read the first chapter and had convinced myself I wasn’t going to like this book; it turns out that I loved it. So many things just resonated with me and it was the kick in the pants that I’ve needed for the past few years. Get out your highlighters and be prepared to take some notes. I hope you’re able to grab as many great takeaways as I was from the author’s playbook on how to move forward and make the most of the time we’re all given.

I am already a fan of Tonya's Inkwell Press planners and have been listening to her podcast for a while, so of course I was going to get her book to read! I've already read and listened to the book once through and am now going through again making notes.

I work remotely from home full-time and am married with no children. I actually DON'T feel the busyness overwhelm that she talks about in this book. I am not one of the people who is truly busy all the time who she wants to slow down and learn the Joy of Missing Out.

What I have felt is like life is passing me by so quickly and what have I been doing with it? What do I have to show for it?

I feel like this book has inspired me to really dig in and do the work of figuring out what is most important and to learn how to live life prioritizing those things. Not just doing the daily urgent tasks that are screaming out but making sure I am cultivating those non-urgent but very important tasks that will make life feel full and satisfying.

I do feel like most people would benefit from reading this book in some way! There is so much in here that can be put into practice!

I absolutely love this book! From the very first chapter I was hooked. I have learned so much from her and have been able to apply many of the principles to my life already. I have the book and the audio book and am on my second listen and continue to stop and highlight my book as I go. I have also found the book very helpful as I continue to work my business as a wellness/health coach. I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Like most working parents, I have a hard time saying “no” to activities that involve my family and tend to put myself last. This book helped me to create a schedule that works by prioritizing the things in my life. Interestingly enough, I have no problems prioritizing my work tasks and goals.

Tanya Dalton has written a book that offers tips and suggestion that can be applied to working parents, stay at home parents, and empty nesters. I purchased an additional copy of my book to for my friend who is a working student and she found the book to be helpful in setting her priorities too.

For me it is family related matters that create the challenge. I was raised to believe that I had to be the perfect parent and get it all done in a day. However, this book made me realize that I do not have to be perfect and that sometimes I just have to say “no”.

In Chapter 4: Tonya gives us the insight on ways to clarify our focus and the importance of setting boundaries. Once I decided on what I want to actually focus on, I moved on to Chapter 5 where she shares how to clarify time. This is important because we often forget that we only have 24 hours in a day. The chapters from this book have helped me realize how much more effective I can be when I apply the principals from this book to my day to day tasks, and create more time for spending quality time with my family.

There is a lot more information on different ways to simplify tasks, create new priorities and develop strategies that can be easily revised as needed. I really like her perspective and insight on setting priorities that are really helpful

Excellent perspective on choosing your priorities and organizing your life according to them. I particularly enjoyed the focus on simplifying systems. I received an advanced reader copy.

Excellent perspective on choosing your priorities and organizing your life according to them. I particularly enjoyed the focus on simplifying systems. I received an advanced reader copy.

This book gives you the practical tools you need to refocus your priorities so that you can accomplish what’s most important to you and not just put out fires for everyone else all day long!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!