Happy 2013 Everyone!

In September 2012, I published my first book Good Busy: Productivity, Procrastination, and the Endless Pursuit of Balance. Many readers tell me they prefer to read Good Busy slowly: in fits and starts, in the bathtub, at bedtime or reading one chapter at a time as they make small adjustments to their own daily lives. In response, I have decided to share a monthly reflection on each one of the Good Busy practices here on my new blog with the hope of supporting this ongoing engagement with the book. If you would like to receive the latest Good Busy installment in your inbox rather than reading it on the website, you can sign up to follow the blog via email using the Follow Blog via Email box to the right of this post. In February 2013 the first installment will feature reflections on the Buffer, along with recent perspectives from Kari Andrade (who is featured in the chapter).

Here is our calendar:
February – Buffer
March – Milk (your cows)
April – Gungee
May – Routine
June – Geological
July – Make your own
August – Mirror
September – Sequence
October – Tunnel
November – Hunt
December – Sliver

This fall, we sponsored several Good Busy readings and events. The first one was at the Center for Documentary Studies on September 13 and focused on Director Tom Rankin’s “Sliver” practice. That same day North Carolina Public Radio’s The State of Things featured Good Busy. You can stream the radio program here. Two days later, we spotlighted the “Buffer” practice with Kari Andrade at McIntyre’s Books. On October 4, Dennis Mumby, Chair of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Communication Studies Department gave a brief lecture on the efficiency movement during a reading at Flyleaf Books, and Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf’s Owner and General Manager, spoke about the busyness of an Independent Bookstore owner. On October 24, Sandy Dang, along with her mother and father, discussed their relationship with time during the Vietnam War and the “Hunt” practice at the Regulator Bookshop. On November 8, I read at the Bulls Head Bookshop.

In the near future, we will ALSO launch an e-book, more readings, and a second edition of Good Busy. We plan to host readings in other parts of the country. If you are interested in hosting a reading, discussing Good Busy at a book club or with a group of friends, let me know.

My best wishes,
Julia Scatliff O’Grady