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A review by deecreatenola
Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam
3.0
I feel like I have been saying this a lot lately, but this is a hard book to rate. I've been reading it along with the Sorta' Tranquil group. I used the Libby app to get the audio version, but I'm still on the hold list for the Libby e-reader version.
I think a lot of these tips/ways are valid. In fact, I think at this stage of the game, I use a lot of them naturally. Regular bedtime? Check. Make time for my own pursuits? Check.
The book is likely geared more toward younger readers, specifically working moms of young kids. And I'm past that phase. And I think I "discovered" a lot of these ideas as I struggled during those phases.
What I didn't like (and has been an issue for me in the past with Laura Vanderkam) is the position of privilege that she comes to this topic from. She did not write this for all readers. She frequently says in this book something along the lines of, "If you're reading this book, you can probably afford a once or twice a week babysitter." Well, that isn't always the case. And definitely wasn't the case when my son was little.
She also has a certain point of view about things and really cannot seem to see that it's her style/her personality/her unique make up that affects some of it. For example, one tip is to move by 3pm and she highly recommends doing it in the morning before starting work. Well, some of us are not morning people. I have tried exercising in the morning and I've come to resent it and it made me tired and miserable all day. Not the traditional view of morning exercise (you'll feel energized and alive), but that's how it is and always has been for me.
She also works for herself from home. She encourages readers to nix meetings that aren't productive, to go for walks during the workday, and not to read emails first thing - but save them for the afternoon when she assumes everyone is less productive. For starters, workplaces don't always view these habits kindly. I can't tell my boss or colleagues that their meeting isn't productive. I can walk during the workday, but I know plenty of folks who realistically cannot. And while I try to some degree to batch my email viewing, in most cases folks in my workplace want, expect, and often need a relatively speedy reply. It's not all junk that will take care of itself.
Laura can just be so smug. And it didn't help that I was listening to the audiobook because I couldn't get a kindle version right away.
I think this is a good book, with good ideas, especially for early/mid-career moms, but as to approach, I much prefer Gretchen Rubin who really leans into knowing yourself better so you can figure out what works for you. Laura's 9 ways work for her and some of them will work for many of us. But the 9 ways are not a panacea for all.
I think a lot of these tips/ways are valid. In fact, I think at this stage of the game, I use a lot of them naturally. Regular bedtime? Check. Make time for my own pursuits? Check.
The book is likely geared more toward younger readers, specifically working moms of young kids. And I'm past that phase. And I think I "discovered" a lot of these ideas as I struggled during those phases.
What I didn't like (and has been an issue for me in the past with Laura Vanderkam) is the position of privilege that she comes to this topic from. She did not write this for all readers. She frequently says in this book something along the lines of, "If you're reading this book, you can probably afford a once or twice a week babysitter." Well, that isn't always the case. And definitely wasn't the case when my son was little.
She also has a certain point of view about things and really cannot seem to see that it's her style/her personality/her unique make up that affects some of it. For example, one tip is to move by 3pm and she highly recommends doing it in the morning before starting work. Well, some of us are not morning people. I have tried exercising in the morning and I've come to resent it and it made me tired and miserable all day. Not the traditional view of morning exercise (you'll feel energized and alive), but that's how it is and always has been for me.
She also works for herself from home. She encourages readers to nix meetings that aren't productive, to go for walks during the workday, and not to read emails first thing - but save them for the afternoon when she assumes everyone is less productive. For starters, workplaces don't always view these habits kindly. I can't tell my boss or colleagues that their meeting isn't productive. I can walk during the workday, but I know plenty of folks who realistically cannot. And while I try to some degree to batch my email viewing, in most cases folks in my workplace want, expect, and often need a relatively speedy reply. It's not all junk that will take care of itself.
Laura can just be so smug. And it didn't help that I was listening to the audiobook because I couldn't get a kindle version right away.
I think this is a good book, with good ideas, especially for early/mid-career moms, but as to approach, I much prefer Gretchen Rubin who really leans into knowing yourself better so you can figure out what works for you. Laura's 9 ways work for her and some of them will work for many of us. But the 9 ways are not a panacea for all.