Say Goodbye To Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

When I first heard that Crystal Paine had written a new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, I knew it was a book I wanted to read.  It is far too easy to load up on commitments, stretch yourself thin and end up utterly overwhelmed and exhausted.  Have you been there [too]?

It makes me think of, “Are you tired, run-down or listless?  Do you poop out at parties?  The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle.”  Those lines are forever ingrained in my head from the TV show, I Love Lucy.  In one very well known episode, Lucy tries to get into show business and attempts to sell a product called Vitameatavegamin.

In the hilarious bit, Lucy promotes a tonic with its vitamins, meats, vegetables and minerals which will give the user more energy, popularity and supposedly, goes down just like candy.  What could be easier than 1 daily spoonful to change your life for the better?

But let’s face it.  Change doesn’t come in a little bottle.  It is simply not that easy.  When you are running everywhere, doing everything and taking responsibility for everyone, life is never fixed without purposeful intention to reorganize and change.  

Enter Crystal’s book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life.  I am a big fan of Crystal’s blog, Money Saving Mom and have been following her for years.  She has been a huge blessing to me with my own ebook and it was such a treat to meet and chat with her at a blogging conference.  In short, she is the real-deal.

I have had seasons where the busyness, obligations, and my over-committing tendencies have been down-right overwhelming.  The exhaustion, the lack of direction . . . it was all I could to do survive.

In her book, you will read of Crystal’s real-life struggles and attempts to “escape the hamster wheel.”  In our society, we have been taught to be “yes women.”  We worry about not doing it all and too often compare ourselves with others.  Crystal debunks the myth.

“I don’t like saying no.  But if my struggles and health issues a few years ago taught me anything, it was this:  If I want to live a productive, efficient, happy, peaceful, and disciplined life, I must learn to say no.  And I must say it often.”

Crystal gives practical steps and great advice on getting out of survival mode.  She walks you through setting priorities, goals and reasonable expectations.  This wasn’t I book I breezed through – to do it right, you’ll want to invest a little time and work through your own priorities, activities and agendas.

When I wrote these things out, I immediately felt better because I could see things more clearly.  Items on my list that seemed more mundane suddenly became more valuable because I saw how it weaved into my priorities.

In Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, Crystal covers:

• Responding to the pressure to do it all
• Prioritizing what’s important and focusing on the best
• Setting and accomplishing goals
• Understanding the art and importance of discipline
• Managing your finances
• Handling the care of your home and day-to-day responsibilities
• Moving forward when facing distractions or setbacks
• Looking beyond yourself and making a difference
• Practicing self-care to be a better woman overall

I loved Crystal’s advice on margin, creating breathing room in your life and day.  On chaotic days when I am writing out my schedule, what a difference it has made to have margin built into my day (yes, I actually scheduled it!).

Maybe you are feeling busy and burdened.  Maybe you are overwhelmed and barely surviving.  Let Crystal join you on your journey, like a good friend over coffee, and Say Goodbye to Survival Mode.

Do you have too much on your plate?  How are you handling it all?  

Through tomorrow, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is only $2.99 for Kindle.  That is an amazing deal.  Go snatch it up!

Disclosure:  BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.