Glynnis Whitwer

What is the book about?

The title really threw me off just a little when I first saw it but the first chapter lays it all out for us beautifully! I clearly chose it based on the To-Do List aspect but was pleasantly surprised when I realized it is for those of us in this world that PROCRASTINATE!

Glynnis Whitwer, very clearly, shares her story and what brought her to write this book. She shares from a biblical perspective, throughout each chapter, reasons we may be procrastinating. She shares personal examples of how procrastination has harmed her along the way and kept her from doing things God has called her to do. She lays out ways to overcome this monster in our lives and how to live in victory and in God's will for our daily lives. It is one of the most practical books I have read in a very long time.

My reaction to the book...

The timing on this book, for me, was perfect and yet, here I am getting my review up late for this very reason... procrastinating. Clearly, this book was written for ME! LOL

I have some work to do with this book. As I begin the year 2016 I have some very logical and practical things I have gleaned from this book to push me forward. This book really fits beautifully with the Rubin book I read earlier this year on developing good habits but the aspect of God's word makes it even more convincing to me that I need to drop the procrastination once and for all.

If you are a procrastinator.... this is YOUR book, too.

My favorite takeaway comes on page 85...

"Our identity is NOT defined by our actions, and so we will never be a "failure" when our performance doesn't match our expectations. When we reassign the source of our value and worth to its rightful place, we will be free from the fear of failure or of the opinions of others.

The only thing that matters is what our heavenly Father thinks about us. We can rest knowing we are safe and secure in God's unconditional love."


I give this book 5 stars out of 5 for being a very practical and applicable for daily living.

This book was given to me at no cost from Baker Books Revell Division in exchange for an honest read and review of it's contents.… (mais)

Are you constantly making to-do lists and moving the same items over week to week? Do you look at your to-do list and immediately do the easiest thing just so you can check something off? Do you put off projects and deadlines until the last minute?

If you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, then my advice to you is to read this book. I was shocked while reading this book and realizing Whitwer was speaking directly to me. I am guilty of making to-do lists and constantly ignoring the bigger or harder tasks. It is much easier to finish the smaller and easier items and feel accomplished because I scratched off three or four things. But, the underlying problem is that I am really procrastinating on the bigger things I need to be doing.

Whitwer makes this point because she too has avoided the bigger and harder projects. For years she found ways to avoid and make excuses for not writing this very book. But, by naming her issue, "procrastination", and then finding ways to work through those bigger tasks she obviously, was able to finish this book as well as a number of other elusive projects, Whitwer found she was less anxious, less overcommitted, and accomplished more by completing the steps she outlines in her book. Her first step was to remove some of her overwhelming commitments from her life and releasing the fear of letting those tasks go. Also, removing the perfectionist piece from any project allows more room for things to get done versus getting done perfectly.

Her book of tips and advice applies to so many areas of my life. I never thought of myself as a procrastinator until I realized that is exactly what I am. Her tip for making a project list and then breaking each project down into its own task list was a "light bulb moment" for me. I have been moving the same tasks from my to-do list each week with no real intention of completing them. By, breaking each larger project up into steps allows me to not see it as such a huge project and inspires me to start and end each step along the way to actually finishing the whole project. Why I didn't figure this out before is beyond me.

Whitwer is a Christian and bases a lot of her advice on wisdom from Scriptures. God's purpose for us is clearing detailed through the Bible and she relies on it to help her overcome her procrastinating tendencies. I found these passages reassuring and motivating as well.

I will be keeping TAMING THE TO-DO LIST close by my desk, referring to it often when I am feeling overcommitted, anxious, and weighed down by projects. Her wise words of advice will be sure to push me to get the job done.

Favorite Quotes:

"Every yes to one choice is actually also a no to something else." Page 50

"Excellence is possible in some things; perfection is possible in nothing.
Excellence pushes us to do our best; perfectionism pushes us to be the best." Page 115… (mais)

This is a great Bible study that every parent should read. But there's no reason to wait until your child is hurting and then quickly read this for damage control. This is a great Bible study to do before your child is hurting. The study questions at the end of the chapters encourage you to look at your own life to sort through negative behaviors that we as parents can unwittingly pass on to our kids.

Whitwer covers important topics such as bullying, stress, grief, anger, disappointment, as well as when to consider professional help. While she tells stories from her life and her children's, she doesn't claim to be an expert; just a fellow parent offering advice on what she has found works and why. Frankly, I'm tired of "experts" telling me they know my child. It's refreshing to hear Whitwer's take from the trenches.

I found this book encouraging and thought provoking and will be recommending it to many of my parent friends and my church. We can't put our kids in bubbles, but When Your Child Is Hurting can help parents and kids survive the hurts life inevitably brings.… (mais)