Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out.: The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well

by Tracey Lovejoy, Shannon Lucas

This isn’t your typical changemaking book, because it’s not for your typical changemaker. It’s for the innovators who can’t stop taking in information, connecting dots, and changing the world—even when the world hasn’t asked for it. Even when the changemaker desperately needs a break.If that sounds familiar, you aren’t broken, difficult, or an incurable workaholic. You’re a Catalyst, and authors Tracey Lovejoy and Shannon Lucas believe that means you’re a rock star. You just need to have the language to understand your process and key tools to help you survive it. As Catalysts themselves, Tracey and Shannon work to make Catalysts better understood, connected, and supported in their processes. Instead of a how-to, they’ve created a personal operations manual that will help you move fast without losing people, break shit with intentionality, and lessen the intensity of the burnout cycle. Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out. won’t tell you to stop working—it will help you finally, sustainably work well.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Personal Development, Psychology, Entrepreneurship, Nonfiction

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Bindu Upadhyay]

This book has been an amazing revelation to me. It feels as if I was interviewed deeply, analysed and presented with insights. I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels that everyone else around them moves slow.
This book also made me feel understood and heard. I realised why I sometimes get frustrated, when I face resistance, and how my energy levels vary.
A big takeaway for me has been to build rejuvenation and mindfulness routines into my schedule.

[Donna]

I’m a catalyst. Nice to meet me.

You had me in the first paragraph. It’s an amazing solace to see somebody put into words how you’ve been feeling your entire life. I now know who I am and why I break shit all the time. I’m so glad to have a map to the future.

[Ashe Magalhaes]

While this book may not be everyone's cup of tea (and could come across as repetitive), I am personally in a headspace where reading it was like sitting down with a friend who sees me, hears me, and wants to give me a hug.

This book was valuable to me because the author put words to the more subtle nuances of my work style and the environments that contribute to my burnouts. For example, it was helpful to think more concretely about the necessity of practicing yoga/meditation and identifying supporters at work to provide distance/cover from resistance encountered when trying to move fast + make changes.

[Krzysztof Danek]

I love this book

Reading this book helped my with keeping the right mindset while being more focused in my work. I am prone to burnout, and Tracy and Shannon have shown me how to avoid it and stay productive in a sustainable way

[Alexander]

Holy crap

This book took a broken person and made him realize that he's actually something special. I think it may literally have saved my life.

[Jmac]

This book helps catalysts make sense of themselves. I realised while reading this book that being a catalyst is just like any other spectrum, we all sit somewhere along that continuum. The authors make the point of repeating core messages throughout the book in real-life examples and through reflections, to ensure that message sent equals message received.
It includes some great tools for us to integrate into change roles.

[Ellyn]

Good information but felt too intangible

I read books like this for action steps and it felt like it took me 3\4 of the way through the book to get to those and then it was only a chapter. Kinda disappointed.

[Stephani Kilby]

Fresh take from the perspective of a catalyst. This is not about holding back pieces of oneself that may make others uncomfortable, but rather about creating clarity, connection, and intentionality around the value we create. Recommended read for innovators and change-makers who get caught in the burnout cycle.

[Justine]

This book definitely helped me understand some of my subconscious processes and be more aware of them. But most of all it’s just satisfying knowing there are other catalysts, facing the same struggles, pushing too hard until they break people around them or themselves.
Something I thought the book was too repetitive but I realized it really helped me remember the most important lessons.