Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Drop the Ball summary
Tiffany Dufu
Achieving More by Doing Less
22 mins
Brief summary
"Drop the Ball" by Tiffany Dufu is a memoir and self-help book that empowers women to redefine and prioritize their roles at home and work, allowing for greater success and fulfillment.
Table of Contents
Drop the Ball
Summary of 7 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 7
The modern idea of doing it all is an unrealistic goal.
Let’s say you’re an aspiring manager with a rigorous and rewarding job at a fast-paced company. What does your work day look like? Meetings in the mornings, writing reports in the afternoon, and some email exchanges throughout the day. Great! Time to clock out and relax.
Not so fast. Turns out, you’re also a mother. Once you leave the office, you have a whole other job to do. It’s time to pick up the kids from daycare, whip up a healthy dinner, and do a week’s worth of laundry. By bedtime, you’re exhausted.
Can you do it all again tomorrow? Maybe. But, maybe that lifestyle is actually unsustainable. Unfortunately, in the modern world, many women are pressured to perform perfectly at work and at home.
The key message here is: The modern idea of doing it all is an unrealistic goal.
Over the last few generations, women have successfully staked out a bigger role in public life. For many women, this has included pursuing professional careers. While this change is definitely positive, complete gender equality remains out of reach. Consider that women are half the workforce, but they only claim 18 percent of leadership positions.
One major reason for this disparity is that women, even working ones, are often still responsible for the majority of domestic labor. The tasks of raising a family, keeping a house, and other traditionally “feminine” responsibilities have not disappeared, and they're still mostly done by women. In fact, according to the American Time Use Survey, 50 percent of women handle daily housework compared to a paltry 20 percent of men.
Now, this doesn’t mean that all men are lazy or that every husband purposefully foists extra responsibilities on his wife. However, unconscious gender roles still structure how work is allocated which puts women at a unique disadvantage. Consider this: Only 19 percent of millennial men felt that having children was holding them back professionally. In contrast, 58 percent of women felt motherhood hurt their careers.
Even when a household has enough money to hire outside help to handle the chores, these pressures don’t always abate. While wealthier women welcome the extra help, many report feelings of failure for not handling the household.
It seems that in the contemporary world, many women are either stretched too thinly trying to handle a huge workload, or they’re left feeling guilty for abandoning traditional responsibilities. In the next blink, we’ll look at some ways this dynamic gets reinforced.
Want to see all full key ideas from Drop the Ball?
Key ideas in Drop the Ball
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Drop the Ball about?
Drop the Ball (2017) is a guide to living that makes the simple argument that you don’t have to do it all to have it all. Part memoir and part manifesto, the title provides a new approach to life for modern women.
Drop the Ball Review
Drop the Ball (2017) by Tiffany Dufu is a compelling read that provides valuable insights for achieving work-life balance. Here's what makes this book worth reading:
- With refreshing honesty and personal anecdotes, Dufu explores the challenges of juggling multiple responsibilities and offers practical strategies for letting go of perfection and finding fulfillment.
- The book presents research-based ideas and actionable steps that empower readers to redefine success on their own terms, helping them create a more balanced and fulfilling life.
- Dufu's relatable storytelling keeps the reader engaged throughout, while her inspiring perspective on embracing imperfections and redefining success ensures that the book is anything but boring.
Best quote from Drop the Ball
Leveraging our highest and best use means employing what were good at and focusing on the tasks only we ourselves can do in order to realize our greatest goals and priorities.
—Tiffany Dufu
Who should read Drop the Ball?
- Young women breaking into the working world
- Mothers still striving for professional success
- Anyone interested in advocating gender equality
Categories with Drop the Ball
Book summaries like Drop the Ball
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Drop the Ball FAQs
What is the main message of Drop the Ball?
The main message of Drop the Ball is that women can achieve more by letting go of perfection and embracing imperfection.
How long does it take to read Drop the Ball?
The reading time for Drop the Ball varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Drop the Ball a good book? Is it worth reading?
Drop the Ball is a valuable read for anyone looking to find balance and overcome perfectionism. It provides practical tips and inspiring stories.
Who is the author of Drop the Ball?
The author of Drop the Ball is Tiffany Dufu.
What to read after Drop the Ball?
If you're wondering what to read next after Drop the Ball, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee
- In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honoré
- Hope for Cynics by Jamil Zaki
- The Art of Rest by Claudia Hammond
- All Work No Play by Dale Sidebottom
- The Simplicity Principle by Julia Hobsbawm
- How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price
- Do Breathe by Michael Townsend Williams
- Trust Yourself by Melody Wilding
- How to Speed Read People by Patrick King
Featured Titles
- A Canticle for Leibowitz
- A Civil Action
- American Prison
- Blood in the Water
- Change Your Words, Change Your Life
- Conflict Management Coaching
- Contract Drafting and Negotiation for Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals
- Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide
- Examples & Explanations for Contracts
- Exonerated