"I'm soooo BUSY!" Why? "Well because of this that and this and that." Nope. Wrong. You're most likely not busy because you have "too much to do," you're "busy" because of failing to plan, prepare, focus, and maybe even the ability to say "no" or to redirect something to a better time on the calendar when it arises. These are hard to hear but are some the main reasons most people feel "busy." And if you think it's wrong, then ask yourself, "how do those people who seem to do so many things and have a beautiful family and contribute to their community and others and find time for themselves and (insert virtually anything here) get it all done in the same 24 hour days?" See... Questions are often the answers when it comes to leveling up in life.
"Busy" has become a badge of honor in some circles, it's a great way for us to boost our ego by notating how much responsibility we have and to tell others about because "busy" is an indicator of how great we must be! Or is it? (Hint: It's not)
I truly believe you are great, because I understand that people are far greater than most realize, however if you're running around from task to task and feel the need to share with everyone that you have SOOO MUCH going on, maybe it's time for a check in? Here's 3 simple things you can do right now, to feel less "busy" and to instead be more productive, making the most of each day. Implementing these 3 things will probably also help you feel like you have a lot more control over your life so the next time you see someone saying they are "SSOOOOOO busy," you can smile and maybe help them reduce their heart rate a bit.
1. Recognize the difference between "busy" and "productive." Being busy means life is pulling you in different directions and you're spending a lot of time reacting instead of responding. A reaction is more like a habitual action than a well crafted and considerate response. When you react, you are less likely to get the desired long-term outcome, but when you respond, you are by nature managing ahead into the future and have an increased likelihood of creating the outcome you'd hoped for. A response comes from a more relaxed state and allows for better productivity. When you are being productive you can find yourself in a "flow" state, and the world around you is moving with you and for you instead of against you. Athletes regularly find themselves in these states when they have done all the work ahead of time to where they are very much "present" in the moment during game time and "responding" to their environment versus "reacting" from an anxious hurried place. What would life feel like if you were in a more productive state more often? All the time?
2. Just like an athlete doing the prep work for a game, training, studying film, etc., you too can do prep work for your life and business. A friend and mentor of mine once shared with me how he and his wife sit down once per month and plan the entire month, activities with the kids, who is taking who to school, business activities, date nights, the whole enchilada. That is a great way to be prepared for life, and I know there's at least one person who is perpetually busy saying "well I just love to live in the moment," which really means "I fly by the seat of my pants and don't seem to know why these things keep happening or not going my way." By planning ahead and then sticking to the map you will find the waters of life are much simpler to navigate. Now this doesn't mean there won't be storms or an old bridge that appears scary to pass along the way, but at least you know the direction you are headed and voila, you can respond accordingly to keep heading in that direction. So the number 2 item on the list is to simply plan ahead. Maybe a month ahead seems scary, but you can definitely plan a day ahead, and if you can do a day you can definitely do a week, so how about a week's plan? I believe you'll find that you like it a great deal and when it becomes a habit aka you make the decision for it to be a non-negotiable in your life, you will feel more like the captain of your vessel than ever before. Abe Lincoln is quoted as saying, "give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I'll spend the first 4 hours sharpening my axe." Ensure a healthy mix of preparation and planning ahead, with action, and it's a formula for a happy and productive life.
3. Speaking of action... here we are. Take action. There are so many distractions in our lives in 2022 or whenever you're reading this, because I don't believe it's a new phenomena so much as it's simply a different type of distraction we have now than in the past. So the third way to get rid of busy and increase results and feeling confident about the rhythm of your life is simply to take action on the right things. Sometimes you don't want to do the dishes because you don't have the energy, or respond to that last email, or (again insert anything here really), because you are waiting for energy. Well, here's a little energy tip. The energy will come when you take action. This is why some people have such a high capacity for activity and "making things happen," they have built it through "doing a lot." And "A lot" is quite relative, so wherever you're at might seem like you have a lot right now to complete, but in a year or two years of taking massive action, your capacity will grow so much that what you used to think was "a lot," feels like a normal task and you''ll even notice the energy boost you get from doing it. For example, when I first started journaling I could feel the mental resistance, but when I was done with it I felt better. Now I find that after what was at first just answering a few questions in a pre-written journal each day that took less than 5 minutes, it has become a habit that I truly desire where I may end up writing pages sometimes and I feel so much better after, even if it's one page, because of what it does for me mentally and emotionally and the charge of energy I get when it's complete. You'll find this to be true with many things in life, so here's another question: What are 1 to 3 items you can do each day in the first half of your day, that when completed, you believe will have increased your energy capacity and that will make you feel better?
These are just a few simple ways to defeat "busy" in your life, and I hope you enjoyed them. If you did, you're invited to Like, Share, and Comment below - maybe you have something yourself to add to the topic? Thanks for reading!
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