I get it. You’re stressed at work, you have bills to pay, your children are driving you mad, your spouse is not pulling their weight, you have no time to socialise, and every day is a grind.
Let me give it to you straight. You’re in this situation because of a series of decisions and commitments you have made in the past.
You’re in the habit of talking about how busy you are. You think it’s admirable to be busy as it makes you feel like you’re successful.
Let me ask you though, are you having fun? When everything slows down, are you internally happy?
All of this busy business doesn’t mean sh*t unless, when you’re all by yourself, in your own company, you feel a sense of fulfilment. If you need to rely on external sources to escape from your true feelings, you’re in trouble.
I know this because I’ve struggled with it for as long as I can remember. I was that guy who was always “busy”. All it meant is that I thought I was more important than I am. I wore my busyness as a badge of honour. Idiot.
When people used to ask how I’d been, I’d often respond saying, “oh man, I’ve been flat out at work and uni.” I would also rush conversations so that people could feel the intensity around how busy I was. I was always in a rush, and I thought I was important because of it.
Don’t get me wrong. You might ACTUALLY be busy. But what I’m saying is that busyness is nothing to be proud of. Your busyness likely means that you’re not taking time out for yourself.
Readers write to us all the time saying how they wish they had more time to work on themselves, but they’re too busy.
With so many options in this world, it’s not hard to see why this is happening. We’re all victims to The More Virus, and we must consciously work at wanting less.
I want you to try doing something different when you start talking about how busy you are. Get busy being simple instead.
Block out your schedule with appointments with yourself, so you can learn how to simplify your life. Analyse all of your current commitments and make decisions about what to keep and what to eliminate.
Get busy being simple, so next time someone asks you how you’re going, you’ll respond by saying, “I’m great, just trying to take things easy”. There’s nothing wrong with taking things easy 🙂
What about you? Are you stuck in the busy being busy cycle? Or do you know of someone who always talks about how busy they are?
Share your experiences in the comments below.
What can I say? I’m busted! I’ve recently turned down 2 parties that were about 45 min. from home. Saving me about 1/2 day each, plus not having to worry about childcare. I admit feeling guilty about not “supporting” my friends. However, I also feel light and free.
Sometimes you have to make those calls. Kudos to you, Maya!