“How have you been?” – “So Busy! “
“What’s new with you?” – “Just super busy!”
No matter how I phrase the question, the response seems to be the same these days.
B-U-S-Y.
Perhaps for some it is an automatic response; an easy answer to avoid actually divulging any real insight into the complexity of their lives.
Perhaps it is the “expected” response. We are all busy these days, right?
Most likely, in my opinion, it is the result of the “hustle” culture we are living in. In today’s world, we correlate “busy” with being needed, being valuable, being an essential member of the team; and it helps us feel like we fit right in with the rest of the world.
But is busy really anyone’s goal?
The Real Goal
I am a productivity coach. I talk with and work with overly “busy” people all day, every day.
And what I have come to recognize is that no one really wants to be BUSY. When I ask clients, training groups, and business owners what the word “busy” conjures up in their mind and what feelings the word evokes, the typical responses include:
- overwhelm
- stress
- inefficiency
- not in control
- running on a hamster wheel
Who wants to feel this way? Have you ever started your day saying, “I sure hope I am overwhelmed, busy, and out of control today!” ?
Of course not.
On the contrary, what we desire and strive for is to be PRODUCTIVE. Everyone has a slightly different connotation for this term as well, but this list has a much more positive spin to it:
- prioritizing
- executing
- accomplishing goals
- completing meaningful tasks
- making progress
So, can I propose that we all make a commitment to BREAK UP WITH BUSY? The more we tell others – and ourselves – how busy we are, the more we are creating a frenetic energy in our environment, with our team, and in our minds & lives.
So as you start your day today, flip the script. When a friend calls or a colleague reaches out and asks how you are doing, don’t default to your typical response of “busy”; really answer the question with a focus on what your intentions are for the day &/or how you desire to feel about the day ahead.
It’s time to BREAK UP WITH BUSY!
Need help breaking up with busy and flipping the script in your life and your business? Let’s connect!
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