“It’s amazing how many things busy people are doing that will never be missed.”

Peter Drucker

It’s easy to get caught up being “busy”. Endless emails, meetings, and tasks to complete. 

Soon our days all become one big blur. It all melts into the same. We feel like we are running on the spot and stress levels are rising. We are busy being “busy”, but are we really achieving anything? Are we prioritising what is most important? Are we happy? Are we having fun?

It’s important to get clear on your goals. Make sure that each day you are creating the space for working towards what is important. Our days make up our lives.

Over the last month I had been feeling quite busy and stressed. In an attempt to break the negative cycle I decided to do a self audit. I found I was spending a lot of time on things that weren’t really helping me move forward on what I wanted to achieve in life. This was leaving me stressed and unfulfilled.

A trap for me is email. I could spend hours going through my inbox and reading interesting articles, but is it really helping me move forward on my goals. My goal in life isn’t to have inbox zero. 

“Efficiency is doing things right, effectiveness is doing the right things.”

Peter Drucker

Setting limits

I started the discipline of setting a daily time to check email. I do what I can in that time. After that I stop and don’t think about it until the next day. It’s important to let go and be comfortable with that decision. Now things feel much better as I am getting my daily dose of inspiration from the cool newsletters I subscribe to, but I am not overdoing it and burning out. 

Deep Work

A key priority is to make space in the morning for the most important. I try to spend a couple of hours “Deep Work” on the most important tasks. This is uninterrupted periods of intense concentration. It is before you check any email or social media. If I prioritise this in the morning then I am setting my self up for a successful day no matter what happens after. As I have already taken a step towards my goals.

Digital Downtime

Create some time blocks for “digital downtime”. I had some family staying with me over the last week. So I shutdown my computer and was offline for a few days. The break worked wonders. I have come back feeling refreshed and excited to get going again.

Is technology serving you? Or is it enslaving you?

Play

Another way to break out of the busy trap is to make time for some “play”. A good way to do this is to think about something you no longer do which really brought you joy as a child. What did you love to do? What could you reconnect with that was lost over time?

Two things which stand out for me were long walks in nature and playing the guitar. Bush walking for me is a rejuvenating and meditative experience. I always come back inspired and refreshed. The challenge of playing the guitar, especially old songs from my childhood, brings a deep sense fulfilment and nostalgia.

It’s sad that when we get “busy” we don’t make time for the things which bring us joy. They provide a much needed reset and allow us to come back to our work more inspired and creative.

Some actions to help battle the “busy”:

• Keep a time log for a day – you might be surprised what you actually “do”.
• Review the log and reflect – are you spending time working towards your goals or what is most important?
• Spend a day or weekend with no digital devices – how did you feel afterwards?
• Reconnect to something you loved to do as a child – did you feel a burst of excitement and creativity?

Don’t be busy for the sake of being “busy”.