Busy is Still Bad

Summary:

I know I’m guilty of it, and I bet you are too.

When people walk up to you and ask you how you’re doing, your immediate response is, and you say it with pride, “I’m busy. I’m so very very busy”. Like we’ve conditioned ourselves to not only say this, but to actually be this and to be okay with it and kind of be proud of it.

It’s time for that to stop. Busy is bad. I’ve written and I’ve spoken on this several times before, but this topic is so important that I want to do it again. Believe me my friends, busy is still bad.
We can spend a lifetime being busy. It can go by in a blink.

Is that what you want for your life?

I’ve been studying this concept of living life in busy mode, and I’m convinced through watching and learning from other people, as well as monitoring my own actions and my own results that busy can be the enemy of almost everything worthwhile, so I decided to make a big change, and not only did I decide to work harder on the important and not urgent things in my life, but I also decided to change my vocabulary.

Many of you know when someone now asks me how I’m doing, my response is, “I’m fantastic, working on some really cool projects.”, and that response gives me power. It’s a reminder that I really should be working on the important not busy stuff, and I feel more positive and more alive when I say this.

So I dare you to try the same thing. Try the same response.

Maybe if enough of us do it, we can actually start a movement. Wouldn’t that be cool?

When we’re talking about the subject of busyness, let me recap some of my thoughts on this:

• There is no prize for being busy.
• Busy is oftentimes unproductive.
• Going about your day in a state of rushed and hurried busyness is exhausting, and it lacks meaning.
• I don’t want to spend a lifetime being busy.
• I want to live my life in a way to get important things done.
• I want a life full of joy, positivity and significance, and meaning and overcoming obstacles. This is how I grow and I can make the biggest contribution.
• I don’t want to just be busy.

Now in my line of work, I thought about some important things that I should be focusing on instead of responding to every possible distraction in the world of busyness, and for me this could be like:

• Creating a new blog post.
• Working on a new book.
• Coaching a client.
• Creating and improving upon a coaching skill.
• Listening to a potential new client.
• Reading a great book.
• Meditating.
• Brainstorming and creating new ideas for growth.
• Journalling ideas and planning my business.
• Planning my life.

If I were coaching you, which maybe I am right now in some way, I’d suggest that you make your own list of the non-busy things that you could focus your days on.

I bet you’ll find some new “aha!” moments and energy to get about some really important stuff in your life, and while you’re at it, take a shot at changing your vocabulary. Like the next time someone walks up to you and asks how you’re doing, you should respond, even if you don’t feel like it with, “I’m fantastic! I’m working on some really cool projects.”.

If you do that, I’ll predict you’ll like the way that you feel.

If you guys have any thoughts or advice on how we can all avoid the pit of relentless busyness, please shoot back an email, let me know, and then I’ll compile all the ideas. I’ll share them back with all our followers.

Cheers to a life of meaning and really cool projects.

Related quotes to consider

[For more great quotes like these, follow Brett on Instagram]

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Hey guys, Coach Brett Blair here. I know I’m guilty of it, and I bet you are too. When people walk up to you and ask you how you’re doing, you’re immediate response is, and you say it with pride, “I’m busy. I’m so very very busy.”, you know, like we’ve conditioned ourselves to not only say this, but to actually be this and to be okay with it and kind of be proud of it.

Friends, it’s time for that to stop. Busy is bad. I’ve written and I’ve spoken on this several times before, but this topic is so important that I want to do it again. Believe me my friends, busy is still bad.

We can spend a lifetime being busy. It can go by in a blink. Is that what you want for your life? I’ve been studying this concept of living life in busy mode, and I’m convinced through watching and learning from other people, as well as monitoring my own actions and my own results that busy can be the enemy of almost everything worthwhile, so I decided to make a big change, and not only did I decide to work harder on the important and not urgent things in my life, but I also decided to change my vocabulary.

Now many of you know when someone now asks me how I’m doing, my response is, “I’m fantastic, working on some really cool projects.”, and that response gives me power. It’s a reminder that I really should be working on the important. Not busy, the important stuff, and I feel more positive and more alive when I say this, so I dare you to try the same thing. Try the same response. Maybe if enough of us do it, we can actually start a movement. Wouldn’t that be cool?

When we’re talking about the subject of busyness, let me recap some of my thoughts on this. You know, there is no prize for being busy. Busy is oftentimes unproductive. Going about your day in a state of rushed and hurried busyness is exhausting, and it lacks meaning. Like if you rush from one appointment to the next with your cellphone in your ear, feeling stressed and frazzled, are you really accomplishing anything? I don’t want to spend a lifetime being busy. I want to live my life in a way to get important things done. I want a life full of joy, positivity and significance, and meaning and overcoming obstacles. This is how I grow and I can make the biggest contribution. I don’t want to just be busy.

Now in my line of work, I thought about some important things that I should be focusing on instead of responding to every possible distraction in the world of busyness, and for me this could be like creating a new blog post, or working on a new book, coaching a client, or creating and improving upon a coaching skill, or listening to a potential new client. Reading a great book. Meditating. How about brainstorming and creating new ideas for growth, and journalling ideas and planning my business, planning my life.

If I were coaching you, which maybe I am right now in some way, I’d suggest that you make your own list of the non-busy things that you could focus your days on. I bet you’ll find some new “aha!” moments and energy to get about some really important stuff in your life, and while you’re at it, take a shot at changing your vocabulary. Like the next time someone walks up to you and asks how you’re doing, you should respond, even if you don’t feel like it with, “I’m fantastic! I’m working on some really cool projects.”. If you do that, I’ll predict you’ll like the way that you feel.

Now if you guys have any thoughts or advice on how we can all avoid the pit of relentness busyness, please shoot back an email, let me know, and then I’ll compile all the ideas and I’ll share them back with all our followers. All right, so cheers to a life of meaning and really cool projects. Thanks.