Stop! Being So Busy!
h projects and such. I always feel like I'm finding these "once in a lifetime" opportunities that I need to pursue like crazy. While this is a good quality, I work hard and I"m getting what I want out of life. I realize more and more the "busy" never ends. And my to-do list is always so full and overwhelming.
Being Busy is a choice
Think about it. If your employer is forcing you to work tons of hours, And they refuse to cut back, You could quit your job.
While this may not be what you want from your life, It's possible.
Often we put too much on our plate when the reality is, We can cut back a lot.
It's kinda funny because recently I felt so overwhelmed and mentally exhausted from all the work I was doing, I kept thinking "Crap! I have to do this today, and this and this!"
And I realized more than anything I just wanted a day off to relax.
Then I thought about it,
I don't HAVE TO upload T-Shirt designs today; I don't HAVE to write that extra post. If I'm this exhausted, I can relax, and it's not like my heart will stop beating and I will die.
Being busy is often a choice, And sometimes we remove the things that don't need to be done right away.
We Choose Our schedules
As I outlined above. You can decide to work a job that gives you the schedule you want. If your self-employed like I am, We can make our schedules however we want.
We have a lot of choices, And many of us forget that. We have flexibility if we are willing to cut things out and make sacrifices.It's important for us to take that leap.
Plus it gives us a chance to get out of routine for a while, Which is fun!
Do Less!
I'm in love with the 80/20 rule, Which states: We get 80% of our results from the 20% we are doing.
Sometimes doing less, will get you much better results!
Less can be a scary word for most people. My self-included. But when we focus on fewer tasks, We can often do the tasks we are working on much better. The quality will be better; We will feel better about ourselves. We will also feel less overwhelmed and less "Busy."
We often associate busy with being productive. But that isn't always true, Sometimes being busy is just about working extra hours, And getting even less done!
If you simplify your life and your schedule you will see better results.
It's always when I do less that my great ideas are coming!
But it's so hard to stop doing things (I am always scare to be judge by the others if I just relax). I am sometimes scare to be just with me by doing nothing... So doing things keep me busy to don't overthink about me, myself and I....
@kaylinart, thanks for the reminder! And especially for bringing up the 80/20 rule... as of late, I have felt a bit like I am getting caught on the hamster wheel of "busy-ness." And then there are the feelings that go with it... the "stories" we tell ourselves like "Yeah, but I don't really have a CHOICE!"
Yeah, we do have a choice!
Great post-- thanks!
Thank you for this down-to-earth reminder! Life nowadays is filled with distractions things that must be done! And even though we seem to live in the age of productivity with the widely known 80/20 rule and life hacks abound, the world still seems to be as hectic as ever! It's so important to take a step back every now and again and say to yourself, "What I am doing, why am I doing it and is it important." Thank you for sharing! :-)
Id read this but I'm too busy :p. This is why it is good to work smart and not hard, frees you time to enjoy yourself.
I just learned about the 80/20 rule this week and I think it describes everything in life perfectly. Our work schedule in the US is set up for the 1900s before we became super productive which reduced our ability to focus! We need to change this system.
We do! The system we currently have doesn't serve our needs! Im glad you heard of the 80/20 rule
Yes we do have lots of choices. Sometimes I just have to lie down and rest a bit, then I'll get back up and do more stuff.
Yes! I'm a big fan of doing as little as possible! Haha
It's true though, what other bloggers have said, the quiet moments are usually when the mind brings the best thoughts and ideas forward.
LOL! Me too sometimes :)
Exactly! Sometimes when we stay too busy we rob our mind of great ideas.
Can't see the wood for the trees! When I was a lad, an 18 year old lad, I read a book called Transcendental Meditation, by the Maharishi Yogi.
From what I remember, he was talking about calming the bubbles from the pond bed (mind), so that only one reaches the surface at once (thought). This way the quality is much better and therefore the following action (if any) will be too.
I think that's how it goes anyway, it's been a while!
Quite a lot of wise words there. And while I tend to agree that it is important to have a day off once in a while, this does not necessarily apply to some people, myself included. I work a regular 9 to 5 job, so I tend to look forward to the time the weekend comes. However, quite often it feels like Saturday or Sunday will go to waste unless I do some work. In my opinion, It is important to keep yourself busy no matter what. It's a great feeling to go to bed after an exhausting day.
The 80-20 principle is called the pareto principle !
And using it to life is effective!
Yes hehe! I LOVE THE pareto principle heheh.
CHOICE is a powerful word that we DO have power over ! I live by the 80/20 rule !!!