You hear this way too much. “I am sooo busy!”, “Oh, Gosh, things are so busy around here!”, “It’s ok, I am just very busy recently.”… This makes me think about the essence of busyness. 

More than often it is actually nothing more than a boast disguised as a complaint…

What is it you are actually saying when you reply “I am so busy recently!” to a question “How are you?”

What is the message you want to convey? Are you fishing for pity? Are you showing off and looking for admiration? Or maybe you are desperate and are just calling for help?

Being busy is nothing more than just a choice. You choose to be busy. Maybe this is because of your ambition; maybe it is because of your other choices; maybe it is because of your greed; maybe… you are just an addict. There can be numerous answers if you start digging deeper.

I used to be overly busy as well. At least that is how it felt. However, then I took a moment to think it through and sincerely answer myself the question:

what is it I actually do and why am I doing it?

Moreover, I asked myself: What am I achieving in the end by all that busyness? Are there more efficient ways to get to the same results? The answers I found were eye-opening and in a way — life-changing. So… I am no longer busy (despite having two small kids, numerous projects and sky-high goals).

To note that in a lot of cases, being busy is also a weird way of filling up your life to avoid a one-on-one moment with yourself.

It is easier to be busy. It is safer to be busy…

The bottom line is, being busy for the sake of being busy is an energy-draining exercise that has no direct correlation with getting things done. So if I may make a suggestion: the next time you feel like saying: “I am busy” (or even — the next time you feel that you are), just pause for a moment and ask yourself some thorough why’s. The truthful answers might surprise you.