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"Let's stop the glorification of busy." - Guy Kawasaki
They say it's bad to stretch yourself too thin. They say it's bad to be busy all the time. But what if you are just constantly doing things that you love? All this busyness is not bad if you find yourself enjoying it so much that it does not feel like work.
I'm not a big fan of saying "I'm busy" all the time. It's one of those overused words we hear all to often. Instead, I pair words like 'being productive' and 'getting stuff done.'
Procrastination on the other hand, feels like your busy getting nothing done. So when the sock drawer gets organized after you've caught up on your favourite shows, that deadline is still there waiting for you. That work beacon will not stop until you give in and get it done.
Then there are the crazy days when the busyness diverts us away from what we like to do. When it starts to affect my sleep or downtime that's when I call a time out. Nothing derails me from being productive then not getting enough sleep. And yes, I believe in naps. I use them as a tool to recharge my busy brain. Mixing my day with kids, work, household duties and rest breaks means I do not get as much done as I'd like. On the other hand, I cannot compare myself to other illustrators or writers either. I wont. I have a different life. I have a different lifestyle that comes with my own needs.
At some point as adults we need to make peace with being busy. It’s part of being in this world. Some see it as an excuse. Others see it as comfortable avoidance. Then there are the rest of us that see it as something we have to constantly manage and accept.
It's so easy to get sucked into things that we do not enjoy. We all have to make a living. It's important to be busy having fun too. We are so hardwired to think we need to hustle and work our asses off so we can get everything we want. I agree with working hard but I also believe there will be a price to pay on the road to that kind of success. Hustling is good if you're enjoying life while enjoying what you do at the same time. It comes down to balance because it's never going to be 100%.
Lately, I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing ideas. But I am my ideas. It is all that I do outside of being Mum to my kids along with the daily household duties that come with that. Things are what they are.
One of the most powerful things I've ever read while in University was from the Tao Of Pooh on the theory of 'busy, be back soon' thinking:
"Our Busy Backson religions, sciences, and business ethics have tried their hardest to convince us that there is a Great Reward waiting for us somewhere, and that what we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it. Whether its up in the sky, behind the next molecule, or in the executive suite, it's somehow always farther along than we are--just down the road, on the other side of the world, past the moon, beyond the stars..."
The idea is, the Bisy Backsons never reach their destination.
That's why I think the expression, "Get busy living, or get busy dying" is so powerful. We have to live a little to make this adult life work. Without a personal reward or having something to look forward to means we are just punching in and punching out. We are then just busy being busy!
I think happiness is a destination. I believe having a career and loving what you make is a destination. I also know that in order to get to those destinations we must take care of ourselves. We do not know how long we have. So, what is this destination? It's whatever you see and plan for yourself in the future. To me, it's not a palatial estate or a house full of stuff. It's balance, happiness, raising happy kids, contribution, education and of course a good body of work that I am proud of. Knowing I worked hard while enjoying the ride is definitely the right kind of busy for me!
Here are some great articles that you may like:
“Say, Pooh, why aren’t you busy?” I said.
“Because it’s a nice day,” said Pooh.
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