Are You Keeping Busy? It’s a test you know. When asked this question, you are supposed to say yes, very busy.
And if in a group of people when asked this question, make sure you answer last so you can let them know that you are more busy than they are. If they complain of answering 100 emails a day, you say that you have to answer 200 email a day. At least that is how we think we should be.
But which is better, “Doing Nothing” or “Being Busy Doing Nothing”?
If you are so busy that you don’t have time for what’s important in life, like friends, family, playing and smelling the roses, what are you really doing. There are times when we have to get busy to get things done, but there comes a time when we need to let up to recuperate or else we become inefficient and this will negatively affect our health.Take a good look at the card to the left and ask yourself if this is you.
One answer to the “Keeping Busy” approach to life is to take 20 minutes a day to mentally review what you are doing, and see if you are going in the right direction. Don’t have time for the 20 minutes each day? Then you need that time more than ever. Busy only works so far before it destroys your quality of life and the intended results that you are working so hard for.
So why don’t you share with the rest of us if you manage your “Busyness” and if you do, how do you do it? Tony
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The Intention Experiment with Lynn McTaggert
Hi Tony,
I like the tarot card. The monkey in me wants to pop that balloon to see what would happen… makes me think of my 5-month old kitten, Zeus. He’s at the stage where he is curious about everything, and anything that’s loose, belongs to him… it’s all about Zeus.
It’s nice to watch him explore the world with the bright-eyed, high-tailed anticipation that the world belongs to him.
It makes me think how much we are not in control, no matter what we think. And knowing that helps put things in perspective. If you click the link to the tarot card, you can pick a card for the day, every day. A great way to reflect on your life. Give it a try.
Hi Tony,
I picked a tarot card today… very inspiring information. Yup, I think I’ll pick a card every day since I like the wise messages that these Zen tarot cards provide.
Getting back to the question at hand, the way I avoid ‘being busy doing nothing’ is that every day when I have a list of things to do, I choose the most important priority that I want to accomplish that day, whether it’s in my personal or professional life. That way, I get at least one important thing done, I’m moving forward on important issues, and I feel good. I limit it to just one per day so I don’t get overwhelmed… but once it’s done, the rest just flows easily into place.
Also, my husband is very helpful. When he sees that I’m procrastinating, distracted or forgetful, he’ll ask, “What’s the most important thing you need to do today?” I’ll answer, then he puts his fingers to his forehead and says, “Focus the mind”. This makes me laugh, and it’s a great visual reminder of what I need to do.
My life flows well when I stay focused and when I save my energy for activities that are enriching.
Great piece of writing in relation to Keeping Busy? Its for these reasons I frequently come back to your site and reading the material on a daily basis.
Hi Tony,
This morning, I had a wonderful memory of doing nothing. Last summer, when my mom and I were visiting Perth, we decided to spend the afternoon sitting in the park by the Tay River. On the other side of the river was a wedding group having their photos taken.
At one point, the professional photographer wanted to take a picture of two young boys aged 5 and 7 who were in the wedding party. Whenever the photographer told the 5-year old to hold his pose, the cheeky, red-haired boy with freckles would take on a menacing, Hulk Hogan pose. Humm… not suitable for a wedding photo, but definitely full of character. Meanwhile the 7-year old had been holding his pose to 2 minutes. The 7-year old said something to the 5-year old who then fake-punched the 7-year old in the face. In his frustration at trying to get a decent photo with these two young boys, the photographer kept stepping back until he was an inch away from falling in the river.
My mom and I were laughing so hard, we had belly stitches and tears running down our eyes. Not back for an afternoon of doing nothing, eh?
As for myself I really like this story about priority;
On the first day of class, a university professor stood in front of his philosophy class with an empty jar.
Without saying a word to his students, he removed the lid of the jar and filled it with golf balls. When no more golf bars fit he closed the jar with its lid. He then asked his class, “Would you say that the jar is now full?” His students observed the jar and concluded that the jar was indeed full.
The professor then proceeded to open the jar up and started inserting marbles into the jar. The marbles started to fill the gaps between the golf balls. After sealing the jar, he asked his class once again if they thought the jar was now full. The class concluded that the jar was indeed now full.
The professor opened the jar a third time and started pouring in sand. Obviously, the sand started filling the gaps between the golf balls and the marbles. He then sealed the jar and asked his class a third time if the jar was full. His class chuckled and replied in unison, “Yes, it is now full!”
The professor opened the jar and emptied two small cups of coffee in the jar. The liquid had completely filled the gap between the golf balls, the marbles, and the grains of sand. He then began his lecture.
“I hope you realize that life is very much like this jar. The golf balls represent the important things in life, like God, family, loved ones, health, things that you care intimately about. If we lost everything else in life, our lives would still be ‘full’. The marbles are the other things in our lives that are important, but our happiness shouldn’t depend on them. Things like our work, our house, our car, etc. Finally, the sand represents everything else; the small stuff.
“If we were to have filled our jar up with sand first, there we wouldn’t have had enough room for the marbles or the golf balls. If we use all our life and energy on the small stuff, we won’t have any room for the important things.”
After a brief moment of silence one of the students asked, “Professor, what does the coffee represent?”
“Ah, I’m glad you asked,” replied the professor. “It means that no matter how full your life is, there is always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.”
That’s a great story Stephane. Thanks for sharing.
Glad to hear you like this blog. We try to make it useful and interesting at the same time.
Tony
Life’s little moments really add up to truly enjoying life. Good story Francoise.