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How To Stop Being So Freakin’ Busy

There’s nothing like the let-down that comes a few days after a long weekend (sorry non-Melbournites) to make you realise how depressingly busy your life is. Full of shoulds and have-tos, and if onlys. Sometimes it seems as though the world is deliberately conspiring against you; trying to eat up every spare ounce of your passion and joie de vivre.

I mean c’mon! 36 new emails at 6.01am when you only cleared them out last night before bed? Why won’t people just go away and leave you alone once in a while?!

When it gets to the point where even Facebook or twitter messages are starting to stress you out, you know it’s time to step back and re-evaluate. You could go so far as to deactivate all social media, refuse to answer your phone and your email for a day or two, and hide away in your own happy little head, but really – is pretending you don’t live in the modern world actually going to help you feel better or less stressed?

I think not.

It’s time to face facts people, and you need to know this. Listen carefully:

You are going to DIE and your list will still be incomplete.

Do you get it? Do you really?

So why on EARTH are you so caught up in doing every teeny-tiny little thing that you think you should do to get ahead/maintain your life or social schedule/keep up with whoever or whatever your version of the Jones’s is? And what do you think might actually happen if you just stepped back and refused to be swept up in the constant and busy inefficiency that overwhelms most of the western world?

You know what might happen?

You might just realise something –

  • that you don’t actually need to check Facebook multiple times per hour
  • that sometimes it’s okay to just sit still and (gasp!) do nothing in a waiting room, or simply stand and ponder while in a queue (try not to stare at other people though; you’ll look weird enough by not being on your phone as it is)
  • that occasionally you can say no to getting up extra-early for training/meditation/writing/whatever
  • that if you don’t watch your favourite shows religiously the world may, in fact, keep turning
  • that if you continue to fill every little moment of your day with thoughts and worries about what you should or could be doing (never mind actually taking time to do the darn stuff) then you may just miss out on actually living your life, and enjoying it.

Stop kidding yourself. Stop saying that you have to be this busy now in order to later have time for yourself or your family/be able to retire early/truly follow your passion/get in shape/get ahead with x, y, or z.

Do you? Do you REALLY? And if so, is it worth it?

You want to know how to stop being so freakin’ busy?

Just make up your mind. That’s really it.

Your thoughts?

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7 responses to “How To Stop Being So Freakin’ Busy”

  1. Belinda Benn says:

    Great post Kat! I recently started being RUTHLESS with my time. I plan out my day the night before in hourly slots and work my way thru. OK; I don’t always stick to the plan but my productivity has increased by at least 25%. Thanks for the reminder to stay focused…but also, schedule time out πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚
    Belinda

  2. Aster says:

    Great post Kat, i’m finding that the more i work with my clients, the more i discover how important it is to put aside quiet time – so many people don’t appreciate what they’re missing out on by having a few quiet moments to just let the mind ponder and do it’s own thing or do something just for them like read a good book and not be consumed by doing or thinking about doing something! I get a lot of feedback that by having some “downtime” they feel less stressed and more at ease.

    • Kat says:

      It’s tough to do, but so worthwhile, isn’t it? Great to hear that it’s working for you and your clients!

  3. Anita says:

    Loved the post? I am using a quote on facebook… It is so easy to be consumed!

  4. Meg says:

    I think we all forget sometimes that we don’t ALWAYS have to be connected. I am going to do a challenge in the month of June. NO Cell phone! and no I don’t have a home phone…. seems crazy because I rely on it for everything. But we did once before. My life is hectic enough with outside activities and projects that my cell phone is only a distraction. I will be blogging about it. Should be interesting! πŸ™‚

    • Kat says:

      Yikes! Scary, but definitely a great idea I think! Send me the link when you start blogging about it πŸ™‚