I saw this on Pinterest and thought to myself, wow, how true. Somewhere as a young professional, this world taught me that if I talk, move and breathe with exhaustion, people will perceive my behavior as value. That being busy and over-committed meant that I was perceived as.......important. The busy behavior is our way of telling the world "hey look I have value and belong." Yep. Aren't we all guilty of that? Is this an issue with not having enough minutes in the day or is it an identity issue? We need to feel needed. We need to look involved. And then... in walks facebook, taking this identity issue to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. We want to be every woman. We want to be super mom. We want to be the professional who has it all.
In my twenties, I traveled heavily 8 months out of the year with my job, different city every day, multiple presentations in one day, leaving home each morning before the sun was up and not getting home until 9pm or later. Combined with Grad School. Combined with buying my own home. Combined with singing anywhere I got the chance. Combined with throwing wedding showers. Combined with throwing baby showers. Combined with choreographing. Combined with trying to stay in shape. Combined with meeting the girls for a night out. Combined with ... you name it.
By Friday each week, I was spent.
Without a doubt, I was busy. But the thing is, so is everyone else! The problem with busy behavior is the message we are sending.... My busy is bigger than your busy. The truth is, many of us could leave the jobs that give us so much busy-ness, cut our schedules in half and we'd never be missed. The work would continue just fine without us, and would be filled by someone else's talents and efforts.
Let's stop using "busy" as our way of getting attention from those around us. Let's identify how you feel with you tell someone how busy you are. Are you looking for praise? Are you wanting recognition? Are you wanting to belong? Let's start telling people why we do the things that fill our schedules instead of glorifying the busy. Let your words be "I do this because..." and if you can't fill in that blank, maybe you shouldn't be doing it. Be frugal with your time. Give the most important people in your life your most important energy.
