A long, long time ago, in life that was ridiculously crazy (and not in a good way), I wore busyness like a badge of honor. Thank goodness that’s not true anymore!
What about you, do you focus on the things that matter to you? Or are you trapped in the busyness bubble?
Sometimes it can be tough to tell the difference, especially when so many things can feel urgent. And as we all know, urgency often masquerades as important, which makes us *feel* like we are working on the right stuff. But there is a BIG difference between the right stuff and the other stuff.
Here’s quick way to figure it out whether you’re focusing on priorities….
- Is what you’re doing something that will move you closer to your goals?
- Is what you’re doing something you need to do? Think necessities, like feed your family or file your taxes.
- Is what you’re doing something you truly want to do? It doesn’t matter why, it just matters that it’s a deliberate want, something that adds meaning to your life. Remember a want is very different from a “should”. Shoulds are where we give away our time away, usually out of guilt or obligation. If you’re feeling too busy, pay close attention to this question – shoulds are very often what keep the busyness bubble inflated.
Note: Deliberate want to do things are also different from default activities. So if you’re scrolling through Intsagram, ask yourself if it’s because that’s what you honestly want to be doing with your time, or would you rather spend it on a more meaningful want. If Instagram is your authentic want, then scroll away and enjoy every moment! But if it’s not, then you’ve got to dig deep to see why you’re settling for less than fulfilling activities.
Bottom line, if you answer yes to any of the three questions, it’s all good! You’re investing your time wisely, in ways that will return rewards.
But if you’re shaking your head, I encourage you to pause and reflect on why you are doing what you’re doing.
After all, there is nothing so useless as doing well, something that never should be done at all. That’s Peter Drucker speaking and he’s spot on!
Want more little tips like this? Join the Clear Your Clutter, Find Your Happy community. We’re a supportive group of like-minded souls. We focus on clearing the clutter from our lives, getting real things done, working toward our goals and creating happy, fulfilling lives – you can find us here. We’d love to welcome you!
