What does saying “I’m too busy” actually mean?
There is a question I often ask people in my trainings and talks: Are you busy?
Most people answer this question with yes, I am very busy; some, caught in a what-should-I-say dilemma, end up choosing to say “I’m busy too”; and then there may be the odd person here and there who says “I’m not busy.” To those who can say “I’m not busy,” I immediately ask another question: “Why? Are you working too little?” Unfortunately, this question can often make them feel uneasy.
I think this dilemma is an assumption that comes from social pressure. I believe the perception that everyone has to be very busy and that there can never be enough time is imposed on us as social pressure. I think people actually cannot fully manage their lives, and that is why they cannot prioritize their work and they spend their time on things they may later regret… So, in your opinion, what does saying “I’m too busy” actually mean?
Doesn’t it mean: I am drowning in my operational world, I cannot really control my time, I can hardly set aside time for the things I love – yes, every now and then I do things like going to the cinema, watching a match or taking a walk, but I do them without even being aware of them? This is exactly where there may be an opportunity to grow – could it be that our own choices have brought us to this state? Doesn’t it mean: I am getting through today, but I cannot draw lessons from what I learn or from my mistakes, and I cannot improve either my work or my life so as to live them better?
In my view, the problem is not time but prioritization!
A video I watched recently inspired me to write this piece. The video says “time is priceless” – in other words, time has no price. I think that, just as some may take this message to mean time is FREE, others may take it to mean time is VERY VALUABLE. For those who spend their time on good things, time flows so fast that they know its worth; for those who waste their time, on the contrary, time can flow so slowly that they get bored. Isn’t this dilemma fascinating? Social media, smartphones, never-ending TV series and their long commercial breaks, the long hours spent in traffic – all of this time will never come back! I suppose if time were money, we would spend it more carefully!
I have noticed that I always say, “If time were for sale, I would buy it.” In my trainings and talks, my students and audiences often ask me, aren’t you busy? If you are wondering what I say, I say: “I’m up-tempo, not busy!”… For me, being up-tempo means spending your time by prioritizing the right things, being able to say “What a beautiful moment” about the times you enjoy, and being able to increase the times that contribute to my life and help me see the good things. Do I manage it 100 percent? NEVER! But along the way, I try to listen carefully to myself and my feelings and to appreciate the value of what I experience. Isn’t time something limited? Isn’t the time we spend on beautiful things far too little? Come on, let everyone try to devote their time to the things they love; let us rediscover the values that make us who we are and nurture them! May your time always be beautiful and your life full to the brim, okay? ☺️