Busy or Busyness?
Distinguishing between being busy for the sake of it or being engaged in a life of meaningful passion.
Busyness for the sake of being busy and busyness born from an absolute rapture for the things that fill our waking hours are two very different things.
Both may keep you occupied, but the motivations and level of enjoyment are worlds apart. Personally, I’d much rather spend my days and minutes as the latter type of individual.
I want to lose myself in the activities I engage in because I enjoy them so much. I want the hours to slip by unnoticed because I am too engrossed in what I’ve chosen to spend my time on.
I want to be so passionately invested in what I do that everything else becomes either complementary, supplementary, or non-essential. I want my level of focus to be so intense, that distractions lose their power.
This is the kind of inspired life I aspire to live, on most days, until the day I take my last breath. Whether my attention is spent on a career, motherhood (something I imagine I’d do in the future), a home project, a fun activity, a little drawing, time with loved ones or anything else I deem important enough to indulge my time on—I want the seconds in my life to be filled to the brim with meaning.
I want to be wholly present in everything I do, so I can never waste my attention worrying about tomorrow or dwelling on the sorrows of the past.
Though, neither do I want my mind to wander or stray too far; or feel the need to entertain itself with anything more than what’s immediately in the present as that’s the level of attention investment I want each minute in my life to minimally require. This is of course an ideal.
One thing I learned throughout my brief corporate days is that while many things can keep us busy, not many things are truly worthy of our busyness.
I’ve stepped away from the structured hours of a corporate life long ago.
Although I’ve dipped back into corporate roles a few more times before—mistakenly thinking that was the only way to earn my worth in this life—I realise, now, that my time in corporate was mostly spent being busy, for no real reason, other than to fill a need to feel a little more significant—or perhaps slightly more accomplished in the eyes of others somehow.
I certainly had no real passion for the busyness I spent days on. Yet, of course I learned a lot throughout, and perhaps that’s the benefit I gained from those days, which is (I guess) also in some ways meaningful.
But while I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had, at the end of everything, when I lay on my deathbed, the question I want to avoid is—was it all worth it?
But, yes, sometimes a job is just a job.
A job can simply serve a practical purpose—to pay the bills or serve a need— and then we can venture elsewhere to satisfy our souls.
Then there are some of us who may not need a job at all; privileged to follow our whims as to how we spend our days. There are some amongst us who are content working the nine to five. There are those who make a fine living climbing the ladder too. Then there are others of us who choose a more remote and mobile life, secluded in nature, a life filled with ease and ample contemplation. All paths to life can be valid, what matters is: is it meaningful to you?
What matters more than the what, is always, the why. Is the way we spend our days meaningful to us—or are we bored out of our minds, frustrated beyond belief and aggravated with angst, constantly wondering—is this all there is to life?
There’s the busyness of simply looking and acting busy, and then there’s the busyness that comes from truly living our best life possible.
I want the minutes in my life to be spent on the things I value most and on the people that matter most.
The key word here is ‘I,’ as having my own definition of success and meaning is what’s crucial. I want my days to be spent on the things I find most meaningful, not for show, not for approval, not for anything, but simply for itself and maybe for the greater purpose I serve. As long as it’s meaningful to me, my conclusion is independent— it then becomes worthy of my busyness.
Are The Busyness in Your Life Meaningful? A Self-Assessment: 10 Questions to Reassess Your State of Busyness.
Do you look forward to starting your day because of the goals for the day ahead?
YES. I leap out of bed like it’s my birthday, almost everyday!
Not really, I snooze my alarm so many times I think it’s a subconscious refusal to face my doomed existence of daily dread.
Do you have chosen activities, throughout most of your days, where you’ll lose your sense of time?
Absolutely! I’m so invested into what I spend most of my days on that I sometimes forget to eat—and I never, forget to eat.
No, I check the clock so often, the minutes feels like eternity. I’m convinced the clock I check has been frozen since the dawn of Y2K.
Do you feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at the end of the day?
Yes, although I am tired, I feel elated and excited about what I complete each day. I often catch myself thinking enthusiastically about the next days task at the end of the day.
No, I often feel like life feels a survival marathon—without a medal waiting at the end. Each day is a new day to muscle through and tackle, with grit, and a whole lot of convincing.
Are the activities that keep you busy most days aligned with your personal values and long-term goals?
Yes, my to-do list looks like it was curated by my life coach.
No, I’m pretty sure my to-do list was written by a task manager with a grudge.
Do you find yourself constantly distracted—scrolling through social media, browsing the web for unrelated things, or making yet another cup of tea (fifth one today), and happily entertaining the myriad of distractions, or do you stay focused and enthusiastic on your tasks?
I stay focused like a cat watching a laser pointer. Nothing escapes my attention, unless when I choose to take a break.
I am so easily distracted that even a blank wall can become my best friend.
Do you often question the point or purpose of what you’re doing?
Rarely, I’m so clear on my purpose and why I do the things I do that I am my greatest cheerleader. Even when I am having a less than motivated day, I am aware of the greater mission for why I need to get through some of the more mundane tasks we all have to do.
Yes, I question my life choices more often than I question my coffee order.
Is your busyness self-imposed or dictated by external pressures?
Mostly self-imposed. I am the captain of my own chaos. I am busy because I choose to be.
Largely dictated by others and what others thinks of me. I am busy because I feel like I need to be.
Do you feel energised or exhausted by the end of a busy day?
Energised and inspired, like I’ve just done a victory lap with a generous portion of fulfillments and contentments. Cue the confetti!
Exhausted, depleted, and dull. Like I’ve been chasing my own tail all day, then it sadly got away.
When you think about your day—your work tasks, activities, and overall job—do you feel excitement or dread?
Excitement, I’m like a kid in Wonka’s world, ready to dive into the river of chocolate and indulge myself on all the delicious wonder.
Dread. I start my day with a heaviness in my gut, like a cat nearing a pool of water, with reluctance, resistance, and ultimate suspicion.
When you talk about your day to someone else, do you sound more like a passionate storyteller or someone reading off a to-do list?
Passionate storyteller—I could be the next J.K. Rowling and make even the most mundane of tasks sound like a Spielberg action-thriller.
To-do list reader—I am merely ticking off the boxes, wondering when how soon and when I’ll get to the end.
Reflect on Your Responses
Did you learn anything new or surprising about yourself? Are you satisfied with how you answered these questions?
If you found yourself saying yes to most of the questions, then you’re right on track to a happy and meaningful life, filled with the kind of busyness that fulfills you.
If you found yourself saying no more often, then it might be time to reassess your busyness. Life is too short to be busy just, just because.
What does your soul crave most? What type of busyness will spark joy and tickle your soul?
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