Let me help you to know how to be less busy by avoiding this one mistake people make. But before I do, can you relate? Every year I say to myself, “I can handle May and June; “busy” won’t overtake me. I’m prepared for it.” But when that time hits all the neat and tidy thoughts explode into chaos. Seriously! What am I doing wrong? The answer to this question is not what I’m doing right or wrong, the answer sits before my action.
Is being busy good or bad?
Some people see “busy” as a badge, and some see it as a heavyweight. And if you’re like me, I like to be busy… it’s fun for me…most of the time. But in May and June, it’s no joke; I am too busy to enjoy ‘busy’. Sometimes I feel like someone should slap me in the face and say, “Get a hold of yourself Christy!” There are probably a lot of personal issues going on in this paragraph, but that’s a different post.
Since the 2019-2022 pandemic working from home has become the norm. Balancing work and parenting, let alone, being a pet parent was super challenging! It was tough knowing how to manage our time. We need to pay the bills, yet we want healthy family relations.
If busyness goes into the supper and evening hours and keeps you from having daily family time, then you may want to address your schedule; especially if you have little kiddos running around. Your health and well-being are also a top priority. If your body is reacting to the pace of life in a bad way, then back off on the busyness. Other than that, being busy is good for your sanity, it helps strengthen brainpower (got to be on your toes), and it helps you have greater self-confidence (use those talents and abilities you have!).
What causes us to be busy?
Right now I’m supposed to tell you that I choose to live in the moment. I am skipping down the sidewalk smelling the lilacs, singing the words Carpe Diem, and hosting a butterfly on my shoulder. Yeah, that’s…not…happening. Yes, I want to smell the lilacs, yes I want to change the world, yes I want to love on my family, and yes I want to get things done for the church, the community, my job, and the school fundraisers…yes, yes, yes! Um…hmm…so…this is when you see me draw circles in the dirt with my toe. Yep. I just realized what’s been happening. “Yes.”
It’s my fault I’m busy. My expectations and the make-believe expectations others have for me weaken my stance. The answer to ‘what am I doing wrong’ sits on one of two words: YES or NO. I need to pick one when someone asks me something. More importantly, I need to pick one when I ask myself something.
#1 Mistake People Make
The chaotic feeling and the stressful outbursts happen due to your personal values not lining up. Values? According to Dictionary.com, values are a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. Let me ask you this, do you know what your values are? Have you ever really thought about it?
If we want to be true to ourselves, values hold a lot of weight. So check this out, if people could use their values as a guide to their ‘yes’ or ‘no’, as a gauge of how they are managing their time, then life would be so much more enjoyable, don’t cha think? Isn’t that what we’re after? Joy? Then why is it so hard to use our values? Why have I collapsed over and over again? Because I FORGOT to use my values to hold me up. I forgot! This was my #1 mistake! I needed to know more about myself.
If you were a knight geared up for battle, what piece of equipment protects you from arrows? What piece of equipment gives you a little more confidence when running towards the battlefield? Do you remember that scene in the movie 300 when all the soldiers used their shields to protect themselves? That’s what values do. Values are shields.
Wrapping up how to be less busy
I wrote this post to remind you to not lose sight of your values, and to put your values in front of your YES or NO. And to not forget the power and protection that values hold. Young eyes are watching you, show them how to live a happy life.
Head to my Freebies for a Personal Values Exercise to help you define your values. This is one of the BEST exercises you can do for yourself. It’s fun! Download it now in Freebies.
Before you go, check out these other great posts:
- 5 Important Ways to Measure Success without Numbers
- How to Build Confidence & Courage: 5 Easy Ways
- How to Start Volunteering: 4 Tips to Succeed
- How to Fight Stress: 5 Tactics Most People Forget
- How to live your dream life: embrace this 1 word.
By CT Copyright © 2018 More Than Existence All Rights Reserved.