BUSY AS or TIME FOR!

I’m busy as, super busy, crazy busy! Have you heard this from someone recently? Sounds like some pre-framing happening here and the other person doesn’t really want to see you! Or, they may want to see you, however their values have been consumed by their busyness. If you can relate to this situation and have been caught up in the whirlwind of busyness, create space in the b__u__s__y to create time for leadership and valuing people and teams who support you on your journey to success. Success is about having people on your bus at the end of the journey, not leaving them at every previous bus stop!

“May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion” – Thomas Jefferson

BUSY is NOT impressive: BAN IT!

Christine Mayston highlights in Linkedin “Five reasons to stop using the word ‘busy’ in the office.” We’ve all heard it. We start a meeting, ask how our colleague is doing and the response is ‘busy, so. It makes me cringe every time. It’s so incredibly trite. yet again. Not original. Not empowering. Most importantly, NOT impressive. Invariably, these same people have held their ‘so busy status’ at a constant state and somehow also manage to make copious mugs of tea and participate in all the inane office debates despite the substantial workload they profess to carry. And eventually, people stop thinking they’re busy and start thinking they’re just full of another four letter word. So let’s stop it shall we? If you think you might be guilty of the b-bomb, here’s five reasons why it’s time to stop:

• It’s uncreative
• It makes people doubt themselves, and if you make people doubt themselves they won’t feel inspired by you
• It works the opposite way you want it to
• It’s dismissive
• Being busy is what work is supposed to feel like

What do you think? Is it time to ban the busy?

Be HAPPY, STOP using BUSY!

A Washington Post article by Megan Wycklendt shows “Six reasons you’d be happier if you stopped saying “busy.” A study in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that we’re much happier when there’s a lot going on in our life.  But if keeping active and “busy” is positive for our health, why do we often feel overwhelmed or exhausted by our list of responsibilities?

It may not be our “to do list” that is the source of our unhappiness. Instead, our choice of words can have a negative effect on our experience. A study in Wharton refers the psychological aspects of language use tells us that our words have more power than we may think. Here are 6 reasons why we would all be happier if we stopped using to describe ourselves and our lives:

• It keeps you from being present, It disconnects you from other people, It is a choice
• It is a cover-up, It is not a feeling, It can easily be re-framed

I’ve had ENOUGH with the word BUSY

In my blog, I show “why I am so over the word busy.” A few months ago, I called a dear friend to see how she was going. She didn’t answer and instead sent me a text, saying to email her as she was too “busy” to call me back.

WTF, right?

I am SO over the word “busy”.

Are we too busy to be kind?

Are we too busy to be courageous?

I didn’t email her, because I didn’t appreciate her response. It’s important to make real time for your friends; to show them kindness and not let “busy” get in the way. Making time for important things means making sure I’m not too busy to be kind and respectful to my friends. Talking too much about how busy you are makes people think you’re too hard to connect with. When I see a busy sign on your forehead, I’m reminded of a John C. Maxwell quote I recently read:

“The greatest enemy of good thinking is busyness”.

Constantly talking about being so busy means that you’re often doing something called doublespeak. Here’s what you’re actually saying when you’re acting like, or telling people that you are, just way too busy:

• “I’m significant”
• “I’m needed”, “I’m important… more so than you”
• “I’m using my busyness as an excuse, because I don’t want to do this”
• “I matter”
• “I’m scared of feeling inadequate and missing out”
• “I don’t like feeling guilty about not doing the meaningful things I really want to do”

Here are some ways to start holding yourself accountable and stop hiding behind busyness:

• Reflect
• Alter How You Frame And Define Things
• Be Sure To Stop – You Don’t Always Have To Be Busy
• JOMO – The Joy Of Missing Out

Don’t be too busy for what really matters. This means your health, well-being, family and your passions. We only have one life.

I’m over busy, are you?

What can you do?

USE Better WORDS than BUSY

You: “BUSY!!”

Sound familiar?

Sarah Rudell Beach in Left Brain Buddha gives us an alternative with “10 words to use instead of busy.”  We pride ourselves these days on our “busy-ness,” as if being busy were a sign of achievement and value in and of itself. I’ve written before about how we can ban “busy” from our lives, and still get stuff done. Words matter — they powerfully shape how we see ourselves and how we interpret our actions.

A quick survey of an online thesaurus produced the following synonyms for busy: unavailable, buried, overloaded, slaving, snowed, swamped, tied up. Eeeek! When we we’re busy, we’re not available. We’re not present. Being busy makes us feel buried, trapped, and anxious. Changing our perspective on busy may involve changing our habits and re-evaluating how we spend our time. The next time you’re ready to use the word busy, see if one of the following phrases would work better:

• Intentionally Full
• Abundant
• Rich
• Engaged
• Wholehearted
• Captivated
• Productive
• Resplendent
• Dynamic
• Excited

Take responsibility for your actions, knowing the deeper need you are honouring as you carry them out. You can find excitement in the most banal of tasks by connecting to their ultimate purpose. Change your perspective on “busy” and change your life!  

Create space in B_U_S_Y to Improve YOUR Leadership

Busyness requires new perspective, especially for a leader, so I am here to support you for your next level of success through three leadership opportunities:

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Get in touch today to learn more about building leadership skills and set yourself up for success!

Stay Kind. Stay Courageous.

Sonia x