Escaping a Life of Busyness

Michael never grasped how to live his life at a gradual pace. He was raised in a household with his parents and four siblings. The air was consistently flowing with the breath of movement, busyness, and accomplishment. To sit still meant to waste time, there was so much more he could be doing. As an adult, he packed up the busyness trait and carried it with him. Yet, "it" seems to be controlling his life rather than he keeping "it" under control. The oppressive nature of busyness has left Michael's condo in disarray, his relationships in despair, and his freezer stacked with Hungry Man dinners. He has a goal to scale the corporate ladder and feels he only needs to maintain this hectic life pace just a little while longer. Endurance is his key. Yet, persisting at this current level of stamina can harm his health, emotions, and well-being. As there are loopholes in just about any contract, Michael can also find gray areas in the commitment he made to busyness. Instead of endurance, time management will be his shiny new key.

In order to break contract with busyness, Michael and others in this situation could take these practical steps:

1. Stock Up and Save

Stock up on the items that you tend to use most frequently (i.e. printer ink, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) and store nonperishable foods. This helps to cut down on road trips, gas, and time spent perusing the stores. When you know that you will be entering a busy season in your life, this is a great way to prepare.

2. Seek Help to Remember

As busyness increases, our memory tends to decrease. Why? Because there are so many tasks running through your mind that some will be overlooked or even forgotten (leading to some "oops!" moments). Therefore, call in some help. The traditional to-do lists and daily planners may be best for those who prefer the paper and pen method. Yet, for those who tend to lose little slips of paper that hold important information, a technological strategy may be best. If you have a cell phone, use the calendar function to store your appointments and send reminders. If you use your computer often, there may be a reminder function that posts appointments on your screen. In addition, there are other call-in methods like jott.com where you can call in and have reminders sent to yourself or others. Personally, I tend to use some very basic techniques such as...if I am away from home, I will call my home phone and leave myself a message. Or, I may send myself an email. Also, I cannot forget the handy technique of placing a post-it note on the bathroom mirror - the first place I visit in the morning.

3. Day or Night

Examine when you are most productive throughout your day. Are you a morning person or an evening person? If at all possible, handle your most demanding tasks at that time (you may see an increase in your productivity).

In order to break that contract with busyness, it may take a little time for a period of self-examination and reorganization. Yet, remember every minute counts so why not use it to the fullest.