If your response to, “How are you doing?” is always “Busy”, then it might be time to reevaluate your schedule. It is a good idea to talk about the ideal schedule with your spouse to see where they are at with the pace you are going at. There is such thing as being too busy. Here are three things to think about as you are going through life and committing to new, exciting things.
1. Is this beneficial to just me or others around me as well?
Check the motive. This is step one. Anything worth doing has to be beneficial to others in some capacity. For a good outcome to happen, you have to be focused on others. If not, then you are only building yourself up. The more people that benefit from what you do, the larger the impact you will have.
2. Is this a good time in life to take on new things?
Is it a good season for you and your family to take on new things? This is a great question to ask yourself and to talk about with your spouse. You can have a great idea, but pursue it at the wrong time and it will be a major flop. Why? Because your heart is probably in too many things at once. Honestly, a new commitment will take some time, some mental capacity/processing, some planning, some discussion/brainstorming and some focus. All of this is enough to take up at least a little of your time. Pursue things after deciding if you and your family are in the right season.
3. What is a reasonable amount of time that I should set aside for this?
The greatest misconception when marking up your calendar is the time that you allot to get things done. Most of the time, not enough time is given to actually get the things done that you need to finish. This is the part that is often missed when communicating to your family. Let your family know what that reasonable amount of time is and stick to it. Don’t go over that communicated time frame! If you need more time, then wake up earlier or talk about setting aside another time to accomplish your goals. You want your family on your team as you set aside time to honor commitments.
Reevaluate where you are today. What steps can you take to make your schedule better for you and your family? You can leave a comment below.
Adam: I always find your blogs inspirational and thought provoking, but this is probably your best. All through my life I have not had the courage to say “no” when someone has asked me to commit to something, whether it be a committee, a musical performance, or an announcing “gig”. My usual response was “Okay, I’ll do it.” The middle of last year I realized this is not, nor has it ever, worked. My calendar was so full of commitments, I was of little use to anyone or myself. So I made the decision. I “dropped” several activities and I said “No” to a few new ones that came my way. Now I have the time and ability to concentrate on doing my best on the dozen or so activities that remain on my plate. I find I have kept the things in my life that I enjoy and not things that I felt obligated to do. I am much happier because rather than just being busy for the sake of filling a calendar, I am busy doing what I enjoy and what benefits others. So, thank you for writing on this topic.
I’m glad you could relate to this one so much, Hal. I love that you got your life back. Way to go. Sometimes you just need to say “no”.
Adam: I always find your blogs inspirational and thought provoking, but this is probably your best. All through my life I have not had the courage to say “no” when someone has asked me to commit to something, whether it be a committee, a musical performance, or an announcing “gig”. My usual response was “Okay, I’ll do it.” The middle of last year I realized this is not, nor has it ever, worked. My calendar was so full of commitments, I was of little use to anyone or myself. So I made the decision. I “dropped” several activities and I said “No” to a few new ones that came my way. Now I have the time and ability to concentrate on doing my best on the dozen or so activities that remain on my plate. I find I have kept the things in my life that I enjoy and not things that I felt obligated to do. I am much happier because rather than just being busy for the sake of filling a calendar, I am busy doing what I enjoy and what benefits others. So, thank you for writing on this topic.
I’m glad you could relate to this one so much, Hal. I love that you got your life back. Way to go. Sometimes you just need to say “no”.
I need to work on *not* saying “Oh, busy, busy.” when someone asks how I am. Unless you’re truly dealing with stuff (ailing parents, kids with special needs, etc) you’re only as busy as you choose to be, and it often comes off as a complaint, or some kind of bid for sympathy.
Thanks for the reminder and encouragement.
You’re welcome Nathan. Well, that answer is the nature of this time. It seems expectations from others are making us busier than ever. People expect us to do more with less time. People’s expectations can be too high sometimes. And yes so true, we are as busy as we choose to be. Great insight. Thanks for reading!
I need to work on *not* saying “Oh, busy, busy.” when someone asks how I am. Unless you’re truly dealing with stuff (ailing parents, kids with special needs, etc) you’re only as busy as you choose to be, and it often comes off as a complaint, or some kind of bid for sympathy.
Thanks for the reminder and encouragement.
You’re welcome Nathan. Well, that answer is the nature of this time. It seems expectations from others are making us busier than ever. People expect us to do more with less time. People’s expectations can be too high sometimes. And yes so true, we are as busy as we choose to be. Great insight. Thanks for reading!