Busy vs Productive

Being busy is how we spend our time. 

Being productive means being able to complete a task 

or get something done. 

"Being busy" is an individual behavior. What is busy for some people, is just an average day for others. Now that I am retired, I notice how people perceive "being busy". The first people that come to mind are the people that constantly say how busy they are. Some do it in a complaining way and others just comment that is part of their life right now. There is another group of people who are obviously very busy, but they would never say they are. They go about their lives making time for others, and accomplishing what is expected of them. They have their busyness under control. 

A workplace is where you will often hear people say, "I'm so busy". We have all worked with people whose work area is a mess because as they say, they are "so busy". Somehow, they are comfortable in the disarray. Their time management is off, they seem to be scattered, and their productivity is not on point. You have to have a game plan when working with these types of people. 

I was a planner when I worked. Each day I knew what I had to do and worked towards it. I always assumed my employer expected me to be busy. Not that things couldn't get derailed quickly, which often happened, I started out organized. I get it, things have changed. There has been cuts to positions and those responsibilities are now put onto others to the point of unrealistic expectations. It makes work-life balance tough. If the balance is off, it can result in burnout and the feeling of being overwhelmed, exhausted and disconnected from social and family life. 

What started this post was a conversation with a friend. We were talking about people that are always on the move. Every minute of every day there is something happening, they are what I call "in perpetual movement". My friend made the comment, "I wonder what they are running from". I had never thought of it that way, but now as I watch others, I am more aware. Research suggests that the level of busyness is connected to a feeling of self-worth and how others view their status. Individuals that are always busy by choice tend to feel needed, in demand and important. It makes them feel better about themselves.  

It seems once a person becomes busy or feels they are busy; they can start to lose connections with others. Busy people have a tendency to fly through life. At times they may feel isolated and lonely because they are not available to the people in their life that really matter to them.     

Everyone will experience a very busy time in their lives. It is usually when you are balancing all of the obligations of work, family and life. We have all been there, when something has to get done, and the result is eating poorly, too much coffee, no exercise and less sleep. It seems today's moms take on the role to keep their children entertained and busy. They plan play dates and have lots of crafts and activities to occupy the kiddos. Some families are very sports minded and they are on the run constantly. That was how things were when I was raising kids, crazy schedule of activities and work. 

Some people are always busy as a way to avoid or numb painful feelings and situations. By staying super busy, they are unable to focus on what may be bothering them or causing the discomfort beneath the surface. This is what my friend meant when she said, "what are they running from". Something may have happened in their past and by being busy they don't stop moving long enough to think about it. Others may be running from getting old or missing out on something. I have a small group of friends who have lost their mate and are now on their own. Their calendars are full and they keep themselves very busy. For now, they need to be busy and connected to people.  

I look at my own habits. I have to admit, if I am invested in a project that interests me, it will consume me. I am the type of person that likes a project. I am my happiest when I can fuss about details and organize on paper. If I happen to be put in the position of managing a project, look out, the emails will fly. I enjoy being productive and accomplishing things. I never think of it as being busy, I think of it as fun and rewarding. Now, on the flip side of that is, the projects I know I have to do, and I am not the least bit interested in doing them. It used to be, it didn't matter, if it had to be done, it was done. Now, I realize I was wrong to think that way, there is no rush, it can wait. In my present life, I find I can't muster up whatever I need to get those less than favorable tasks complete. It is for sure not because I am too busy. 

I learned a valuable lesson from a young man who is new to our family. He was at my house, and even though he had a long drive ahead of him, he just sat and chatted with me. He made time for us to get to know each other. After he left, I reflected on the fact, that had that been me at his age and time in my life, I would have been out the door and on my way. I would have been way too busy to take time to connect with another person. 

We all know people that we can ask for help. We know it doesn't matter how busy they are, they always say, "what do you need". They are people that are also productive. They never leave things to the last minute, they work ahead and everything is ready on time or ahead of time. These types of people are the busiest, but they will never say they are. They just know how to make it happen.