Is Being Busy Just a Cover Up?
Photo by Anna Dziubinska on Unsplash
Recently, I chatted with a friend going through some fairly big life changes. They were about to have their schedule open up with extra free time to do other types of things. I excitedly began to list all the different things they would have time to do.
However, upon deeper conversation, it became obvious that they weren’t so excited about this newfound time. A little stumped, I began to realize that they had been putting off some things that should have been done or handled a long time ago. In other words, it was time to face the music along with these life changes and difficulty with the adjustment was inevitable. I was left wondering, how could this have been avoided?
The Cover Up
As I reflected on my friend’s situation, I realized that they, like many of us (including myself), have a common problem known as the cover up. We tend to rush around make ourselves extremely busy saying we don’t have time for certain things but it’s really just a cover up to avoid what we ought to be doing. Let’s face it, what’s easiest for you isn’t necessarily better. Take the time to address what you can now rather than later.
I appreciate the insights of Seth Godin. He once explained that being “busy is a choice and productive is a skill.” Let’s take a further look into how to avoid the trap of busyness and the cover up.
3 Tips to Avoid a Pointless Cover Up
Does my friend’s situation resonate with you a bit? Yeah, I’ll raise my hand on this one too. I’ve been known to cover up some things that I ought to be doing in the name of being “just so busy.” Let me share three suggestions to help avoid this predicament.
1. Work Environment
Take a look around your workplace and consider what you should be focusing on but keep saying you are too busy to get the time for. Is there a project you don’t feel like dealing with or a new direction that seems overwhelming for your department? Perhaps you just lack the confidence to go for it. Maybe that is something that needs to be considered and addressed.
2. Relationships
Let’s look at relationships. When we make ourselves really busy, we tend to avoid dealing with conflicts and situations with our spouse, children, family members, or friends. However, these are important relationships that we should be working on so that when time opens up, we will have a greater opportunity to deepen and grow them.
3. Yourself
Maybe you are so busy, that you are covering up something related to yourself. Perhaps your daily activities aren’t as in sync with your goals like they should be and it’s time to refocus and take a hard look at where you spend your time. Are you truly taking the time necessary to align yourself with the goals you said were so important to you?
Now, as you let these possibilities sink in, I want to give you some extra material rather than leave you in the lurch. (You’re welcome.) Take a look at that link with questions that I created to help you decipher what may need to be uncovered. My hope is that this will allow you to address things now rather than later, enabling you to enjoy the present and future even more.
