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A Helpful Guide to Becoming Unbusy
Find freedom in saying NO
Learning to say “no” to less important commitments opens your life to pursue the most important.
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Busy as a default state
“‘Busy’ has become the new ‘Fine’.”
When you ask somebody how they were doing, they used to answer, “Fine.” But nowadays, everybody answers, “Busy.”
Being busy is a choice
We are never forced into a lifestyle of busyness. 'Busy' is nothing but a decision we make.
Simply realize that our schedules are determined by us.
Stop the glorification of busy
Busy should not be a badge of honor.
If directed at the wrong pursuits, it is actually a limiting factor to our full potential.
Appreciate rest
Set aside time weekly for rest and family. Intentionally schedule it on your calendar.
One of the reasons many of us keep busy schedules is we fail to recognize the value of rest
Revisit your priorities
Busyness is, at its core, about misplaced priorities.
Determine again what are the most significant contributions you can offer this world. And schedule your time around those first.
Own fewer possessions
The things we own take up far more time and mental energy than we realize.
They need to be cleaned, organized and maintained. And the more we own, the more time is required.
Cultivate space in your daily routine
Begin cultivating little moments of space in your otherwise busy day:
- Make time for lunch.
- Find space in your morning to sit quietly before starting your day.
- Invest in solitude, meditation, or yoga.
- Find opportunities for breaks at work in between projects.
Find freedom in saying NO
Learning to say “no” to less important commitments opens your life to pursue the most important.
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Procrastinating
Procrastination, or the way we let pending tasks linger on, just avoiding them, is one of the main reasons our goals don't materialize.
The longer any work is avoided the harder it becomes to eventually do it.
Like dishes piling up in the kitchen sink, they get harder and harder to do as the load increases.
Fear as the Cause of Inaction
Fear causes us to procrastinate. It can be:
- Fear of change
- Fear of leaving our comfort zone
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of failure
- Fear of what other people would think of us
We justify these fears by imaginary different reasons, but the root cause is not related to our invented reasons, it is our inherent fear.
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We are obsessed with the idea that our potential for happiness is intricately tied to our freedom to pursue wealth. We think we must work harder and longer than ...
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Efficiency does not necessarily guarantee effectiveness. Getting more done is not an accurate barometer for measuring your impact. Consider whether you’re being effective in achieving what you actually want.
Think about what it is you’re really seeking and what might be the most direct path to get it. Then realize that sometimes doing less can actually pave the path to experiencing more—more satisfaction, more ease, and even more effectiveness.
Productivity and Happiness
Research suggests that happiness leads to success, not the other way around. It would benefit us to shift our focus from achieving future happiness to accessing that joy right now.
When we wrap our days around things we have to do we leave very little time for the things we want to do. Happiness requires balance.
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Feeling busy
We live in a distracting world, and it’s not getting any better. We are constantly bombarded with new information.
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Acceptance of distracting technology
Technology companies work hard to create products that bring convenience and delight. In turn, they benefit when we use these technologies more.
Our willing acceptance of distracting apps and our culture of constant busyness shows how normal these things have become. So, feeling busy and distracted is not your fault. However, you can take up the responsibility to change the defaults of distraction and busyness.
Remove distracting apps
The smartphone is the simplest and most effective way to reclaim your time and attention.
In contrast to hacks like disabling notifications, removing apps cuts the distraction where it starts. The app is still available, and we can still use it and check email and read the news, but we can do it on our terms.
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