I’m busy is the new stupid

You may have noticed that I have spent a lot of time of late, thinking about the idea of ‘being busy’. I have questioned the current obsession with always being busy and written about our need to take time to think, rest and play. And it would seem that I am not the only one.

I met with one of my mentors recently. His insights are always educational and different. Here’s one. He knows I love cricket (he does too, and I have enjoyed his company and generosity at many a test match at Lords).

“Kunle, how many sixes did Bradman score in his illustrious career?” Hmm. Good question.

“80”, I replied.

“No 6.” Wow.

“My point, Kunle, is that he valued his wicket, so he tried to keep the ball on the ground when he scored.” Ah I see what you’re saying, make sure you always try to keep your feet on the ground.

But I digress. In my recent chat, he said to me (and this is paraphrased): “Being busy is the new stupid.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

He then proceeded to share with me the idea that when people regularly say that they are busy, they tend to be just adding things onto their to do list. They won’t be subtracting; they won’t actually be getting things done.

This really got me thinking. As I have said before, it feels very much like being busy is something to aspire to these days. That it is a sign you are succeeding at life somehow. But if we unpack the idea of it ‘being stupid’ for a bit, we get a refreshing new perspective.

Just because someone is ‘busy’, does not mean that they are getting stuff done or that they are more productive. It certainly doesn’t mean that they are efficient or getting the most out of their time. In fact, more often than not, could it mean the opposite of all these things? It’s worth just having a think on that.

And if you find yourself saying you’re busy a lot, maybe see this as your cue to take stock. Are you simply adding more and more to your to do list? Are you getting things done? Are you making the most of your time?

When I am faced with a long to do list (we’ve all been there!), I often turn to the idea of the four Ds, based on President Eisenhower’s Decision Making Process:

• Do it
• Delegate it
• Defer it
• Dump it

It may just be worth remembering these as you go about your daily routine. And who knows, it may help you avoid falling into the constant ‘I’m busy’ trap.