Let me ask you three questions:
- Do you often feel like your to-do list is never-ending?
- Do you often sacrifice sleep to get things done?
- Do you frequently complain about how busy you are?
If you answered “yes” to those questions, you’re busy – probably too busy.
But it doesn’t have to be like this.
The strange reason we ignore the most important things in life
In an era where we’re connected 24/7, the line between work and leisure has become blurred. Even on a Sunday afternoon, you could send that email. You could reply to that text. You could do something “productive.”
But should you?
I face this temptation every time I have a day off. The temptation is even greater because I enjoy my job so much!
And it’s not just me. Through my work with parents – many of whom are busy and stressed out – I know this is a widespread problem.
Author Charles Hummel once observed that the most important things in life are also the most well-mannered. They don’t scream for your attention. They don’t throw a tantrum to force you to take notice.
This explains why we often ignore the things that matter most. They’re just too polite.
In contrast, the urgent things are far less polite. That email from your boss, that phone call, that Facebook message – they’re calling out to you right now. You feel like you can’t ignore it, so you don’t.
That’s how we become busy, by allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by the urgent.
But there’s a way out. [Read more…]
