The hustle & bustle of everyday life

Busy people get things done… or do they?

When I resided in Billings for a few years, I was pretty active in a variety of things, including working two jobs, one full-time and another almost full-time. I was also going through a class called the Montana Artrepreneur Program (MAP) in an effort to build a more successful fiber art business. I was the co-chair and secretary for the local spinning guild, on the planning committee that organized a large festival each year, and volunteered at Bountiful Baskets, spay and neuter clinics and other worthwhile causes. I was then asked to be a “back-up site coordinator” for Bountiful Baskets. Okay, so I would have to be there a little earlier, do a little more volunteering and stay a little later on some occasions, no big deal, right? Well, there was also this mandatory two-hour training conference call I had to participate in before I could be approved for my new duties. During the call, the trainer made the statement, “we’re all busy, but it’s busy people who get things done.” Hmm. I thought, maybe she’s got a point.

So, I pretty much adopted that motto and lived by it for quite some time, but now, it makes me wonder, do busy people really get things done?

Fast-forward to today. I’m still as busy, if not busier than I was when I lived in the Billings area. I belong to several community organizations in varying capacities. Now rather than a full-time job, I have one fairly part-time job, and am running my own small business full-time and teaching fiber art classes throughout the United States most of the year. Between organizational duties, a part-time job, and my own business, I still put in a good 40-60 hours per week, sometimes more. Yes, I’m still busy. If you asked my other half, I’d venture to say he thinks I’m too busy. He might be right about that, but don’t tell him I said so.

Here’s the deal…first off, I come from a long line of workaholics. I watched my dad work all the time, and my brother is in a field that requires him to work insane, busy hours. Let’s face it, working, being busy, it’s in my blood.

But, what if being busy, getting things done, is just a great hoax?

What I’ve noticed, in general and as a society, is that we seem to get busier and busier each day. We run around-myself included-and try and cram as much as we can into a day, and we don’t slow down. We hardly take a moment to enjoy the things, the beauty, and the life that is right in front of us.

During my recent trip abroad with my kids, I noticed something there. (Well, I noticed many things, but this pertains to this topic specifically): The people I encountered on my trip, they slowed down. They enjoyed life and they valued family and interactions. They took care of themselves. They appeared to be happier and healthier than those I see in the U.S.

How you ask? Well, everything was a much slower pace. They ate meals together, walked their dogs and talked with one another. Families walked together, ate together, spent time together. People rode bikes, ran, swam, and treated one another with compassion and respect. Basically, they weren’t, or didn’t seem to be the hamsters running on the wheel that I often feel I am, or that I see around me.

It made me wonder, If they seem happier, what can I do in my own life to escape the busy cycle I’m now feeling I’m on?

Maybe it’s possible to not be so busy and still get things done.

How though?

Well, I think it might be something different for everyone. For me, even taking stock and realizing I’m on the wheel in the first place was my starting point. ’m not saying I’m going to just give up on everything I do, but maybe, just maybe, taking the time to value the important things might be a next step.

There are important things that need our attention, my attention. There are things that keep us busy, just for the sake of keeping us busy. And then, there are the things that really matter. My family, my friends, my community, they matter.

What is it that matters to you?

See, the things to do will always be there, there’s no doubt about that.

This past week, I did a little “hiding,” so to speak. I wasn’t as busy, but I was focused on those important things, and guess what? I got things done.

I might start hiding a little more, taking stock, thinking about what’s important before I commit my time and my energy. Maybe, that’s where we should all start, and maybe, that’s when the un-busy people will really get things done.