Have you noticed how everyone seems to talk about how busy they are and how there is no time to catch up or do other things they want to do? It definitely does seem to be a common statement among all corporate employees, entrepreneurs, and even business owners.
There never does seem to be enough time, does there?
Busy is Good, No?
You might wonder what is the problem if people are busy. It is a great thing to be busy and not waste time on useless and unproductive activities. Busyness means action and that, in turn, means development, creation, movement, and progress. Surely this is enough reason for people to be busy!
Being industrious and active is good and yet, there are huge positives to be gained from allowing yourself to be bored or go with the flow.
What are we Busy with?
Being busy is a good thing but then it also brings up the question what one is busy with?
In a survey, 10,000 senior leaders were asked the one task that leads to organizational success. A whooping 97% agreed that the key to organizational success was long term strategic thinking. And yet, in another survey, 96% of senior leaders stated that they do not have time for strategic thinking.
Clearly, there is a problem here! How can senior stalwarts of large companies be aware of the key to success and not be able to find time for that specific task?
Culprits for Busyness
A common thread that I have observed while coaching on time management is that meetings and emails guzzle up a large amount of time.
On average, corporate employees attend about 62 meetings per month and if that feels like a lot, it is only about 2 to 3 meetings a day. Assuming that most meetings would at least last an hour, meetings would then account for approximately 35% of working hours (assuming 22 working days in a month and 8 hours of working per day).
The other culprits are the ubiquitous emails. On average, an employee spends 28% of their time checking, clearing, structuring, drafting, and responding to emails. The irony of the situation is that a large number of these emails are not even relevant for the work that they need to be focusing on. It then becomes a struggle towards learning how to prioritise and shift through these mails. It also involves fighting emotions such as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
To add to that, these emails creep into your personal time as your smartphone (while being not-so-smart about your overall wellness) chimes when you are having a conversation with your partner, child, or friend.
Reducing Meetings and Emails will not Make you Less Busy
If 63% of your time is engaged in meetings and emails, controlling these will help you get some free time and a chance to focus on things that really matter. Well, to a large extent, learning email management techniques, using prioritizing tools, sharpening communication skills, and keeping meetings effective can help reduce time spent on these significantly.
However, this is NOT the full picture.
If the solution to more time was this simple, we would all engage with coaches for support on time management techniques and be done with it.
So, then why ARE we always Busy?
Here are three potential reasons why we are not able to reduce our busyness and be available. These go a bit below the surface of things and indicate the possible root cause of what may be keeping you from fixing the ‘being busy’ issue. It may help you identify the reason why you want to be less busy all the time and yet find yourself make choices that lead you to be just that – more busy!
1. Being Busy indicates Status
Our society applauds and respects those who are industrious. The maxim ‘work smarter, not harder’, does not seem to have stuck with us. In fact, we seem to be operating in impossible loop of ‘work harder and smarter’. This is a widespread belief!
Saying ‘I am so busy’ is a societally acceptable way of proclaiming ‘I am important’, ‘I am popular’, and ‘I am so in-demand’. Saying ‘oh, I am so busy, I do not have time for anything else’ is acceptable. People go to extraordinary and ridiculous lengths to prove how busy they are only to be able to get that look of ‘wow’ from others.
2. Being Busy helps manage Uncertainty
One does not have to explain how we live in a world of uncertainty these days. Even without the pandemic, life is fairly uncertain. At work, when we are given annual targets for increasing sales or reducing attrition or ensuring high engagement among the team, we don’t know how to do that!
The senior leaders do not know for sure what exactly will drive the organization to achieve the goals or follow the vision. In light of such ambiguity, we resort to doing more of what we are doing right now. It is not the best solution but it is ‘a’ solution one can stick to. Being busy, therefore, becomes a way of creating this false feeling of certainty!
3. Being Busy is a Distraction
Being busy is also a great way in which we stay away from confronting those questions that may be nagging at us from the back of the head!
When we do not want to deal with some existential questions that may shake our current world, we put our heads down and work at stuff doggedly. Some examples of such questions would be whether we are in the right industry or job, what we really want for ourselves, whether we are happy or not, and many more!
The busyness distraction is also used when we are not able to face some personal situation. People have been known to drown themselves in work when they are going through a divorce, a breakup, a tough situation with a child, or the death of a loved one too! Sometimes we can get so trapped in the pattern of busyness that we are unable to remember how it felt like to not be busy!
While busyness may look like success, power, and growth, it seldom is! It is loneliness, frustration, and living a life that is not in your control. Recognizing it for what it is, is your first towards fixing it!
Engage a coach who can help you figure out what is behind your busyness, why you are not able to be less busy, get honest with yourself so you can make different choices, and attain real freedom about and what you want to spend your time doing.
Featured Image by: Geralt from Pixabay
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