How to Unbusy Yourself
“Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise.” — Lin Yutang
I haven’t found the time to write for well over a month. I told myself, it’s been a very busy time of year. I just need to get all my work priorities out the of way in the lead up to Christmas, get all the preparations for Christmas sorted, then get Christmas out of the way and I’ll find the time to write again. And I was right, I have reached the other side and found a bit of time to breathe again, to do the things that I want to do. Time to reflect, time to think and time to write again.
And it’s made me realise that I should have carved out more time to do the things I love most the last few weeks. I don’t want to set any New Year’s Resolutions again this year, I just want to keep working on my 365 small changes. I keep allowing myself to get side tracked from what is most important to me. If I only achieve one of those changes, the I one I would choose is to live with intention. To make the time to work on the things that are most important to me every day.
“You don’t have to solve your whole life overnight. And you don’t have to feel ashamed for being where you are. All you have to focus on is one small thing you can do today to get closer to where you want to be. Slowly and lightly, one step at a time. You can get there. “— Daniell Koepke
I know that if someone had asked me how I was before Christmas, I would have, one hundred percent, replied “Busy!”. And I was, busy doing things for everyone but myself. I’m not saying that to sound like a martyr, and I’m not saying I don’t like doing things for others, because I do. I just also needed to find a bit more time for myself in my days.
Being busy is a choice we make. No one other than yourself sets your own daily schedule. You have a choice to say “no” to anything that is asked of you every 24 hours. You can make time to do the things that are most important to you if you choose to. That in itself is an empowering thought.
“What makes music beautiful is the distance between one note and another. What makes speech eloquent is the appropriate pause between words. From time to time we should take a breath and notice the silence between sounds.” — Haemin Sunim
But becoming unbusy is not just about finding time to do more of what you want to. It’s about finding time to think, to find some space in your day, to slow things down a bit. To find time to relax and rejuvenate yourself. To find time to breathe. To carve out a bit of your day to yourself.
It’s also about better planning. Planning regular breaks and holidays, making sure that you aren’t overloaded with work. Finding the time to go for a walk at lunch, or whatever you do to help you relax during the day.
And maybe it’s about making sure that you no longer wear busy as a badge of importance..better to be intentional about everything you do and making sure that your health and your mental wellbeing is given as high a priority by you, as you give to other people’s needs and to your work. As with everything in life, it’s all about balance.
But there is no magic wand that makes discomfort disappear. Growth comes at the gritty edge. It’s just the way of things..we must live alongside the fragility and the not knowing, we must be with it all, the pleasure and the pain, the praise and the blame, the loss and the gain, the disgrace and perhaps the fame. Nothing lasts, not the good times, but not the bad times either. It all matters, no more and no less. — Dr Anna Frills
I’m on my 365 day journey, #365small changes, what difference are you going to make in your life?
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