How Did I Get so Busy?

DAY 1 There Is a Better Way By the time I get home, cook dinner, check homework, and do a load of clothes, it's time to get ready for the next day. There's no time for anything else. If there's a better way, please tell me what it is! Suzanne, 37 Since you are reading this book, you likely recognize that your current lifestyle of busyness and overwork is taking its toll. You're ready for a break, but unsure of when you can actually have one. Your schedule may sometimes feel like a cycle that never stops repeating itselfMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday... Or perhaps, like I once was, you are in a bit of denial. You don't think there is a real problem. As soon as you get through this next crunch period, you insist, all will be well. But when the "crunch period" ends, for some reason, you are still as busy as ever. All is not well! You are exhausted and it's time for a change. For years, when people would mention how busy they thought I was, I would insist that it wasn't that bad. I had time for myself. They just didn't understand, I reasoned. But the truth is that I was defensive. And whenever you are defensive about the casual comments people make, there is probably an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Let's start by defining what I mean by busy. Being busy is different from hurrying, being productive, hardworking, or rushedalthough a busy person may be all of those things.Webster's Dictionarydescribes the word "busy" as follows: Dictionary Definition 1. Actively or fully engaged or occupied; "busy with her work"; "a busy man"; "too busy to eat lunch"; "the line is busy." 2. Overcrowded or cluttered with detail; "a busy painting"; "a fussy design." 3. Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner; "an interfering old woman"; "bustling about selfimportantly making an officious nuisance of himself"; "busy about other people's business." 4. Crowded with or characterized by much activity; "a very busy week"; "a busy life"; "a busy street"; "a busy seaport." 5. (Of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) Unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; "her line is busy"; "the lavatory is in use"; "kept getting a busy signal." Reality 1. As in, you are too occupied to have space for anything else in your life. 2. As in, a life that is too cluttered, crowded, and complicated for you to have clarity and calm. 3. As in, fighting unnecessary battles, concerning oneself with things that are not central to your purpose, and allowing others to drain your energy. 4. As in, simply having a great deal on your plate. 5. As in, unavailable to the people who matter most or the opportunities you should take advantage of. So, in many ways, being busy is characterized by being unavailable for anything else, being fully occupied so that there is no room for anything other than that in which you are already engaged. A life that is too busy is overcrowded and overloaded. In an effort to keep up, we often get through our days in overdrive. "But that's just the way my life is," you protest, "and I don't see how I can live it any differently. All my friends and coworkers are the same way. How can I really be too busy if it's normal?Burton, Valorie is the author of 'How Did I Get so Busy?' with ISBN 9780767926225 and ISBN 0767926226.