Busy or Productive
Unfortunately, in our current society, it is almost assumed that you must always be busy doing something. It is a norm of our culture to always have something going on or be going somewhere for something. We are notorious for running around and being on the go, all the time. The question that I think needs to be asked is this: “Is what I am doing, or what I am planning to do, necessary and beneficial?’ Or is it just another thing to do and a place to go?
We have become so accustomed to non-stop business, that we do not even ask ourselves if what we are doing is beneficial or necessary. Our schedules are jam-packed with events and activities, running around here, there, and everywhere.
Being busy, is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I agree with the old saying: ‘Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.’ Being lazy and bored often leads to mischief or poor decisions. However, being busy, for the sake of being busy or keeping a packed schedule is also a poor practice. Being busy, without purpose wastes precious time and takes away opportunities for intentional interaction and growth.
Rather than filling up our schedules, perhaps we should pause for a second and ask ourselves if what we are doing is going to have a lasting benefit. Being busy for the sake of being busy is an endless and empty cycle.
Instead of finding ways to be busy and fill up our weekly schedules, perhaps it is time to evaluate our schedules and see what things are genuinely productive and beneficial. You can start by asking some of the following questions:
Does this (event/ activity) have a legitimate value?
Does this (event/activity) have a legitimate benefit for me or my family?
Does this (event/ activity) help to grow or foster me or my family in a positive way?
Does this (event/ activity) encourage me or my family?
Does this (event/ activity) fill me up and reinvigorate me, or does it drain me and my family?
Choosing to be productive, not just busy, has value and intentionality behind our choices and what we put in our schedules. Being productive is basing our decisions on value and purpose. Being productive uses and invests our time, effort, and energy. Productivity produces action and results. Busyness is doing something without much purpose or intentionality. Busyness typically is not based on value or growth.
There is a huge difference between choosing to be productive and just being busy.