Why Being “Busy” Doesn’t Mean You’re Being Productive
Many people (new entrepreneurs definitely), believe that being busy is the ultimate showcase of their hard work! Gaining an hour of their time is golden because they have “so much to do” in such little time. If you’re one of those people who have free time on your hands, you’ll most likely appear to be lazy and not as hardworking as your busy counterpart(s). These are a few of the assumptions made by lots of people however, all of the above is far from the truth! Being busy isn’t the same as being productive and I’m going to explain to you why in the four points below!
Long “To Do” List
Busy people tend to have a long list of things to do with no clear strategic plan on how to complete it. They don’t know how to prioritize their list and break the big goals down to smaller ones. Productive people narrow down their list based on hierarchy to ensure that they’re able to manage their tasks on a daily basis. This helps to focus on one thing at a time efficiently and effectively.
Too Many Commitments
Taking on more tasks or projects that you can handle is a recipe for complete disaster. I’m aware that saying no is hard to do when someone is in need however, you’ll be doing a favor for not only yourself but the other party. If your schedule is already packed, it doesn’t make sense to add something else to the list. Additionally, if the commitment requires you to do work then why give 60% when you can give 100%! Productive people understand the value of saying no for both parties involved. They have a strict schedule and consciously take into account how much this task or project would take before committing.
RELATED: How to Achieve Your Goals (It’s Easier Than You Think)
Burn Out
When you’re busy and always on the go, it’s very easy to become fatigued and burned out. We must give ourselves time to relax in order to recharge our minds and give our bodies a break. Little to no time for yourself can lead to exhaustion and eventually stress! Want to be productive? Take a mandatory break every time a project or task is completed! This will help to avoid burn out and stress while keeping your energy levels high.
Not Thinking of the Bigger Picture
Focusing on the smaller details of a process is the downfall of most busy people. They’re often perfectionists that spend more time than needed on any given task or project. The end result usually becomes stress and anxiety because of their approach. Productive people always take the effective and efficient route to complete tasks or projects because they’re result oriented. There’s no need for them to waste time on small details, as they’re more interested in the results.
So next time you run into your busy counterpart(s), you don’t need to feel “less than” or like you aren’t working hard enough! The entire point of being productive is to free more space for other enjoyable things that you’d like to do. It’s completely normal to be successful and hardworking without being busy! You just need to set strategic plans in place (preferably automate), delegate tasks, say no and focus on your development. I can guarantee that you’ll see results while maintaining a happy stress free life! So after reading this. . . are you busy or productive? Let me know your honest opinion in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe!
Until next time ASSASSINS. . . Stay Disciplined!
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This is a reminder that I need to be more strategic with my business tasks. I also need to be consistent. Too many times I’m busy while other days I’m extremely productive.
These are great tips. I need to remember them. I help other bloggers destress and sometimes I stress myself before I get organized. Thank you.
I feel like I a need lists in my life to be productive or my ‘busy’ side just stops me from getting important stuff done because I’ll procrastinate and just do other things. Your post rings so true for me.
“To do list” work well for me, I find it good to list down and cross out any task that is “done”. To see the number of “done” – cross out items make me feel great. You have highlighted the difference between busy and bing productive. I want tobe a productive not busy person 🙂
I am guilty of being a busy person that can procrastinate and take too much time looking into the details of a task instead of focusing on getting it done! It is something that frustrates me so I really want to be more productive. I need to stop and think sometimes about what I am doing and just do one thing at a time.
I oftentimes do the same thing with spending too much time looking into the details of a task. It’s so easy to become distracted!
Yes, being productive and busy are two different things. I like to write out a minimal To Do List each day if I have more time I’ll have some things pre-scheduled. I’ve been doing this for a while now and instead of worrying about everything that needs to be done I spread things throughout the week.
That’s an excellent tip to increase daily productivity! Thank you for providing that awesome feedback!
Rightly said that being busy does not mean being productive. There should be well conceived goals and well drawn plan to bring that goal to fruition. Your tips are very useful in this direction.
You’re spot on with that feedback! Thank you for checking this post out!
Oh my gosh, I can totally relate to this. I sometimes write such long and unrealistic to-do lists and then get disappointed in myself when I can’t complete it all. This was really helpful. I need to prioritise my list!
I completely understand as I sometimes do the same! LOL! Glad to hear that you found this helpful and thank you for reading!
Yes, I agree being busy and being productive are two different things. I will be honest and say some days I’m busy and stressing myself out and every now and then I have to give myself a reality check to switch to productive mode.
I can totally relate as I still find myself becoming “busy” when in reality I’m allover the place barely getting anything done! LOL!
Love this! It is an important distinction to have between busy and being productive, and you have outlined it perfectly for us, making an argument as to why we must streamline. Thanks so much for adding value.
Thank you so much for providing that feedback!
This is a good motivation for me. I’ve been blogging for a while but doing it as a hobby. Maybe it’s time to step up the game.
Definitely level up… if you can see yourself running your brand/blog as a full time career!