Stopping Crazy Busy
Almost everyone I know complains of being “Crazy Busy.” These days being Crazy Busy is almost like a status symbol… if you’re not Crazy Busy then something must be wrong.
I’m talking here about chronic Crazy Busy, not the busy that comes and goes because of unusual life circumstances.
With chronic Crazy Busy, I think the real problem is that you don’t think that you have a choice – it’s something that just “is the way it is.” It feels out of your control which causes continual stress and anxiety.
Really…why are you so Crazy Busy?
Do external circumstances and other people’s needs or schedules create YOUR Crazy Busy? Do you have a hard time saying no? Did you forget that you have choices?
Let’s look at the deeper reasons why we end up so Crazy Busy stressed.
A Doing Problem or A Thinking Problem?
The truth is that what you DO is always a result of what you THINK. So the root cause of being continually Crazy Busy really comes from what you are thinking.
Here are some of the inaccurate thinking patterns that keep the Crazy Busy cycle going…
1. Busyness = Importance
If you’re busy going, going, going and doing lots of things, it can make your day feel more important: I have important things to do! Day after day, it can make your life feel more important. Therefore, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking that in order to be valuable or important, you need to constantly be busy.
This is a very subconscious thought pattern. So your first reaction may be: That’s not me – I don’t think that way. I invite you to sit quietly and consider it more deeply…is it possible that you subconsciously think that being Crazy Busy doing a lot of things says something about your value?
2. More is better
In our “super-size it” culture, if something is good then more of it is even better. Why is DOING MORE actually better? Did you ever stop to think about it? Could it be possible that doing less might actually be better?
3. Less is not good enough
Obviously, this is the cousin of “more is better.” If you buy into the belief that more is better, then you are stuck with this problem: if you don’t keep doing more and staying Crazy Busy, then you are just not doing good enough.
Feeling not good enough is one of the downfalls of The Human Condition. At one time or another, most of us feel we’re just not good enough: I’m not a good enough parent, wife, husband, employee, friend, or maybe just not a good enough person. I’m just not enough.
Feeling not good enough is a trick of the mind. It’s not true. There is no one to judge whether you are good enough except you. And you are probably your own worst critic.
4. Comparing yourself to the Joneses
It used to be that comparing yourself to the Joneses meant comparing material possessions. These days the comparison is more about who is more Crazy Busy.
This comparison is really related to the thought of not being good enough above. There is no need to compare yourself or judge yourself. Your neighbors are probably comparing themselves to you!
And That’s Not All
There are so many thinking problems associated with Crazy Busy, that I can’t cover them all here.
Check out next month’s newsletter for Part 2 of Stopping Crazy Busy, featuring:
• THE #1 most harmful inaccurate thought
• How to change your inaccurate thoughts about Crazy Busy
• Other practical ways to Get off the Crazy Busy Bus