I have always disliked the word busy.  In  a previous role I would challenge myself and my team if they used the word.  Busy for me implies you are not in control and it has become a word associated with those who are important. It implies some sort of status; I have lots to do, so I am busy!

And yet it’s quite likely the opposite? 

I have been reflecting on this, as the word has crept back into my vocabulary. I am really busy right now: I am too busy.  Busy doing what? My time has been taken up – true. I have been busy, too busy, but have I been doing the right things? Was my calendar full out of choice and were the things in it what I needed to be doing or where I need to focus my time. I don’t think I need to answer that do I?

If you google the word Busy, this is what you get?

busy

/ˈbɪzi/

adjective

1.having a great deal to do.

“he had been too busy to enjoy himself”

synonyms: occupied (in), engaged in, involved in, employed in, working at, labouring at, toiling at, slaving at, hard at work (on), wrapped up (in/with); More

So firstly I love the spelling bizi! It implies more energy than busy.  However that’s a distraction.  Look under the  definition “he had been too busy to enjoy himself”. When I saw this I sighed.

Aside of the fact that it says he and not she, another distraction right now; too busy to enjoy himself? It says it all doesn’t it? Too busy too enjoy himself.  Managing my time wasn’t just about running a business, looking after clients, doing chores and all the necessary stuff that comes with running and home and family. It was also about making sure I had time to enjoy myself; a conscious choice, not just squeezing it in somewhere.

So back to my calendar and time to reflect on how I was spending my time and the purpose of each entry. If my calendar was going to be full, it was going to be because I chose it to be full. Full of things I wanted to do. Its so easy to fall into a busy trap and allow things to steal your time. Time to revisit some of those important time management skills I have learnt over the years.

• Book time in to think and plan so I am making conscious choices – 30 mins at the start and end of each week. Has my time been well spent? What should I keep doing? What can I do differently next week?
• No agenda with the meeting invite – don’t accept the meeting! What’s the purpose of me being there? Please tell me so I can make informed decision to accept.
• Travelling 2 hours for an hour meeting – let’s do it by Skype!
• Agreeing who is doing what and by when at the end of a meeting and before everyone leaves the room – less time chasing people up.

And so on and so forth… in short making more effort to be in control of my time instead of being controlled by it. I am no longer a passenger!

Busyness is not something to aspire to. Its your time so choose how you spend it – consciously and wisely.