“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
The speed of our world is increasing.
Technology and communication continue to improve. Information moves faster. And social media rewards those who never turn it off.
Expectations, demands, and accessibility continue to expand, but the number of hours in a week do not. As a result, our lives get busier and busier.
This approach to life rarely benefits us in the long-run because a busy life is an unreflective life. In fact, often times, we are so busy scurrying from one thing to another we don’t even have the space to realize our schedules have become overwhelmed. We don’t recognize how our overcommitted lives are harming us.
Even worse, we are unable to identify the hidden mistruths in our heart that are contributing to the problem. Consider these:
9 Hidden Lies that Keep Our Schedules Overwhelmed
1. Accolades will bring fulfillment. The thinking goes like this: The busier we are, the more we can accomplish and the more respect we can earn. And the more respect and accolades we receive, the more we can surely prove our worth and value to others. Unfortunately, if you are trying to find fulfillment in someone else’s opinion of you, you will never find it. You will always be left searching (and working) for more.
2. Money will bring happiness. We often get caught up in needless busyness because of our desire to earn and secure more money. Ever notice how often we are offered money (or the chance to win money) for our time? While it is important to work hard and provide for the needs of your family, it is foolish to think money is the quickest shortcut to better living.
3. I don’t have a choice. Many of us live over-busy lives because of the expectations and demands of others. In these cases, it is important to remember you always have a choice. Sure, there are seasons of life that require more of you and your time than others, but seasons always change. If yours hasn’t changed recently, you may need to revisit who is making the decisions in your life and where you can regain some of your control.
4. I’m more productive if I’m busy. Maybe you can be more productive for a short while, but human beings are not designed to work relentlessly without periods of rest. Countless studies confirm the importance of rest for productivity. Eventually, a lifestyle of busyness will detract from our productivity. And more importantly, your health and well-being. There are no exceptions.
5. I am needed. Pride is defined as holding an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance. And it leads to overwhelmed schedules because of the foolish thinking that follows it: “Nobody else can do what I do.” This pride affects the way we view our business, our work, our family, and our personal relationships. Left unchecked, it leads to a busy life and in the end, a fall.
6. Everything is important. Our world has a tendency to make everything appear urgent, important, and beneficial to our lives. As the speed of information increases, our minds are seemingly less equipped to filter all the information and opportunities. But the most productive among us realize nobody can accomplish everything. They are relentless in their understanding of mission and the reality that very few things are truly important. And they never sacrifice the important for the trivial.
7. I need to be busy to keep up with everyone else. It may seem, at times, the only way to get ahead in life is to outwork everyone else. But just because everyone else appears busy does not mean they are busy about the right things. Nor does it mean they are finding joy in their pursuits. Frank Clark perhaps said it best, “Modern man is frantically trying to earn enough to buy things he’s too busy to enjoy.”
8. Busy makes me look more important. Busy, in and of itself, is not a badge of honor. In fact, being busy doing the wrong things is actually quite unattractive. Just remember, in a society rushing to keep up with everyone else, those who find peace, contentment, and rest are the ones admired…and envied.
9. Quietness is laziness. Often times, people avoid dealing with life’s deeper issues by packing their schedule tight. Someone who is discontent with their life’s choices can escape the difficult work of addressing them by masking them with busyness. Quietness is not laziness. Quietness is hard, but always worth the effort.
Many of the lies we have been told since birth crowd out the things in life that matter most. Instead of enjoying the benefit of calm, intentional living, we hurry from one needless triviality to another.
Don’t ever get so busy chasing the wrong things that you miss enjoying the right things. (tweet that)
Cindy Lou says
If you can find someone teaching the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace course…. take it!! It teaches you so much about money management. It is the only way to make your life and cash work together in a sensible way.
ralf says
My boyfriend keeps the tv on the whole day – to drown out the screaming neighbours.
ralf says
Yes there is always a choice – plague or cholera?
ralf says
You are so right. Minimum wage doesn’t make you happy. And just working for the expectations of others, I.e. landlords, neither.
Cheryl says
I find the older I get these things are easier. Young people feel they have to pack everything into every minute of the day or others will think they aren’t productive.
B. McCarthy says
Joshua, I want to thank you for this post. I am dealing with anxiety in my life right now due, in part, to an overwhelmed schedule. It was really eye-opening how many of the 9 hidden lies I identified with! Fortunately, after reading your post I felt a really wonderful sense of calm and the feeling that there was a clear forward direction towards making life simplier. This post is now tacked up at my work desk to remind me each day of these hidden lies.
Thank you.
Jon Magidsohn says
This is why I never got a job.
Beth says
It has taken me a long time to be able to endure quiet. I think that people who cannot deal with or handle certain situations need the loudness as a comfort, like watching the t.v. I know quite a few people who cannot turn off the t.v. I used to be one of them. I still struggle with being quiet occasionally, but I am getting better at it.
And #1, I think that is a huge issue for many people, especially with the advancement of technology. Now, at our fingertips, we have the chance to prove ourselves to the world.
Great post. Thanks for all the good reminders.
Lori says
I love that phrase “Proving ourselves to the world”. Is THAT what Facebook is?
Ombudsman says
Lies told in this article:
1) “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
We all make our lives everyday with our choices, from the mundane (e.g., reading this article) to the vital. What we do is our life. You can’t forget to make a life except in the same sense that your heart can “forget” to stop beating. The only person, busy or not, that does not make a life is a dead person.
2) This approach to life rarely benefits us in the long-run because a busy life is an unreflective life.
Bull. My life is very busy, with a salaried job I love, a wife at home (and kid on the way!), a church where I am involved in work bigger than myself, and a program of study I am involved in as a student. I am very busy, yet very fulfilled and reflective. Reflection is a learned skill. It is a way of life. It can and should become as natural and ubiquitous to the disciplined man as breathing.
3) Eventually, a life-style of busyness will detract from our productivity. And more importantly, your health and well-being. There are no exceptions.
While there is no exception that all people, everywhere, will eventually wear-out and die, I’ve never seen any evidence that a busy life is the reason. Though some health problems can be exacerbated or caused by stress, I personally know many busy people who have lived full, long, healthy lives. Their rate of sickness does not seem to be any more dramatic than the less busy.
4) Pride is defined as holding an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance.
No, it isn’t. That’s an excess of pride you’re thinking of.
There are more, but I grow weary of parsing this sanctimonious article so I’m stopping.
Because I know how to relax.
I have other things to do.
Because I’m busy.
And it’s all good.
Judy says
I think SOMEbody needs a nap! :)
Kelly says
Careful there Ombudsman. What you call out as lies might just be someone else’s truth. You seem quite defensive about your lifestyle. But see, what I call defensive you might call passionate. See how that works? Now entering my 51st year, I have often thought about whether we can really have it all, do it all, be it all. For me the answer is no. One has to make choices. Nobody has more than 24 hours in their day. I couldn’t be the best wife-mother-employee-friend-neighbor-volunteer-sister-daughter-aunt-student-etc all at the same time. Something has to give. I would hate to think that you have to squeeze the important things like your wife and new baby into an already packed schedule. And if you don’t think rest is important, remember that when you ‘re awake at 2:00 am with a sick child. Good luck finding your balance. Remember, it’s not all about you.
Bonnie says
Whoa, Christian brother. You are in need of more Scripture time. Love is the principle thing. Therein lies life.
Arlene Poma says
Wisdom at its finest hour!!! I retired from the California Department of Corrections in 2002. After about a dozen years of service, I felt guilty that I retired on a comp injury before my 44th birthday. When you answer to an alarm for a living and retire on a work-related injury, there is no closure. One dozen years later, I am finally good with retirement, but it took a kidney transplant two days before last Christmas to make me realize how good I’ve got it. When I was a child, my father told me that if you don’t have a family, your work, your house and your car will be come substitutes. Yeah, I had my share of boyfriends until I met my second and FINAL husband. The money will come and go, but on my deathbed, I was ready to die with no regrets. Always, always, always KEEP the best people around you. They will see you through the best and worst times of your life.