There's something comforting about being busy.
It gives us an excuse for not having the time to think about the difficult questions. The elusive questions. The ones with no correct answers, but to which answering defines who we are.
What does it mean to me? Where am I going? Is it where I want to go? Do I even know what I want?
And more down-to-earth questions.
Am I happy in my relationship?
Is my job rewarding?
When will I stop pushing back to tomorrow?
There's also a sense of validation that comes with busyness. If I'm so busy, I must be doing something important and meaningful. Something only I can do.
It couldn't be someone else. It must not be someone else. The validation is mine! No one else's.
The truth is, being busy is nothing to be proud of.
I'm busy is another way to say I don't have time. Which is another way to say I don't make time.
Productive people are not busy because they always make the time for things that matter to them.
That's why it hurts me to hear people telling me they didn't want to bother me because I looked busy. Yes, the first 10 seconds feel good. Validation. Self-importance. But then I realize that I let them down. Because if I don't have time for them, I don't have my priorities straight.
Nothing groundbreaking here. We all know that. Still, we let ourselves fall into the busy trap. We give in.
Maybe it's something we need for momentum.
To keep ourselves moving in life. Possibly forward.
Like a rat wheel. The rat keeps the wheel turning. The wheel keeps the rat running.
We forgot which started first.
But more importantly, aren't we running in circles?