Far too often the word “busy” is associated with the word “good” because when people are asked “How are you doing?” they often respond by saying “Busy”. In today’s fast-paced world, “busyness” has become a badge of honour, and being busy is often equated with being valuable and indispensable. Once upon a time, leisure was a sign of prestige. Today that idea has been turned on its head, and busyness is the new status symbol. Busy people are sometimes considered important and impressive, and employees are rewarded for showing how “hard” they’re working.
Some people pack their daily calendars full of endless activities and to-do lists as symbols of importance and productivity. While busyness often feels like a sign of accomplishment it can actually undermine efficiency and well-being.
Busyness can actually reduce productivity. The constant switching between tasks, known as task-switching, can fragment attention and reduce efficiency. Studies have shown that multitasking can lead to increased errors and a longer time to complete tasks. Additionally, the focus on immediate tasks can overshadow long-term goals and strategic planning, leading to a reactive rather than proactive approach to work.
Avoiding the busyness trap requires a fundamental shift in mindset and behaviour. It involves recognising that being busy is not the same as being productive. As the new term begins we should turn our attention to ensuring we focus on areas of work that will make the biggest impact and eliminating low-value work to make time for “deep work”. The ability to prioritise is a central element on reducing “busyness”. The US President Dwight D. Eisenhower supposedly once said, “The most urgent decisions are rarely the most important ones”. Multimillionaire Warren Buffett had a method of organising time better, by making a list of everything you want to get done today. Begin with the task at the top of the list and continue only when you have completed it. When a task has been competed cross it off the list.
We need to ensure that time is given to “clock off”, refresh and to reflect on how things are going.
Busyness is a boat anchor - it creates a drag that holds you back from reaching your potential.
“No one pursuit can be successfully followed by a man who is preoccupied with many things…since the mind, when distracted, takes in nothing very deeply, but rejects everything that is, as it were, crammed into it. There is nothing the busy man is less busied with than living: there is nothing that is harder to learn.” - Seneca.
Tony Dosen, Deputy Headmaster