Tag Archives: purposeful living

Personal Growth, Simple Living

You’re Not Busy, Are You?

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I haven’t counted, but I’ve heard a lot of people whining lately about how busy they are. Perhaps I’ve done my fair share of claiming busyness, although I try not to, partly because of a bias I developed a few years ago when I was asked by a client to teach “time management.” Since I believe prescription without diagnosis is malpractice in medicine, management, and education, I looked at what was going on in his organization.

I concluded that time management wasn’t the issue. Priority management was the issue. The corporate culture had developed an unintended value that appearing overworked and stressed was important. I joked that most employees seemed too busy to do any meaningful work.

There’s an old joke about the company president who issued the memorandum that “We will keep having meetings until we figure out why nothing is getting done.” Talk about confusing activity with accomplishment!

I suppose it’s always been true, but lately it seems like being busy is some sort of badge of honor. The busier you are, the bigger and shinier badge you get to wear. I think it’s contagious. I know it’s competitive.

If you’re a social media buff, see how many timeline posts you can find claiming, “Well, I don’t have much to do…”

Contrast that with those who are compelled to report their entire day’s schedule. It has a humorous aspect. “Gee, I’m so busy I barely had time to find these cute cat/puppy pictures to share.”

I’m sorry to say, I’m not impressed by busyness, particularly when it becomes a reason (excuse) for failure to do something others are depending on. I know several people who will spend a lot of time explaining how busy they are, how much they have to do, and how sorry they are they haven’t gotten to… I bite my tongue so I don’t observe out loud; they could have crossed a few things off the list in the time they spent telling me their story.

If your goal is staying busy, that’s not a difficult achievement. But it doesn’t necessarily equate to meaningful accomplishment. Doing nothing can be an accomplishment, too.

I had the good fortune to attend a few lectures by Ned Hermann back in the late ’80s. Ned was a true pioneer in the field of creative thinking and reasoning. He was also a great storyteller. In one of his lectures, he was explaining “theta” — those low-frequency brain waves associated with the early stages of sleep and the process of dreaming. They are also associated with enhanced creativity. He shared that he was sitting in his recliner, pushed back and relaxed, consciously entering a theta-like state. When his wife called to him to take out the trash, he replied, “Can’t now… I’m working.”

I don’t think it would have been any less true if he’d said, “Can’t now… I’m busy.” What might appear as “doing nothing” may have great value. It really is about value.

Busy is about being engaged–it’s not about being overworked and overwhelmed. Busy is not a bad thing when it means the busy person is anxious to contribute and is seeking action.

The question we may need to ask ourselves occasionally is whether or not we are busy (engaged) with things that are truly important. How we decide importance may be a different topic for a different day. For now, let’s agree being busy for the sake of being busy isn’t effective or efficient. When we think we’re too busy to do certain things, we’re really saying those things aren’t important. Or at least they aren’t important enough to make time and find the energy for, along with the other
stuff.

It sounds rude, but I’ve found myself wishing people would be more honest and offer the explanation, “That’s not something I’m willing to make important right now.” Being honest might be as important as being busy.

You’re not busy, are you?

I don’t care how busy I am – I will always make time for what’s most important to me.
Kevin Hart

Personal Growth, Simple Living

Quick Quip #26-06

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I have a mug that reads “Oh boy! This calls for a spreadsheet!” I recently did a “brain dump” about homeschooling that included some preliminary analysis that begs for a spreadsheet. (Hint: how much time in public schools is spent in actual learning?) I shared it with a friend and follower, Mary Meyer. She replied, “My goodness – you are really thinking about stuff these days,” adding that she believes thinking is fun for the brain.

Crossword puzzles are an example of brain fun, but almost anything that promotes thinking qualifies!

Are you allowing your brain to have enough fun?

Quick Quips are a developing feature of the Walter Writes Blog, which explores simplicity in a complicated world.

Personal Growth, Simple Living

Quick Quip #26-05

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“I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more river. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, bit I’d have fewer imaginary ones… If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.”

Nadine Stair1

What does your list look like?

Quick Quips are a developing feature of the Walter Writes Blog, which explores simplicity in a complicated world.

  1. From the anthology “If I had my life to live over,” edited by Sandra Haldeman Martz, published by Papier-Mache Press, Watsonville CA, 1992. ↩︎
Digital Dynamics, Writing

Quick Quip #26-03

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Another writer on social media was curious about what “motivated your AI move” and what tools others are using. She expressed concerns about “getting around” Amazon and copyright issues, potentially revealing her perspective.

I don’t think I moved. I adapted. I use AI to increase my efficiency, not to do my writing — so I’ve had no need to get around anything. If a writer uses a human editor, does that remove ownership of the final work?

“‘Just because AI tells you to put your finger in a pencil sharpener doesn’t mean you should,’ said every mother ever.”

Seth Godin

Where’s the line between adapting and giving up ownership of what’s actually yours?

Quick Quips are a developing feature of the Walter Writes Blog, which explores simplicity in a complicated world.

Amish Life, Causes and Friends, Simple Living

Laughing with the Amish

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A recent visit with an Amish (Swartzentruber) friend included some major laughs. She had some recently hand-laundered towels hanging out to dry. I noted that they were quite colorful but assured her that I wouldn’t tell the bishop.

The bigger laugh came while we were discussing some purchases I might make for her in my travels. In the course of making sure I understood her needs, I said, “Well, I can always call you if I have questions.” She, of course, knew I was teasing and, for some reason, found it funny! We occasionally have serious conversations about her faith and practice, so she knows I’m not trying to lead her astray. She appreciates my concern, but also finds it humorous.

During one such conversation, I had some brand new sheets to offer her, but ,I noted they were printed, which conservative Amish shun as to showy. We opened the package together to examine them. She noted they were only printed on one side, so she could turn them inside out! Some would call that a workaround.

I’ll admit that I don’t always understand the reasoning behind the “rules,” but I’m learning. I’m also coming to admire the thinking and creativity behind both the rules and the workarounds.

That sheet-turning trick stuck with me — a simple, clever solution to a real constraint. I found another one recently on the Amish America Blog: The Amish “Black Box Phone.” Erik Wesner does a nice job of explaining the workaround and the thinking behind it. At least one point is that the Amish think about things we Englisch (non-Amish) tend to take for granted.

Where we run on autopilot, collectively the Amish stick to flying their own plane. That’s not a great metaphor because most conservative Amish do not use air travel.

My Amish friend doesn’t criticize me for the decisions I make. I usually enjoy the ones she does. We’ve built a relationship that allows for some teasing and, more importantly, creates respect for each other’s thinking and practice. We also laugh a lot.

I like that it’s just that simple.

The Amish “Black Box” Phone: The Device They Built to Keep Big Tech Out