When you think about your to do list for the day, how do you feel? More than likely, the first words that come to mind are “I’m busy!” Have you ever really thought about what it is that makes us so busy? Is it the errands, the activities, the work, the technology or the fun things on your list that create the hectic feelings of frenzy? Sometimes, I’ll venture to say that when we are asked, “How are you?” our first response is to say, “I’m busy” sometimes with a smile or a sigh, but none-the-less our thoughts turn, to the inner response of time-pressed activities that tend to cause a little stress.
In a recent phone conversation, I was called out so to say. A former co-worker and I were talking and before I thought, I responded to his greeting of “how are you” with “I’m very busy”. There was a pause, and then he proceeded to ask, “what are you busy doing?” Then, I reviewed my daily list and thought about upcoming events. In short, I really wasn’t over committed. Everything on my calendar and my personal to do list were things I was looking forward to or things that I had willingly agreed to. His closing remark has stuck with me and caused me to really reflect on my quick response. He said “sounds to me like you are richly scheduled”. That comment changed my perspective about my to-do list from things I have to do, to things that I want to do.
No doubt, technology has played a role in adding to the immediacy of our to-do list. According the research at the Pew Research Center, technology has been shown to connect and coordinate lives of busy families. But they also report that tech-savvy families are less likely to share meals and report less satisfaction with their leisure time. Additional research indicates that we spend more than 23 hours a week online, which may or may not add time to your daily activities.
We all know that in life we have the things we have to do, the things we should do and the things we want to do. Most of us make time for the things we want to do and while we may have to stretch our day, when we come to the end, we’ve made a significant dent in the things we feel obligated to accomplish. I don’t have any answers to why we feel busier now than we did several years ago, but I do know that it’s not a competition, or race to see who can win the busy race. It seems to me, it’s a perspective and ultimately a choice of how we choose to view the events in which we participate. So the next time someone asks you, “how are you?” pause before you answer “just busy” and evaluate to see if you too, are richly scheduled.
Author: Melinda Hill, Ohio State University Extension, Wayne County Family and Consumer Science Educator
Reviewer: Shannon Carter, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County, Family and Consumer Science Educator
