Another quick post today: I’m over at the Wall Street Journal, asking “Are You As Busy As You Think?” The take-away: “Being ‘busy’ and ‘starved for time’ is a way to show we matter. Put another way, it makes us feel important. But if you think about it, complaining about a lengthy to-do list is not only boring, it’s a sad hook for one’s self-esteem. Owning up to how we spend our hours gives us more control of our time, and ultimately, of our lives.” I’ll be doing a live-chat with the WSJ at 1pm eastern tomorrow; I’ll circle back here with a link and will also post on Twitter (@lvanderkam). UPDATE: here is the link. (Or you can cut and paste this: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2012/02/22/live-chat-are-you-as-busy-as-you-think-at-1-p-m-est-today/# )
I’ve kept time logs in the past and have been keeping one for the past couple of weeks. It automatically makes me more accountable for how I spend my time!
And you’re right, language is important to watch. I’ve been working on my language not only with time, but with money. Instead of saying “I can’t afford it,” I usually say there are other ways I’d prefer to be spending my money (i.e, prioritizing, just as you mention with time).
Reframing the way I look at how my family and I spend our time/money is empowering. Thanks for questioning the status quo and starting these conversations!
This is a wonderful piece. Something I use to teach when I taught at a community college. Teaching it in high school would help young people learn about balance, identifying personal values, & choices in life, something most of us learn after becoming unbalanced by our too often unconscious choices. (By the way, reading this in WSJ is how I found your blog, which has been enjoyable exploring.)
@Penney- thanks, glad you found me! Yes, the “busy wars” in which each party claims to be soooo busy are just awful to listen to. Yep, we’re all busy. Deal with it! We all have the same amount of time and if you’re using that precious time to talk about how busy you are, that’s not a good sign.
Hi Laura, I just ran into this piece you wrote, and I find lots of good nuggets of wisdom. How can I access a copy of this article? The WSJ won’t let me access it. Thank you much!