This morning I woke up and automatically my mind started racing.
Filling up with all of the things I needed to do today. I start making a mental "to-do" list. I can't help it. It just starts flowing into my head. Whether or not I like it, my head is already exploding with every little possible thing I could/should/need to get done today.
My friend Jamie (who I haven't seen in probably three months because we are both so "busy") called me yesterday and asked me when I could get together for lunch. I said "Man, I've just been sooo busy lately..I honestly don't know." We did end up setting a day, but it was only after 10 minutes of comparing our crazy busy schedules. I mean...is that normal? I think not.
When I stopped to think about WHY I was so busy...I had a hard time figuring it out. I mean yes, I have a home to take care of, a super active baby, a blog to keep up with, emails constantly coming in, a shop to keep up with, etc..etc.. But other than that..it's a lot of "BUSY WORK". I never thought this would be my normal.
But it's becoming THE NORM.
I can't go to XYZ because I'm busy with XYZ.
I can't do that for you because XYZ is taking over my life.
I don't have time for XYZ because I am currently busy with XYZ.
Etc...etc....
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Are we just "BUSY" for the sake of being busy? Does it make us feel better to be busy? When I check something off of my NEVERENDING To-Do List, do I get a mini thrill? It doesn't last long if it's there..because soon after I'm adding three more things to it.
Sometimes, when my hubby gets home, he'll ask me what I did today...and I honestly can't remember. It's full of stupid little things that keep me constantly busy throughout the day:
I thought about my day yesterday...here's a little snippet:
Wake up. Start running through my list. Get up. Make breakfast. Clean up breakfast. Empty the dishwasher. Put the dishes in. Clean the sink. What's Davis doing? Clean up Davis' mess. Get myself ready. No shower. Get Davis ready. No bath. Drive to the bank. Drive to the jewelry store. Go to the tire store. Wait 2 1/2 hours. Drive home. Pick up the toys. Pick up that sock. Put the sock in the dirties. Look at all the laundry I need to fold. Ignore it. Scrub down the microwave. Remember the garbages need to be brought in. Bring in the garbages. Pick up the garbage around the garbage that the man didn't get. Get distracted by my dirty car. Wash the car. Dry the car. Vacuum the car. See the mailman..get the mail. Throw away most of the mail cause it's junk. Stop to look at an Urban Outfitters catalog. Throw it away after 2 minutes. Etc....etc....
You see? I mean...it's just FILLED with little things that take up my entire day. And at the end of the day, I'm absolutely exhausted. Did I spend any "quality time" with my son? Besides the 2 1/2 hours waiting at the tire store..not really. Am I taking time to appreciate every little moment? Or am I just being busy for the SAKE of being busy.
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We just LOVE to say we are BUSY. We love it. We feel like if we "say" we are busy, then we are doing something. Accomplishing something. PROVING to people that we have lives that are as important as theirs. Does that make any sense?
Why has it become ok/totally normal/totally acceptable to be THIS BUSY???
As a Mom, my goals are to: KEEP HEALTHY/FIT, KEEP MY HOME TOGETHER, KEEP MY BABY/HUBBY HAPPY, AND KEEP MYSELF FROM HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.
Ha ok, maybe not the last one...that only happens sometimes. :)
So you want people to think you "have a super busy life," eh? Well then, keep your physical appearance in crappy shape. Don't do your hair. Put on no makeup. Say you didn't have time to get to the gym. People will feel bad for you. Ohhh you poor thing...you must be SO BUSY!!
And then we can feel better about ourselves. Cause we are busy...so we didn't have time to take care of ourselves. Which is SO SILLY because if we don't take care of ourselves..then we can't take care of anyone else!
What do YOU think? Are you like me? Are you constantly trying to DO EVERYTHING? Trying to be as perfect as possible? Trying to be BUSY just to BE BUSY?
Or are you stopping to say "it's O.K" that I don't have time for everything today. It can wait. It can wait until tomorrow..or the next day. It's not as important as I'm making it out to be?
I think we all would be a little (or a LOT) happier if we just STOPPED this crazy busy mentality.
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I want THIS life for a day or two....
Is it wishful thinking?Sound off. Tell me what you think. I'd love to hear it!!
Let me tell you....ALL of these thoughts were running through my mind yesterday, and last night when I couldn't fall asleep because all I could think about was what didn't get done today, so I need to do it tomorrow, etc. etc. I cannot for the life of me figure out how this has become normal. This is a great post!
ReplyDeleteI love that last picture! I think sometimes (ok a lot of times) I put off doing things I should and then end up super busy all at once because everything I should of been doing that I wasn't now NEEDS to be done LOL!
ReplyDeleteI think this is so true! And also, you said "BUSY" 24 times. Yowza!
ReplyDeletei definitely think people stay busy just to tell everyone else they ARE busy, to validate to themselves they're hardworkers/important/etc. i definitely have been guilty of that- especially because i feel like if i say i have nothing going on i feel like i'm slacking! great post lady..
ReplyDeleteReminded me of this:
ReplyDelete“Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.
“Is it?
“I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.
“I can’t see it.
-Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
I thought about the SAME thing as Gentri ^ Exact same talk.
ReplyDeleteI think staying busy can be both good and bad. I always feel best when I'm productive--I really don't like sleeping in and I tend to get antsy on a lazy weekend day....weird, I know! But I agree that being busy for the sake of being busy is not healthy and that it's important not to fill up the day with mindless busyness. This was a great reminder--thank you!
ReplyDelete(The word "busy" is starting to sound strange!)
This is so how I feel most days! I go go go go go and at the end of the day I can't even figure out why I am so tired, or why I didn't have time to do suchandsuch. Great post and definitely makes me re-think my busy-ness to see if I am REALLY busy, or just filling my day with meaningless tasks... :)
ReplyDeletedo you have a hard time going to sleep at night because you're constantly thinking of all the things you didn't get done and all the things you still need to do...cause that is TOTALLY me with a capital T. it's so hard to wind my mind down from being so busy. A constant battle, that one. Have you seen the movie "I Don't Know How She Does It" with SJP? this movie is a lot like our lives. you should rent it sometime, when you aren't busy that is.
ReplyDeletei wonder how many times you said "busy" in your post... lol.
happy wednesday!
busyness seems to consume our culture! it's so beautiful to step away from it.
ReplyDeletecharmed life
I totally agree with you that little things just eat away at my time. At the end of the day I think, where did all the hours go? Good post, hang in there!
ReplyDeleteKaeli
The Broadcloth
Haha I read this as I was thinking, " I have so much yet to do and here I am been sitting on my but for the past 2 hours". I really do think it has a lot to do with our society. We want food fast, clothes fast, instant car wash, instant music, movies, and books! Everything needs to be given to us now and if we have to wait for an extra 5 min in line, watch out here comes angry face! Lol I
ReplyDeleteI feel like God slows us down by allowing sickness to happen or other issues that makes us stop and rest. Good thing too because we thrive to be busy! So weird right?! :-) hang in there!
Deletei am someone who is not busy most of the time robably because i have more than enough time to do what is needed but i kind of feel like a failure for not being busy, like my life as a result isn't important enought. that is sad and worrying :S
ReplyDeletei so relate to this post :( i've been stressed all day long because of feeling overwhelmed by my list of "to-do"s... thank you for the reminder, sweet friend! xo
ReplyDeleteWonderful post.^^
ReplyDeleteMaybe follow each other on BLOGLOVIN and GFC???
My Blog
This semester of school has been really stressful so far, because of the number and intensity of the classes I chose to take. This got me thinking...did I really choose these classes for purely academic reasons, or because I wanted to feel like I am accomplishing something? Honestly, it's probably more the second option. This was such an interesting post for me to read - it really made me reexamine my reasons for doing things!
ReplyDeleteOK, so, I don't know if I was born without this busy syndrome, but I WANT IT! I'm the exact opposite - I look for reasons to not be busy, to stay home, to do whatever I want, until it's absolutely necessary that I get crap done, see people, or go out to do something. I still feel like I'm "busy" in my mind, but I dunno... maybe it's because I don't have kids and gave up on a perfectly clean house a long time ago. I see my sister's schedule and it freaks me out - the woman is like the energizer bunny and I don't understand how she does it with 2 kids and a full time job. I guess I'm just waiting until it kicks in, because so far, the couch and my TV shows keep winning.
ReplyDelete