Taking Back Control, Reframing & Why Being Busy is Lazy
Hello my friend,
Last week I got caught up in a bit of a frenzy.
The endless to do list and countless tasks. The pressure I put on myself to get things done.
This caused frustration and exhaustion.
It felt like something close to burn out.
The funny thing is the that quantity and quality of my output was in fact significantly lower despite trying to do more and for longer.
Sometimes finding time for ourselves can feel tricky.
We lose the off switch or feel like we cannot turn it off. In this case, ourselves.
We get caught up in being busy.
Taking care of both our body and mind is essential.
Yet in the midst of life it can sometimes feel impossible.
The endless distractions, interruptions and notifications.
The pressure of that never ending list of jobs.
We tell ourselves we don’t have the time.
We lose sight of those actions we know truly serve us. The habits and behaviours that bring us closer to our best.
At the end of last week I felt frustration towards myself.
Letting things get on top of me, not stopping, not prioritising the most important things.
I was simply just being busy.
I knew better yet I allowed it anyway.
That was a good moment to reflect.
I wrote in my journal that this week the same wouldn’t happen.
That I would take back control and realign with what’s most important to me.
I’ve found that there are five behaviours that when done with regularity support me profoundly to overcome these pitfalls and in general feel close to my best.
Moving the body outside in some form before the day begins.
Writing down one reflection and one intention at the start of each day.
Avoiding screens for the first 60 minutes in the morning.
Creating time for regular short walks and daily solitude.
Making time during the day for a call or catch up with a close friend.
Of course there are other factors, too, but these offer a great foundation.
They help create space, energy and clarity.
They help me avoid busy-ness and have a clearer perspective.
Some days they may not be possible, and that’s ok. We don’t need to be perfect.
But we do need some intention.
To create regular and quality time for us.
Making some time for ourselves is the best type of investment and it affects everything else.
Problems don’t disappear but we feel stronger.
Challenges still arise but they feel lighter.
Uncertainties remain but they become clearer.
I hope these will help you, too.
Work with me
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Things I’m learning
Stop being busy.
“Being busy is a form of laziness. Lazy thinking and indiscriminate action. Being busy is most often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important but uncomfortable actions.” - Tim Ferriss
When information can be useful.
“If more information was the answer, then we'd all be billionaires with perfect abs.” - Derek Sivers
Reframing is everything and always possible.
“You can’t change your past, but you can reframe it. Find the lesson in it. Find the opportunity in it. Pull the teachable moment out of it and share with others. You can’t choose your history, but you can choose the story you tell about it.” - James Clear
Question
What is the story you’re telling yourself about something you don’t like?
Life hack
Put the phone down and go for a walk. Simple yet not common with most of us. It offers huge benefits cognitively and mentally. It’s like taking off a weighted backpack.
That’s all for this week. Thank you for reading.
With love. Nick x
PS take your time, but don’t wait.