I recently ran across a Twitter post beginning with this statement…
“A busy life is not a symbol of status. It’s a symptom of trying to do too much for too many people. A full calendar brings a surplus of stress and a shortage of energy.”
I think this is a very narrow and negatively skewed view.
My calendar tends to stay full a week or two out. Why? Because I thrive on collaborative work with others. I certainly am not alone.
I definitely need time to think, catch up on work and emails, prepare for upcoming meetings and events, and to read, learn, rest, and relax.
But I am not overly stressed or short on energy because my calendar stays full. In fact, I am quite often more energized when I look at my schedule and see the many wonderful people I get to see and work with in the coming days.
When I taught Principles of Management, I always asked students what the purpose of a business is (i.e. why would someone start a business). When they answered, “to make money” or “to get rich and famous”, I would counter with this question: How many times did you choose to buy a product or service (or otherwise do business with a company) because you wanted to make the owner or CEO rich and famous?
I then emphasized that there’s nothing wrong with getting a return on your investment when starting a business, but there has to be a contribution to something greater than yourself that customers care about if you are going to succeed.
Peter Drucker challenged people to not worry about success. Worry instead, he would say, about being useful, contributing something valuable to the world.
So, if our busy lives are energizing and useful, creating value for others, is that indicative of “trying to do too much for too many people”? I think not. In fact, it’s almost a reason to do more!
No doubt some readers will disagree with me, and we definitely can go too far into overscheduling and draining ourselves, but it’s not black and white, and balance can be achieved in quarterly or monthly chunks rather than only weekly or daily, as the Tweet implies.
But I will agree with the end of the Tweet, which said: “Unscheduled time isn’t wasted. It’s invested in well-being.” As with most good things, best in moderation.
But one thing I would suggest we should never moderate: being useful and creating value for others.
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