Photo by Daniel Reche @ pexels.com
These days, it seems like being busy is almost a badge of honor. People ask how we’re doing, and more often or not, we are probably tempted to say something about how busy we are.
For those in the church tech or creative space, it’s almost become an expectation that we’re always busy, borderline overwhelmed, and constantly juggling some attempt at work-life balance because we have so much to do.
And then even outside of work, we keep ourselves busy: we tend to commit our families to regular activities or commitments, especially ones that involve our kids, and our attempt at restful weekends just become nothing more than busy bridges that connect busy work weeks. Sometimes we might even feel the need to go back to work just to have a chance to catch our breath!
Busyness is an epidemic, and it threatens to wreck our mental and physical health, as well as our spiritual potential. We probably stay so busy doing things that may not matter that our attempt at productivity (doing as much as we can) actually keeps us from being productive because we’re unable to emphasize the things that can create the greatest return.
In his 2022 book Ideas on a Deadline, speaker, author, and screenwriter Phil Cooke opines, “Maybe it’s time we worried less about being busy and more about being significant,” noting how often people in his circle talk about being busy as a means of accomplishing something.
In Ecclesiastes 4:6 (NIV), King Solomon saw the danger of busyness and chasing activities: “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.”
Sometimes it’s better to do less and have some peace of mind than to constantly be chasing the second handful of activities, knowing that, like chasing the wind, chasing fulfillment or impact through accomplishments can never be attained.
Often, we chase action due to our own insecurity, thinking that achievements or productivity will give us a sense of fulfillment or boost our standing in the eyes of others.
In his book, Cooke quotes writer Tim Kreider, who said, “Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy . . . I can’t help but wonder whether all his histrionic exhaustion isn’t a way of covering up the fact that most of what we do doesn’t matter.”
So think about what you have in your life that keeps you so busy. How much of it really matters?
What are the things you do in your technical or creative role that you simply do because you’ve always done them, or you do them because it makes you feel important or special, but may not really be necessary? How many meetings could be emails? How many tasks could be automated? How much is pure busy work? How many responsibilities could be offloaded to someone else that I empower?
How many of my out-of-work activities or hobbies are just filler that waste more time than actually refresh my emotional tank? How much time do I waste in brainless scrolling on social media? How many of our family commitments are just so we can keep pace with our friends or extended family and really don’t serve the vision of who our family really strives to be?
Many brilliant leaders and authors have stated that the key to true productivity, focus, and impact lies in what we say no to, as opposed to what we say yes to.
This calendar year is still new enough that I can take the time to sit down and evaluate my schedule and priorities to reset what the rest of the year will look like, based on my commitments. But changing my direction in life can’t happen without an intentional investment of time to honestly evaluate where I’m struggling and where I’m succeeding.
As Cooke noted, the key to our life and our allocation of time is understanding how to minimize busyness and how to maximize significance. But, he also points out that, “significance takes deep thought, focus, and reflection.” It doesn’t happen by accident.
If I was to rearrange my priorities, how could I spend less time being busy and more time being significant? How can I ensure that my effort is maximized for as large of an impact as possible?
Can I spend less time on tasks and more time investing in people? Can I spend less time putting out fires and more time planning strategically for the future? Can I prioritize intentional time with my closest relationships and less mindless time-wasting? Where can I place a greater focus on spiritual and emotional health and activities that recharge my batteries instead of draining them?
There are always going to be seasons in which we’re busy; that aspect of ministry (and life in general) will never change. But I can make intentional changes to ensure that it’s just limited to seasons instead of a perpetual habit.
I can ensure that I have the margin in my daily life to pause my actions and assess the importance and value of how I’m investing my time and energy. I can rest in the fact that my security and identity reside not on how much I do, but in what I do that carries significance and value.
As King Solomon said, one handful of toil comes with the tranquility of knowing I’m having a maximum impact and my time truly is making a difference.
