You're Not Too Busy

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves and others, is that we are “too busy.”


You’re not. We’re not. Pull up a mug of something and let’s talk about it. I’ve got a nice cold cup of rich zobo, because I’m snuggled into a Unizik shuttle in the city of Awka. What are you drinking?

You’re Not Too Busy

“I wanted to sign up for your coaching, but I had something scheduled at the same time.” I get that email a lot. I reply the same way every time: “We record them so you can push play whenever it suits you.” Nearly no one replies to that.

“Thanks for agreeing to do my interview, JoshKelvin. I know you’re very busy.” I get that almost every time I’m a guest on someone’s event. I usually reply the same way every time: “I’m not too busy.”

I have road walks almost every day. How can you do that and still chase a University degree and run your business? You do what everyone does: you find time for what matters.

“You reply to every email people send you?” Pretty much. “But aren’t you too busy to do that?” No. It’s an honour to receive emails from people you serve in some way. It’s an opportunity. “But how do you find the time?”

Time. Found.

Stop watching Game of Thrones.

Stop reading blogs to “stay caught up.”

Stop over-volunteering.

Stop scheduling your days to 100%. (I schedule mine to 40%).

Stop giving people “pick your brain” lunches.

Cut meetings to 20 minutes.

Cut out phone calls unless you really really really want the call.

Make “real time” time your most expensive. Encourage email/chat/whatever.

Quit everything that isn’t core to your mission and your passions.

Give your family back some of this new-found time.

Time is everywhere, my friend.

You’re Not “Too Busy.” You’re Unfocused or Uncommitted

When people say they have no time, they’re either chasing too many balls or they’re not honouring the commitments they’ve made to themselves and their larger mission.

Let’s all rise up and ban “too busy” from our language. Instead, when someone asks how you’ve been, answer “Great!” or “I’m really working on what’s important” or “I’m feeling a bit down, but I’m optimistic.” Or whatever. But not, “I’m too busy.”

Actions

This one’s easy. Do a time audit. Figure out what needs trimming and quitting and removing and adjusting. Find the hell out of some more time. You’ve got it. You just aren’t protecting it well enough. Turn that audit into a core set of reminders, a LIST, or what you REALLY need to be doing at any given time.

Want a quick way to focus?

Work on what needs doing.
When that’s done, create something that can help others in some way.
When that’s done, connect two people. There’s someone you know that can help someone else you know.
Sound easy? Not really. But simple. Yes, yes it is.

Above all, have a legitimate and useful purpose and devote yourself unreservedly to it because vision without execution is just hallucinations