While I don’t know where I saw the quote below, it got me thinking.
“Busy-ness is not the engine of production. It can, in many cases, instead be the obstacle to accomplishing your best work.”
– Cal Newport
Busy does not equal productive.
Busy is the obstacle.
The busier you are, the less likely you are to do your best work.
My Perspective
I see this as true in my life and also observe it in others.
When you think about it, the statement makes total sense.
When we are overly busy, we are so focused on getting things done, we aren’t thinking.
Our minds are full of clutter.
We can do “little” work like emails, invoices, reports, and more.
We don’t have the space for the big work – new ideas, compelling presentations, content.
I think a balance of both is needed – busy, productive days and days of slow, great work development.
The challenge for all of us is to resist the easy nature of a busy day.
It’s easy to be busy.
It’s hard to slow down, think, and produce something great.
Your Turn
Thinking about the past week, how many days were “busy”?
Can you remember what you accomplished on your last “slow day”?
What would you work on if you made tomorrow a slow day?