too busy?
Monday 07.09.12 
you know when you read something that you find to be just SO true that you feel the full weight of it- the good gives you an ohmygodYES! moment and the bad makes you feel like you're looking into one of those mirrors that shows every pore, blemish and wrinkle? that's how i felt reading this article after the brilliant jamie posted about it here. when i got sick i shifted my whole life around from it's work-centered focus to a life that included a lot more downtime. and that guilt i'd formerly created and carried around during time off- it evaporated. i felt free, i found happiness in my freedom and in the time i took for myself every day. it felt self indulgent but necessary. i loved it.
lately (partly because of the house buying/move/IRS audit/wedding season and partly because it's a slippery slope into old habits) i've been feeling guilty about neglecting a to-do list that truly has no end, saying "yes" to more work and saying "no" to social invitations and telling myself and others that i'm "too busy". that's bullshit, and i'm calling myself out on it. i'm choosing to be "too busy" by scheduling a chaotic life. and not because it's the best thing for me, or because it's what i really want but because I AM CAUGHT UP IN OLD IDEAS!
it's not that i don't have ambitions- i do, and they are large and will take work and dedication to accomplish. but in a sense i'm not seeing the forest for the trees. if i devote so much of my energy into work ambitions and don't devote enough of my energies enjoying all the fun in life, i won't truly be happy. i'll be career successful and that one aspect of me will be fulfilled. but for me, that's not where true happiness lies. i find my happiest times are when i am balanced- when i'm devoting time to all areas of my life that bring me satisfaction, not hyper-focusing on one.
luckily a big part of the reason we chose palm springs is because of this very thing- we see the value in a life well lived, with our work lives being a healthy part of it but not all consuming. we want to travel, spend time with each other and friends, have hobbies and plenty of time for fun. we want to spend time with people who are in the same mind frame, even if they only feel that way for a weekend at a time. we want to live a slower paced life, and really enjoy it, you know? i'm looking forward to reading, hiking, day dreaming, exploring, practicing my pool hand-stand, doing yoga, riding bikes, watching the sun slip over the mountains, cooking & entertaining, and most of all: just being. i hope you take the time to read tim kreider's article, it's a good one and i'd love to hear your two cents! image via
too busy life
Reader Comments (15)
I couldn't agree with you more! I read that article over the weekend and there is so much truth to it. I recently took a two month sabbatical from my 55-60 hour a week job and it is the BEST thing I could have ever done for myself. I have a much better perspective on life now! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
tiffany that's fantastic! it takes so much courage to step away from work sometimes i think, there's so much pressure (both real and imagined) to make work your number one priority. and ahhhhh, a two month sabbatical sounds AMAZING! are you finding it easier to maintain balance now that you're back to work?
The article is great. I completely agree with the writer in the fact that people often associate being busy with being important (whereas I have started to associate being busy with an inefficient use of time). I see this often on blogs -- bloggers "complaining" (read: bragging) about how busy they are... and I find it quite off-putting. I am really glad you linked to the article and gave us your personal take on it. Good for you for seeing this in yourself and seeking to rectify it!
@lauren, i agree that it can be off-putting, although i think they're coming from a good place and just trying to talk about what's happening in their lives and are being genuine and authentic. i've been there. but it's also a bit of disillusionment if (in my experiences) i'm not recognizing that i CHOSE that level of busy-ness. :)
I LOVE this post and thank you for sharing that article. This is a topic me and my boyfriend discuss ad nauseum. We live in Southern CA as well, and our whole 'plan' in life is too save as much as possible and retire early to somewhere tropic with cheap living. :) Life is DEFINITELY too short, and we work far too much. thank you again for posting. xo
I posted a link on fb because YES!
@heather that sounds brilliant to me! i hope that you're able to work the right amount and save at the same time...if not cheap living in the tropics is right there waiting for you anytime you're ready. (i love thailand for that, but vietnam is supposed to be amazing too).
@liza, thank you my dear!
This post was a breath of fresh air. I'm always saying life shouldn't be all about work and usually I'm greeted with eye rolls. I've always had a job or two or four, but I see the importance and value in time off to explore avenues one really enjoys. I just got back from teaching English in Thailand and it was by far the best time of my life. It felt like a vacation even thought I had a full time job. That's the life for me.