From the desk of Grace Lange,
“I’m in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush til life’s no fun. All i’ve got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why!” – Alabama
What seems like such a good song by such a good band (and if you don’t know it you haven’t lived!) is actually so applicable to our daily lives…
Do you feel like you are always in a hurry?
When someone asks you how you are doing, do you often say, “good, just busy”…..
Do you always feel like you have somewhere to be or someone else to be with?
We have built a culture of hurry and rush.
I was recently listening to the book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer, and it really made me take a look at my life.
I am always in a hurry.
I am in a hurry to wake up in the morning, to get everything I want to get done in a day, to get to work, and then I am in a hurry to get home and go to bed.
All of my friends know me as “the busy one.”
I used to take pride in being the busy one, but now I realized that I am missing the beauty in life that is right in front of me, because I am moving too fast to see it.
Recently I started to see a trend happening in my life…
I had about 4 people within a week reach out to me and say, “I know you are super busy, but can we connect on this day and this time?”
I thought to myself… I have created a monster.
I am not the person I want be.
It has gotten to the point that people think I am too busy to simply connect with them.
The most important thing in life is human relationship and joining in community with others, and I was too busy for it!
So I thought to myself…
How can I change this and be less busy?
I think the key to creating a life of less busy is to get your priorities in check.
A saying we always hear is “your calendar reflects your values.”
So if someone were to look at my calendar right now, would it reflect the life I want to be living?
Is it filled with meetings but also a lot of free time?
It is now!
Something that I have learned to implement in my life is buffer time. Instead of scheduling back to back meetings, I ALWAYS allow myself time between meetings.
Why, you may ask?
Because that extra time in between allows time for extra connection, time for travel, time to look around at my surroundings, time to get up from my desk and take a walk…
It allows me time.
And I don’t know about you, but time is the most precious thing in this world, and if I can get more of it, you bet I will!
Do you allow yourself buffer time on your calendar?
I have also become aware of how many times I tell people I am busy…
I don’t think this is a valid excuse anymore, because everyone is “busy”.
Stop saying you are busy and start telling people that what they asked you to do isn’t a priority right now… Tell them it doesn’t have a place on your calendar for awhile, because you value other things right now. Don’t tell them you are busy.
I believe it is time that we eliminate the hustle/busy culture and start focusing on the things that matter…
PEOPLE!
I challenge you to start putting people before tasks and to stop using busy as an excuse.
Add buffer time in your calendar and take time to smell the roses as they say!
And remember, your calendar reflects your values…
Is yours filled with the right things?
Now if you want to spend a day with a bunch of other awesome women.. Put our 2023 Women’s Goal Setting Summit on your calendar… Only if it aligns with your values;)