There’s a statistic somewhere that says 90% of drivers believe they are “above average” at driving.
I love laughing at that statistic. Pure delusional mathematical impossibility.
An equally silly statistic: 80% of people believe they’re too busy.
After years of mixing it up with high-output leaders, my finding is this:
Almost no one is actually busy.
At least, nobody is as hopelessly, endlessly busy as they think.
Most people define busy as “having a lot on your plate.” Since that describes just about everybody, let’s assign a better definition:
You’re “too busy” when your commitments are out of balance with your capacity.
For example, it’s common to come across this guy — we’ll call him “The Talker”:
THE TALKER:
Very talented, which has earned him much responsibility at his job.
Constantly moving; has never sat for 15 minutes to organize the stuff that’s overwhelming him.
Has 10 minutes to describe his terribly hectic life but doesn’t have 30 seconds to send a crucial text and put a plan in motion.
Most of his energy is spent putting out fires caused by his own failure to build structure.
Enjoys complaining about those fires.
Gets invited on cool adventures but always declines, citing family responsibilities as his reason.
Lets a lot of things slip through the cracks. Hates himself for it. Doesn’t know how to fix it.
A victim of self-inflicted disorganization fatigue.
Identifies as “too busy.”
I’m not here to insult the single parent working 3 jobs and doing their best. I’m here to highlight the irony that everyone at every level of responsibility seems to feel equally busy, with no way out.
Many of us, just like The Talker, believe that running on this hamster wheel is just a normal part of being an adult professional, and that being less busy just isn’t possible.
But the best way to myth-bust your own perception of what’s possible is to look at real life examples set by people we actually want to be like.
In that spirit, here are 3 archetypes of “busy” professionals, based on real people I know:
1. THE CORPORATE EXECUTIVE:
Surfs before work, in the office by 7am.
Oversees 8 teams across 12 brands.
Terrible communicator and organizer. Truly gifted creative and strategist.
Zero productivity tools. Sharp brain. Everything stored there.
Intentionally difficult to get ahold of. Knows which fires to let burn and which ones to put out.
In daily operations, drives people crazy.
In long term business goal achievement, undefeated. Track record impeccable.
Saved up for a piece of land, retreats on weekends to the quiet.
Type of person who can’t return a text for 3 weeks, then calls and wants to talk for 2 hours.
Does not identify as “busy”.
2. THE LEAN OPERATOR:
Up at 5am, gym at 6am, drops kids at school, office at 8:30am, 5 days a week.
Worked his way to C-level at a billion dollar company.
10 hour work days. Oversees 40 people.
No executive assistant. Packs own lunch, same thing every day.
90 minutes per day in the car. 10-second response time on text.
Has somehow seen every good film and is caught up on every current TV show.
Delegates a little, maybe not enough, but energy and clarity compensate for it.
Vacations 3x a year. Exotic locations.
Enjoys every minute. Feels fortunate.
Does not identify as “busy”.
3. THE OWNER:
Crushes 3 days per week in the office, 2 from home.
Built company to 100 employees after a bankruptcy.
Delegates everything but superpowers.
Responds to emails in 5-minutes, mostly one-sentence replies.
Eats and travels well, treats self well, stays healthy, rewarding social life.
Married with kid. Happy family, lots of time together.
Unplugged weekends, sportscars in the countryside. Reads a lot.
Does not identify as “busy”.
These archetypes have proactively designed their lives, each of them in a distinctly different way, because there’s no playbook.
They have been very careful, over time, to manage their Commitments while increasing their Capacity.
They all have their struggles, but it’s easy to see a correlation between seriously high output and a serious approach to fun / friends / family.
Commitments and Capacity are not fixed. They are dials that can be turned.
“Being busy is not the same as being productive or fulfilled." - Eleanor Roosevelt
“The best cure for stress is repeated exposure.” - Neil Strauss
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.” - Jim Rohn
“I don’t do much.” - Beanie Sigel
