Ep 30: Are You Too Busy For Change?

Have you ever felt that you were simply too busy to make the changes you’d like to make in your life? In this episode, we challenge some of those stories we have about how busy we are and how much time change requires. We’ll also offer advice on how you can fit the work of change in around other obligations and priorities.

Key Takeaways:

  • Being too busy is often an excuse that we use when there’s some other reason we’re avoiding taking action, like doubt, avoiding the discomfort of the unfamiliar, or fear of failing or making a mistake.
  • A lot of us aren’t nearly as busy as we think we are–and the other side of that optical illusion is thinking that something will take much longer than it actually will.
  • Or, we are making ourselves busy with thing that we don’t really value.
  • By being more intentional about how we use our time, we can make room for the things that are most meaningful, including making the changes that we want to make. 

Lab Experiment:  (Download a copy)

In her book Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, Ashley Whillans recommends cultivating time affluence by evaluating areas of improvement.   

Think about a typical day you had.  

What are moments that brought you joy and what were moments that brought you stress?  

Of all those activities that aren’t bringing meaning or pleasure, and that are unproductive and stressful, choose one very specific activity to do less of going forward.

Once you have identified a habit that doesn’t serve you well, write down a strategy for avoiding the activity, and then put the written reminder in a visible spot. This is where you can reclaim some time and use it for change.