Busy vs. Productive: How to Tell the Difference

Movement and progress can look and feel identical. I’m guilty of it. I’ve gone months working 80-hour weeks, missing family time, too tired to have a real conversation with anybody. Six months later I was drained, embarrassed to admit it, and right back where I started.

Busyness can be a convincing disguise for avoidance. It can also be a sign you’re trying your best to hold everything together. For me, keeping busy was a way to feel like I was in control. It didn’t work.

Now when I look at my days, they’re filled with gratitude and intention. Time with the people I love, doing things I enjoy, having the conversations that make me whole. I don’t get it right every week, but I notice a lot faster when I’m slipping.

So what’s something you’re doing this week that’s actually going somewhere, versus something that just keeps you busy? Could be as simple as having that overdue dinner with a friend, setting a boundary at work, or carving out thirty uninterrupted minutes for your kids. And if the honest answer is “nothing yet, I’m still in it,” that counts too.

And if somebody names one you recognize in yourself, tell them. Most of us are worse at this than we let on.

The porch light is on. Pull up a chair.

---

See Our Comments From Our Community Below

This conversation started on the porch. Head over to our Facebook community to read what everyone shared — and add your own.