Get Busy

If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.

Lucille Ball

Lucille’s quote summarizes a ton about being busy.

Most people are scared to be busy.

When they’re asked if they took on that new project or hobby they keep talking about, they’ll usually reply that they’re just “too busy”.

They’re constantly fighting some battle to actually accomplish less.

But often these same folks lookup to others who seem to be doing and accomplishing so many more things in the same 24 hours a day they have.

How is it that successful people are doing so many things well and they’re busier than everyone else?

In high school, I noticed a strange correlation. It seemed that as I added more things to my plate to do, I actually got better at doing the individual things. When I had less to do, I performed worse.

In a single week I could be swamped with figure skating, volleyball, debate club, AP classes, math team, spanish club, weight lifting at lunch, etc., etc. And somehow I was doing them well.

You read that right. Figure skating and math club. :)

Now, it’s easy to take this too far and burn yourself out. I went through that too. I had to learn where I could stretch too, when I needed to relax, and when I could start the stretch again. I’m still learning this.

Be smart. Fluctuate between periods of accomplishing a lot, and vegetation. Take your well deserved breaks. Take them hard.

So relax at your favorite spot this weekend, or take every night this week off to just read some books on your wish list. Now come back to a week where you sign up for that class, start that business, write a blog post every day, AND workout every morning.

Stretch yourself to a place where you didn’t think you could stretch to. You’ll be surprised at how well you do. Now relax. Enjoy doing nothing for a little while again.

And come back to go even further.

P.S. You should get my next post on Twitter: here.