Busy

The holidays are upon me like waves in the ocean, one after the other. Typically, this is the time of the year when I get incredibly busy.

So, sooooo busy.

It’s almost a badge of honor, isn’t it? I need to be busy! Let me add more things and more things and even more things! It will never be enough!! I must have a big, busy life, especially around the holidays. The images of frantic hustling, from this event to the next, have become commonplace, especially for me.

But this week, I started wondering how busy I actually was.

I got on my phone, clicked on the settings, and looked at my screen time usage. Have you ever done this before? It’s eye-opening. I discovered a few things—the most important being that I am a liar. 🙁 Well, at least I definitely lie to myself about how much I’m using my phone. But there it was, a numerical, indisputable fact. I felt a little sick to my stomach.

My eyes went to the top of the screen, where there are two buttons to toggle on or off: one for daily usage, and one for weekly usage. Stupidly, I clicked on the weekly report and about died right there…ironically, staring at my phone screen.

Again, I had to wonder—how busy am I, really?

Truthfully, I haven’t been able to think of much else this week. It was a lot of hours. What else could I have done with the hours spent on my phone?

I started writing down all the things I was doing, kind of like a food journal, but with time instead of food. I also timed some of the things I hate and procrastinate, just to see how long they actually take. Loading my dishwasher, for example, only takes about 8 minutes. I often grumble and complain and delay doing the dishes—8 minutes? Eight minutes is quick, and not nearly the time-suck I made it out to be in my mind.

As I became more aware of how I was using my time, I also got some clarity about how I wanted to be using it. I have some big goals and several of the things that were making me “busy” weren’t helping me reach those goals. BOOM!

Instant clarity.

So as we plow headfirst into the holidays and all their glory, do a little time evaluation of your own. Look at your screen time, if you dare. You don’t ever have to tell anyone how many hours you spend on your phone—I certainly didn’t. Consider how “busy” you actually are, and then question how “busy” you want to be. Are the things you’re doing moving you toward your goals or away from them?

A little clarity never hurt anyone, especially right now.