On becoming unbusy...

Sometimes, at the end of the day, I plop into bed and wonder, "What did I do today?" I stalked Facebook, I ran errands, I picked up the bathroom, I drove my son to swimming, I went to and from work, I did this and that and this and that...but what did I accomplish?

Honestly, days that are busy are some of my most productive days in terms of my to-do list, but they are the least productive in terms of quality of life.

Did I really listen to my husband when he told me about his day at work?
Did I spend uninterrupted time with each of my children?
Did I take time for myself?
Did I call my friend to check in?

What relationships did I strengthen today? What impact did I make on this world?

I don't know if it's reasonable to say that each and every day will be impactful, but I know after a few weeks of the cycle of life I start to become bare, empty, and out of fuel.

I need to recharge, reconnect, and rejuvenate. 

Being busy prevents me from doing this.

I wish I could say what I want to say about being unbusy in my own words, but Joshua Becker from Becoming Minimalist already said it for me. His thoughts are profound and challenging.

Read them here.

Three of his points really hit home with me.

1. Realize that busy is a choice.

My take away: I will be purposeful in my choices of activities for both myself and my family. I will attempt to fill my time with things that enrich my life and the lives of others around me. I will learn to say, "no," and not overcommit myself or my family. 

2. Stop the glorification of busy

My take away: Busy is the new fine. It seems that we are in a constant, unspoken competition of who is busiest. I refuse to win this competition. I refuse to burn out my children before the age of 5 with activities each night of the week. I refuse to have my relationship with my husband suffer because we do not have time for each other. 

3. Appreciate and schedule rest

Yes. Rest is important. Time for myself is important. I need to schedule alone time and restful family time. Some of my best moments with my family have been on Saturday mornings in our PJs with no place to go and nothing to do. We play games, have tickle fights, and laugh together. 

Friends, becoming unbusy is hard. It is going to be a conscious choice of blocking of calendar days and saying, "no," but it is doable. Schedule rest. Schedule times to build relationships. Schedule times for yourself.

Allow things that add joy, love, and clarity to clog up your calendar, rather that running to and fro with no particular purpose.

Is is safe to assume that there will still be days where we feel that we've accomplished a lot and nothing at the same time? Yes, I believe so. However, if we keep this idea of being unbusy in the front of our mind, we will hopefully remember to take time and enjoy the fullness, rather than the barrenness, of this world!