The Doom of Busy

A busy life begs for more, not less, attention to simplicity. I had a busy day; I completed so many items on my to-do list, and relished the rush that came with crossing off each item. I washed and dried and folded laundry; I chased a baby and two cats around the house; I ran errands, feeling the crunch of the looming 5:00 pm deadline (End of business day! The world stops!). Believe me when I say it was crazy: I had to put my baby son in a videoconference call just so he could see his father for a few minutes. While driving (in my car that is disintegrating, slowly but surely), the thoughts crowded into my head, reminding me of all the blogging that I haven't been doing for months. "I'm so busy," I thought. "I don't have time to write about simplicity and the simple pleasures of life." And yet, what better time to write? What better person to represent the struggle to simplify, to live meaningfully, than one whose life naturally tends toward the opposite extreme of chaos? Simplicity very well may come easily to some. In my life, it is something for which I must consciously strive, every day.

Don't let the doom of being busy drive you away from your goal of simplicity and a calm life under control. It is a downward spiral, to be sure, and the busier you are, the busier still you will become. Instead, just breathe. Rest. Be mindful of what is important. Take time to sharpen the saw, as Mr. Covey would say, and you'll be happier and more productive as a result.