Friday, December 21, 2018
Are you Crazy Busy? Eliminating Pride and Setting Priorities are Key to Regaining Joy (and Sanity)
“Hello, I am
busy.” That has nearly become the standard greeting in the United States of
America.
But there is an answer that brings
improvement and it is not simply better
“time management” according to David Burton, county engagement specialist in
community economic development with University of Missouri Extension.
“The
truth is, most people feel frazzled and
overwhelmed much of the time. We're distracted and preoccupied in the same
sorts of ways--struggling under the weight of work, family, exercise, bills,
church, school, friends, and a barrage of requests, demands, and desires,” said
Burton. “It's safe to say that on a typical day for most of us, our
responsibilities, requirements, and ambitions add up to more than we can
handle.”
Burton
says that after having a frantic 2018, he
has been thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Someone suggested he read the
book “Crazy Busy” by Kevin DeYoung, and the book hit a nerve.
“The
biggest dangers arising from this hectic and frustrating modern life are not
what we might expect,” said Burton. “An immediate and obvious threat is that
busyness can ruin our joy. When we're frantic and frenzied, we're more prone to
anxiety, resentment, impatience, and irritability.”
According
to the book, Burton says our chaos of busyness is at least partly self-created.
Often pride is a factor.
“We
are busy because we try to do too many things. We do too many things because we
say yes to too many people. We say yes because we want these people to like us
and pat our back; we fear their disapproval,” said Burton.
Busyness
also springs from such prideful factors as our tendency to overestimate our
importance, our ambition to prove ourselves, or poor planning resulting from
our refusal to seek help.
How
can we tell when pride has made us frantic and overwhelmed? Here's a
self-diagnostic question you may find helpful: Am I trying to do good--or to
make myself look good?
If
that question hits you hard, it make be
time to change some priorities. That can alter the way we parent, what we do
with electronic devices, and how we approach rest according to Burton.
“We
are supposed to be busy but in the right way. The antidote to over-busyness
isn't sloth and indifference. It isn't work
itself that's bad busyness, but working hard at the wrong things: trying to
please or control others, trying to do things we haven't been called to do,”
said Burton.
An
important part of the change is taking a hard look at priorities according to
Burton.
Days
are busy and times are tough. That means setting priorities in our personal and
professional lives is more important now than ever before.
“I
didn’t always appreciate the need for setting priorities in life but it is something I’ve come to appreciate
since having children,” said Burton. “I’ve got lots of different interests and
a very long bucket list. I also have a hard time saying no. That isn’t a good
combination.”
However,
being stretched too thin makes it impossible to do great work in core areas.
“After
deciding your priorities decide what you need to
meet them. If your priority is time, then you need to protect some of yours,”
said Burton. “Our challenge is to find the balance we each need for meeting our
priorities.”
Then
get some rest. Burton suggests taking at least one day per week to rest or do
something that rejuvenates you.
For
more information, contact David Burton by email at burtond@missouri.edu
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