Awesome article over on the New York times about being busy.
Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.
I can’t help but wonder whether all this histrionic exhaustion isn’t a way of covering up the fact that most of what we do doesn’t matter.
I admit that sometimes I say I’m busy when I just don’t want to do something. Being too busy with work is does make me feel more successful than other answers I could give.
I am lucky living a few hours outside of Vancouver. I see all the “city” folks I know and they are going to this function or that meetup all the time. I can skip all of them just because I’m a 2 hour drive away. I would certainly be busier if I live in the city.
I freely admit that I’d like to work less. I’d like to write more or just work on personal projects. I’d like to work mornings (just like the article author) and ride my bike most afternoons. I’d like to spend time with my in the middle of the work week without feeling like I need to check email.
Part of accomplishing this is a change in my attitude. Part of it is a change in how I work. I’m not sure I can accomplish the above lifestyle while still doing client work.