Being Busy
I have been thinking about the topic of being “busy” and how it affects productivity and creativity. It goes without saying that the definition of “busy” is highly subjective and there are many preconceived notions about hard work, productivity, and laziness that have been ingrained in our minds from a young age, making it difficult to have an open and honest discussion about this topic.
To help me organize my thoughts on this topic, I have created a framework for dividing my activities into three “modes.” The amount of time spent in each mode does not matter, it could be an hour or ten years.
The first mode is about absorbing and consuming information. For example, living in a busy city, attending conferences, having back-to-back meetings and calls, traveling frequently, reading extensively, and socializing with colleagues, friends, and clients. Many people spend most of their lives in this mode.
The second mode is about resting, digesting, and thinking about what you have absorbed. This could involve activities like taking long walks in the forest with a dog, sitting quietly on a sofa and observing your thoughts, writing or drawing freely, discussing your ideas with a partner or friend to have them challenged, and so on.
The third mode is about expressing yourself by creating something valuable for others. This could include writing a poem or article, composing a song, designing an app, giving a presentation on something you have learned, creating a new recipe, making a short video, or telling a story.
Ideas are executed in the third mode, but the best ones are formed during periods of free time and boredom. In the same way, muscles are trained during exercise but grow during recovery. The seeds of these ideas come from activities in the first mode, primarily through interacting with other people.
Finding the right balance between these three modes is a challenge in itself, and it raises questions about how you are living your life and what you are contributing to the world. It is a Pandora’s box worth opening.