I'm not busy
A few times a week, someone says to me: "Thanks for the time, I know you're really busy." I used to nod or confirm with something like "Yep, we all are!" But I stopped a few years ago and now I make it a point to stop and say, "I'm not busy. I have time. I have all the time in the world for my priorities."
Is it awkward? Every time. Usually people think they've made some sort of faux pa or they think I'm halting the conversation right when it's starting. And that's OK because people eventually appreciate the honesty. This small act against the "cult of busyness" is a line I've decided to hold.
Being busy isn't cool. It's nothing to aspire to. It's usually a sign of poor prioritization or someone who is overwhelmed but is trying to put on a brave face. It doesn't lead to great work ā just a lot of it. "Productivity slop" if you will.
We've turned "I'm so busy right now" into shorthand for "I'm important" or "I'm crucial to X" or "I matter can't you see!!" This is a common currency in work places. Whoever can perform busyness the best can get the admiration of some. Bonus points if you try to brush it off with a smile and a "It's no big deal I swear." This type of performance can also sow doubt in people who begin to wonder if they should be busier.
This mindset then carries over to our workloads. Taking on more and more projects. Never saying no. Overly parallelized. Impossible to schedule a meeting with. Everything a bit delayed. Nothing at premium quality. Entire teams and orgs competing on who can outwardly project taking on too much.
The truth is that busyness often signals we aren't prioritizing and we're too scattered to do the deep work that actually matters for people. When you're tempted to wear your packed schedule as a badge of honor, ask yourself: Am I confusing motion with progress? Am I a rocking horse? Always in motion but going nowhere?
Next time someone uses that "I know you're busy" line, try my experiment. Tell them you're not busy ā you have time for what matters. It's a tiny act against a culture that confuses frantic activity with impact.