Almost everyone I know is busy. Almost everywhere you go people seem busy. Now, the media is even talking about being busy. The ‘busy trap‘ is pretty well covered in the opinion piece from the NYTimes, which highlights the point that there is busy, and then there is busy! There is essential work and there is the other stuff – packed agendas to ‘keep busy’, which is a very different thing.
Even children are busy now, scheduled down to the half-hour with classes and extracurricular activities. They come home at the end of the day as tired as grown-ups.
As the Times article says:
The present hysteria is not a necessary or inevitable condition of life; it’s something we’ve chosen, if only by our acquiescence to it.
There’s the rub – when it comes to being busy, no question – I’m to blame. And as of July, the situation is going to get worse.
Why?
Starting this week I’ve started a new chapter in my work at Charles Sturt University as I take on the role of Courses Director in the Teacher Librarianship strand of the School of Information Studies, in which the main degree program is the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship).
This is going to be exciting, challenging, and definitely a busy trap!
Image: cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by Éole
Related articles
- Have You Fallen Into The Busy Trap? (feld.com)
- The Busy Trap Trap, Productivity and Distractions. Solved (doughaslam.com)
- The Busy Trap (yewknee.com)
judyoconnell.com 
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I just read an excellent book about busy-ness and our overbooked lives. Check out “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Our Overloaded Lives” by Richard Swenson. It was life changing. It is published by NavPress, a religious publisher, but the principles in it really transcend any religious beliefs (in my humble opinion).
Thanks Fiona. My kiwi colleagues are always an amazing inspiration to me!
Congratulations on your new role – a perfect fit for you! Aroha from Fiona Mackie and all your Kiwi colleagues.