Man, you're busy.
Meetings to go to, emails that need a response, all the little tasks that need ticking off the list.
Did you remember to ring that person back?
Have you finished that report?
Are you ready for next week's thing?
We bemoan the busy-ness, despairing at the pace and volume of work in front of us. But here's a controversial idea:
What if you secretly want to be busy?
In fact, what if you actually need it?
Sometimes we avoid boredom, so we don't have the space to stop and face niggly questions like...
“Is this all bullshit?"
"Do I actually care about this?"
"Do I like this job?"
"Am I happy in this relationship?"
"Does my life bring me real joy?"
Those are scary questions, and many of us will go to great lengths to shirk them. The bad news is: not asking the scary questions doesn't make them go away. They simmer inside of us and lead to poor decisions.
We eat them away. Work them away. Smoke them away. Drink them away. Show up poorly at work. Snap at our kids. Withdraw from our friends and partners.
Here's an idea: next time you get the twinge, pay attention to it. Stop for a minute, and think - instead of filling the hole with emails and Tim Tams.
Have you got any scary questions you need to answer?
Alicia McKay