No, But I am not Busy

“Imagine if you asked a colleague how they’ve been and they responded, “I’m great! I’m progressing through tasks at a completely reasonable pace, and my inbox is well under control. I’m striking an ideal work life balance, I’m getting eight hours of sleep, and I even have time to read 30 mins before bed!” You would look at this person as if they were deranged. Worse than that, you might assume that this person is indolent and, failing that, lacking in ambition or simply or competent or capable enough to be appropriately “busy.”

By far the most prevalent excuse in the workplace is lack of time.. we’ve determined that being busy is a leading indicator of high performance. To be a true contributor, you must be really busy. You must cram your days with lots and lots of stuff. And you must ensure that others are aware of your busy-ness.. Comparing notes on busy-ness has become standard workplace patter..”

- John Amaechi, The Promises of Giants