Why “Busy” Isn’t the Same as Productive

Everyone says they’re busier than ever. But are we really?

The truth is, most of what we call “busy” is just distraction dressed up as productivity.
 In this Sunday Session, I’m exploring why busyness often hides a lack of clarity, how the Pareto Principle exposes the myth of “more,” and why focus — not frantic activity — is what moves your HR consultancy forward.

So tune in, reflect, and give yourself permission to stop being busy and start being focused.

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Transcript

0:02 Hello there, and welcome back to another episode of Someday Sessions with mate Nick Poninski. Today's show The Illusion of Being Busy Now everyone says that they're busy, right?
0:12 I don't if you've ever noticed this, but everyone is always really, really busy Few people though are actually truly productive, so we'll get into this shortly But I just want to quickly share, I don't actually buy the idea that people today are somehow busier than ever Now, I don't think we are I mean
0:29 , if you look back through history, people have always been busy, running farms, raising children, building businesses, working long, physical hours, life has always been full on.
0:41 And what's different today is that we have more things competing for our attention, emails, notifications, social media, 24 hour news, endless content.
0:51 And it doesn't make us busier. That's actually, we're just more distracted, and distraction often masquerades, masquerades as busyness. And the real question is, is this busyness actually moving you forward or is it just keeping you occupied?
1:09 Now I'll be honest with you, I only fall into this trap myself. I can fill a day with tasks and take them off one by one, email, posts, admin, little bits of planning.
1:20 It all feels productive, but if I'm really honest, a lot of it is just avoidance, and one of the reasons I don't always devote time to proper thinking is that it's uncomfortable, right?
1:32 With a to-do list, I know exactly what I need to do. There's a structure, a direction, and taking things off, that makes me feel like I'm making progress that I'm moving forward that I'm achieving, but when I stop to think, When I, you know, sit there and sit with that uncomfortable feeling about, you
1:51 know, thinking about how do I change? What do I do? What should I be doing instead of what I am doing?
1:59 That's tough. That thinking forces me to confront myself, to face the big questions, to admit that some of the things that I'm doing might not actually matter.
2:10 And finding solutions that aren't always quick and easy, that's difficult. right? And the irony is this realisation didn't come from a business book or a coaching session, it came from when I was watching Young Sheldon.
2:25 It's not exactly deep television, right? It's an easy distraction I enjoy at the end of the day, but in one episode Sheldon was just lying on his bed and he was thinking and that moment hit me.
2:38 When was the last time I actually just sat there and fault. No phone, no to-do list, no busyness, no distractions, just me giving myself space to think.
2:49 The answer, if I'm honest, was far too long ago. And that brings me to the heart of today's Sunday session.
2:56 Busy is often avoidance. Busy is often a lack of clarity. Our Tim Ferris, in the four-hour work week, he talks about the Pareto principle, the idea that 20% of your actions generate 80% of your results.
3:10 He then takes the idea further. He says if you look for the 20% of the 20% so just 4% of your actions, they can drive about 64% of your results.
3:22 Now that is powerful and it's also deeply confronting because it means most of what we call being busy is actually a relevant.
3:32 So the truth is only a handful of things really matter. So here's the shift. Instead of telling ourselves where busy, what if we committed to being focused?
3:44 And being focused means devoting time to making a real plan and then getting to work on that real plan. Not a flimsy plan scribbled on the back of a napkin, a thought-through plan that identifies what truly matters.
3:59 And this isn't just about business, it's about life too, right? Want to lose weight, don't just rush into random workouts, make a plan.
4:08 Want to give up smoking, don't just keep busy so you don't think about it, make a plan. Want to grow your HR consultancy, don't just post on LinkedIn and hope, make a plan.
4:20 Make a plan that actually generates leads and clients and then work it consistently. clarity first, action second, that's the formula.
4:29 So here's my challenge to you this week, carve out 30 minutes for thinking, not doing thinking. Use that time to create a focus plan, even for your consultancy or for some other area of your life.
4:42 Ask yourself what's the one thing that will actually make the biggest difference if I did it consistently and what could go wrong if I don't prepare for it.
4:51 By giving yourself that space you'll avoid the traps of busy work and you'll find yourself moving forward with fire more clarity.
4:59 So let me leave you with this. Busy as an illusion focuses the truth and clarity is where results begin. So thanks for listening along.
5:09 I hope you've enjoyed the content and as ever because it's Sunday embrace the change because how we change This is how we grow.