Are You Busy Or Are You Productive?

I’m not sure when it slipped into the English vernacular, but it looks like the word “humblebrag” has become a thing now. I’m quite a fan of its oxymoronic etymology and description of something that people love doing to passive-aggressively stroke their egos. Anywho, the only reason I found out about this word was through an article I read earlier in the year about “busyness” (“y”, not “i”) and how it seems to be something that people pride themselves on.

While reading the article, I found myself nodding slowly in agreement with the author. Yes, people were not only using busy as something to make themselves feel better about themselves and what they were achieving, this concept that busy is good has penetrated the professional psyche all over the world such that it’s thrown around in an offhand manner and accepted nonchalantly as well, like a blind pass.

I reckon being productive is a heck of a lot better than being busy. Here are my reasons why I think it isn’t the “in” term:

Our Society Is Seemingly Built On Multitaskers

Jack of all trades, master or none. I’d be a liar if I said that that hasn’t been how I defined myself for much of my professional life. I’m improving now though; I’m happily doing what I love doing, specialising and delegating the rest out or not doing it at all.

To me, being busy has at least a tenuous link with juggling 12 things at the same time, ranging in various sizes, shapes and sharpness. If only people knew that to truly get ahead in life, they should fine tune their skillset and look at what their talents truly are, they would get a lot more done without having to do as much as they’re currently doing. Not only that, they would enjoy it a lot more.

Doing One Thing Or Nothing Is A Sin

This is a big one. It’s something drummed into you from a young age. If you aren’t doing a lot of things, there must be something wrong with you. Starting from when you’re a kid going into primary school for the first time and doing 5–6 subjects, it’s the norm.

Yes, you do learn to be effective, yes it does prepare you for “real life”, but no, you’re never going to be as productive as you truly can be. Productivity is about creation, which, at its very core, relies on the prerequisite that you’re completely focusing on it and letting the juices flow. In truth, the higher up you go, the more you specialise, so things do get better for the specialist.

We’re Insecure

This last reason is a bit tongue-in-cheek but there’s also a very quiet ring of truth to it as well. A colleague’s walking by.

“Hey Bob! See the game on the weekend?”
“Jim! Good to see you! Nope, too busy getting those forecasts done for the Monday meeting.”

4 seconds. Two sentences, but a lot communicated. Call me over-analytical, but Bob could have been opening the conversation with two things in mind. He knows that Jim is vying for the promotion that he’s been working for as well. If Jim has been working on the forecasts (which he was), he’s got work to do to one-up him. He also knows that Jim isn’t as happy because he missed the game, which featured his team, so Bob’s got that going for him.

Of course, Jim was lying the whole time because he’s manipulative and was two steps ahead of Bob and did watch the game. He just gets a kick out of seeing Bob squirm, which is why he sprinkles these comments in their day-to-day “jousts” to see Bob sweat.

I don’t know. I love a bit of drama.

At any rate, productivity is a good thing and I hope it takes over as the norm over time. If not, I hope you’re able to throw off your colleague next time they ask and you let them bask in the discomfort as you say you’ve been productive and not busy.