“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
Tim Ferriss
How often do you hear yourself say, “I’m busy,” when someone asks how you’re doing? If I’m honest, I’ve done it more times than I can count. It’s an easy response, but what does it really mean? “Busy” doesn’t necessarily equal progress. What if your answer was, “I’m incredibly productive”? What would need to change for that to feel true?
For me, it starts with clarity—understanding what truly matters. The quicksand of email, text messages, and endless to-dos can easily drag me away from my most important work. Productivity, real productivity, demands intentionality. It means pausing long enough to define what success looks like, then taking deliberate steps toward it.
Breaking Free from Busyness
Step 1: Start and End with Priorities
Every morning, ask yourself: What’s the one thing I can do today that will make the biggest difference? Then, before the day ends, reflect: Did I spend my energy on what mattered most?
Step 2: Focus in Sprints, Not Marathons
The Pomodoro Timer (25 minutes of focused work followed by a break) has been a game-changer for me. It’s incredible what you can accomplish when distractions are silenced, even for a short time.
Step 3: Create Space for Deep Work
Turn off your phone. Log out of email. Give yourself permission to focus on what matters without interruption.
These habits don’t happen overnight, but each step is a choice—a commitment to becoming “productive not busy.”
For a deeper dive into this idea, I highly recommend Getting Unbusy: 5 Steps to Kill Busyness and Live with Purpose, Productivity, and Peace by Garland Vance. It’s a practical guide for reclaiming your time and aligning it with your priorities.
