The people close to me can confirm that I am always on the go. I find myself having numerous things going on in my life at one time, which is something I have done since an early age. There are individuals who get stressed or overwhelmed just thinking about keeping up with one or two things, yet alone balancing several. But not I—I must confess I thrive on being busy.

When I have a lot to do, I stress out for a moment but then channel that stress into motivation. I am happy when I can accomplish everything to my best ability despite having a lot to do. I honestly admit to finding enjoyment in the chaos of a busy schedule.

A problem I have is priding myself in the ability to keep up with everything. Recently, I am obsessed with using my agenda book to organize my time. I find myself penciling in appointments, to-do lists and as much as I hate to admit it, friend time. I am constantly planning out my days and the numerous tasks I need or want to accomplish. Just this afternoon, my boyfriend asked me what I was thinking about. “All the things I need to do,” was not exactly the response he was looking for.

If I do not have at least a few things going on at once, I find myself searching. I know this is probably not a good trait to have. In fact, many people who I am close to mock me for it. “Oh, are you too busy?” is one of many phrases I hear. No, I am not “too busy,” I defensively say, I CAN do it all. But is that really how I should live my life? Constantly going, going, going? My spurts of constant busyness tend to lead to days of much needed rejuvenation, where I realize sometimes a break is a good thing. I am slowly recognizing balance is key to a happy, busy life. I am learning to say no; not accepting every single opportunity presented to me because I simply cannot do it all and still do it well.

I find myself wrapped up in the things I involve myself in-whether that be work, school or extra-curriculars - aiming to be the best I can while doing the most. This leads to one of the biggest downfalls of living as a busy bee, not making enough time for those around me. To the friends and family I have used the busy card on, I sincerely apologize. If you ever think I am ignoring you or not talking to you frequently enough, do know it is never intentional. I am never too busy for you.

With the negatives discussed, I still do not want to cut the life of a constant busy bee because regardless of the downsides, I know it’s a life I will continue to live. I will continue utilizing my agenda book, staying involved in various activities and enjoying my time on the go.

Stepping outside of the beehive, I am understanding more and more the importance of taking in experiences as they come and not planning every aspect of my day-to-day life. As good as being busy feels, I know it is not always beneficial for my physical or emotional well-being, nor is it fair to the people in my life. My goal for this next year is to take more time to spend alone as well as with those who are important to me. Instead of constantly believing I must accomplish a thousand things at once, I am going to work hard to achieve a good balance.