If you are someone like me, doing everything is not only a must; it’s a have-to. It is in your nature to push yourself physically and mentally beyond your limits in order to not miss out on anything.
Sure I will sign up for that position. Sure I will do the extra community service hours on Saturday. Of course, I can go out with the girls, even though I have to be up at 7 am the next morning. A 20 credit semester? No problem.
For me, being “busy” is how I describe my life. When people say, “How are you?” My response is “busy.”
I’m pretty sure people who ask me this question are looking for “good” or “alright” or maybe even “not too well;” however, in our fast-paced society, we want to show that we have a lot going on in our lives. Almost to prove to people that we are doing everything we can. That no one can understand our stress level. We want people to constantly realize that we are always on the go with no time to breathe or do anything for ourselves.
Truthfully, how sad is that? That having a Netflix day is a sign of defeat. That we can’t sleep in the extra couple hours because then we would not be able to define our lives as "busy."
The real question is why do we feel we need to define our lives this way?
We go-getters fail to realize it’s our own choice. For me, I absolutely love being busy most of the time; it keeps me focused, motivated, and gives me a sense of purpose. I hate having downtime because I really don’t know how to relax; however, I still seem to complain to "non-busy" people about how much I have going on, and that they can't possibly understand.
What I fail to comprehend is that I need those breaks. If I'm answering “busy” to the “how are you?” question, then I’m not completely content with where I am at. I want to be able to say good, or great, even if I am busy and not feel like I have to justify it.
After four years of college, I have finally realized that it is okay not to do it all. It is okay to not go to every event for your sorority, or every career building fair at your school. You don’t need to apply to every job that pops up, or go out every night, or volunteer for that event during which you truly should be spending the time sleeping instead.
Missing out on what’s important is not what I am suggesting, but instead, taking a step back and coming to terms with yourself that you're fine just where you are. Appreciate what you do accomplish in a day. You don’t have to do everything, and everything doesn't have to be perfectly done. If you are happy with what you put into every day and know when your body needs to have a break, take it. You will be a much happier person. You will be content right where you are.
There is always room for improvement and always time to do the things that are the most important to you; however, for everything else, only do what you truly need or want to accomplish. Allow yourself a second to breathe, smile, and realize how much you are doing and how proud you should be for it. Say no, tell yourself it’s okay to pass on something and know your limits. Live life to the fullest, but allow yourself to do that by giving yourself a couple seconds to slow down and regain focus.
So the next time someone asks, “How are you?” You can just say, “I’m good.”
