“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” -Socrates
All of the insights and inspirations in the world mean nothing if you don’t take authentic action to make the changes you want. What do I mean by “Authentic Action”? It might be better to begin this conversation with what it isn’t.
Imagine a swarm of flies buzzing around on a hot summer’s day. There’s lots of movement and noise but no direction. In my world we call this “busyholism” – busy all the time, but no fulfillment.
Authentic Action is exactly the opposite. It has clear purpose and a laser-like focus on that purpose, so it moves you forward as opposed to running in place, spinning or stuck. It’s usually simple and obvious once we are able to notice it. Let’s take a look:
It’s important to know that there are two distinct types of Authentic Action.
Type 1: This type of action is all about clearing unfinished business.
Examples include:
- Organizing your office closet, garage, or storage shed
- Making amends for a rude remark to a family member, friend or co-worker.
- Getting your annual physical exam
None of these are fun, but doing them releases pent-up energy and resources that you can now put toward your goal.
Type 2: This type of action takes energy and focuses it upon the goal itself. The result is noticeable progress toward making it happen. It’s accompanied by a sense of joy at the accomplishment, a feeling of being in tune with your values.
Examples include:
- Writing a tip a day for your book (what I did for this one!)
- Opening a vacation savings account with $200.00
- Conducting 2 interviews for a job search in the next two weeks
The Authentic Action you take can be small. It is not the bigness of the action that matters, but that it is focused on what matters to you.
So here is your QUICK TIP: The next time you find yourself saying “I would love to, but I am so BUSY!”, stop and take a few minutes to really look to see if it is just more of the same old “busyholism” or if you are actually busy moving forward on the things that really matter to you.
When you begin to observe when you are taking Authentic Action toward what you really want to achieve or just busy, it will make all the difference in the world!
This article is an excerpt from Joan’s best-selling book, You’re Busy. I Get It. Quick Tips to Accomplish More with Less Stress. Available on Amazon and at www.joanwashburn.com.
