You know the feeling, right? I hope I’m not alone. I get up early and stay up late. I wish there were a few more hours in every day because as much as I worked and as hard as I tried to get it all done, I go to bed wishing I had accomplished a little more. This is a sickness I’ve had most of my adult life and I’m trying to figure out how to live life a little differently.

  • I want to sleep more.
  • I want to read more.
  • I want to exercise more.
  • I want to enjoy life a little more as it happens.
  • I want to be comfortable in my own mind.
  • I want my family to feel like they’re getting my best.

We’d probably all agree that we all want this, but it’s so hard to get. We’re busier than we want to be and we don’t know how to undo what we’ve gotten ourselves into.

There’s a fascinating post on the Harvard Business Review Blog called “Why we humblebrag about being busy” by Greg McKeown. It’s an incredible post, but I want to highlight a small part here.

A hundred years from now, when people look back at this period, they will marvel at the stupidity of it all: the stress, the motion sickness, and the self-neglect we put ourselves through.

It is stupid and I think I’m ready to get off this train.

The article made a few suggestions:

Schedule a personal quarterly offsite. Every three months, go off for three hours and determine the three things you want to accomplish in the next three months.

Rest well to excel. Yes, it’s another blog post about sleep. Could it really be true that getting the necessarily sleep needed may help lead to greatness?

Add expiration dates to new activities. Don’t feel compelled to continue or make a tradition out of every activity. Savor the memory and then move on.

Say no to a good opportunity every week. Sometimes it’s an honor to be asked to do something, but sometimes it’s better to say no to make the room to do something you really feel compelled to do.

 Well, this seems to be the journey I’m on. A journey toward a less busy and healthier lifestyle. I’m sure it’s harder than it seems, but I’ll keep you updated along the way.