twentyhood.

On Being Busy

Thu 18 Jun 2009 – 11.54

work_busy

When it rains, it pours. The old cliché has nothing to do with weather, although this June finds that metaphor especially apt. Things are busy lately.

After many months, if not years, of suffering through the various gradients of employment, I find myself once again working a regular schedule. I hadn’t worked a 40-hour week between mid-January and early June. Add to that two commutes and the general exhaustion that comes from starting a new routine and it’s become predictably exhausting.

In addition, and with timing most strange, I’m getting a lot of clients calling to do some work with me outside of my daytime gig. So I’m doing what designers do from time to time, and going home for a night shift in an effort to fill the creative, if not financial, holes in their day-to-day.

So yes, I’m busy. And while busy-ness is generally a good thing, it has obvious drawbacks.

The first side effect of an intense schedule is your whole balance of diet, exercise, and sleep is thrown off. Late nights, take-out food, skipping the gym, etc., can all lead to feeling like a slob in the short term, and lingering health problems in the long term. Fight, as much as you can, to maintain that balance. A little bit of planning goes a long way here. Some people can multitask — take breaks to do pushups, for example. Or print out documents to read while you’re on a stationary bike.

But more importantly than our would-be six packs, our relationships get flabby and out of shape. One of the most unexpectedly difficult lessons I’ve learned in recent years is how much effort goes into maintaining friendships and business networking relationships. No matter how busy you are, don’t let your friends become strangers. Send them an email planning a get together in a few weeks. Call to ask if they can help you in some way. Even if they can’t, or if don’t see them, the relationship will be maintained and you’ll remain on the active roster. Similarly, when someone you know is busy, and you are not, ask if you can chip in and lend a hand — that sort of good karma comes back big-time.

The hustle can be exhausting, and this can take a toll on the social life as well. Getting out of the house is a task when you’ve just completed a 60-hour week, or worse, when you’ve got night and weekend shifts to pull, but this too is a priority, even in busy times. Oddly, a little stress on the schedule will force you to be more productive in the time you do spend working, and will help you re-focus for the hours upon hours of dullness that are required for getting the job done. Who knows, you might even have an idea or two while you’re out relaxing.

Busy times will come and go. And while the task at hand is the most important one, don’t overlook the longer-term goals you’ve set for yourself. Remember to maintain friendships, to continue to apply for jobs, to keep up with industry news, to see your family, to get out of the house, to explore new romances, and to enjoy the world for what good it can offer.

posted by Scott in careers, coffee, health & fitness, life, relationships.