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Welcome to the Tuesday Trailblazer, my weekly newsletter delivering actionable advice from my personal experiences in 15+ years of people and business leadership.

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Today’s Email:

Today, we’re tackling a hot topic… busy.
Whether you’re new here or maybe you’ve been following for some time, you may be wondering “what is all this unglorify busy” business?

Today my goal is to give you a little clarity! 😉 

What we’ll cover off:

• What 'being busy' really means and why it's often misunderstood.

• Common misconceptions about being busy vs having an impact.

• Understand the true costs of wearing 'busy' as a badge of honor.

• Learn strategic ways to shift from being busy to being impactful.

Quote Of The Week;

We’re living in an era driven by busy.

Yesterday, I took a walk down to my local cafe. I ordered my standard dirty chai (with an extra shot), grabbed a coffee and took a seat.
It had just hit 7:20am, meaning my morning post on LI had just gone up so I started to engage with some comments coming in.

I usually remove my earphones so I can focus on the quality of engagement and as I was doing my thang, a group of men sat nearby.

They did the standard “hey mate, how’s it going” , the normal, robotic start to most conversations these days.

The normality of todays common conversations continued as they responded “busy” and then spent the next 2 minutes the conversation battling it out as to who was busier.

Funny thing was though, they had no idea they were doing it.

“Oh you had 4 jobs on? I’ve got 4 and 2 interviews to do tomorrow”.

THEY WERE TRYING TO OUT BUSY EACH OTHER!
Sadly, this is extremely common.

I thought to myself, when do we ever challenge this?
How often do we stop to ask, “Busy with what?” and “To what end?” 

It seems we want to be busy.

The questions is, do we know why?

Today I want to empower you to move beyond the hustle, understand and redefine what it means to be truly effective in our role as leaders.

But first, we need to understand…

What is busy?

Busy can be defined (and also not defined mainly by busy people) as many things. However today I want to utilise research to highlight that busy is in fact, 1 of 3 things;

Busy as a Choice: Recognise that busy is often a default choice, not a necessity. It’s about choosing priorities wisely.

This article from Frontiers in Conservation Science states that "sometimes the need to feel busy is a way to justify not doing other, more important tasks that may be challenging or make us uncomfortable."

This suggests that being busy is often a choice, rather than a necessity.

Busy as Avoidance: Understand that claiming to be busy can be an excuse to avoid difficult tasks that require more thought and effort.

The Verywell Mind article notes that "staying busy isn't always a bad thing" but cautions that "it's important to pinpoint the discomfort if busyness is being used as a tool to avoid unpleasant thoughts or feelings."

This indicates that being busy can be a way to avoid difficult tasks or emotions.

Busy as a Badge of Honour: Challenge the notion that being busy is something to brag about. Instead, strive for living a life that integrates both work and home, aligning with your core values.

The Harvard Business Review article cites research showing that "people perceive others who are busy—and who use products indicating they're busy—as having higher status."

This suggests that being busy has become a status symbol, rather than something to strive for in a balanced life.

Ultimately, busy is something WE are in control of.
Busy does NOT choose us.
We choose busy.

The following Statistics are so alarming.

• 66% of managers suffer from burnout

• 76% feel overwhelmed

• 59% feel overworked

• 72% feel increased pressure to deliver.

• Chronic stress from being overworked and busy (e.g. working 12 hour days or 60 hours per week) is linked to a higher risk of injury, coronary artery disease, and stroke.

Research suggests that the "busy mindset" can be problematic, have a harmful effect on our wellbeing and that prioritising self-care is essential to ensure both business and personal life can thrive without one overwhelming the other.

In summary, the evidence clearly shows that when busy becomes overwhelming and triggers a chronic stress response, it can have serious negative impacts on mental health, physical health, and overall wellbeing.

Recognising this, and being able to implement and work towards life that integrates both work and life is a crucial step towards beyond busy leadership.

I want to hear from you and your approach to busy.

Thank you for sharing!
Your insights help us continue to deliver value packed newsletters each week!

Many leaders fall into the trap of glorifying busy as a sign of their dedication and importance. They pack their schedules, overlook the power of delegation, and miss opportunities for strategic thinking. This not only impacts their wellbeing but also sets a precedent that can lead to a stressed and overwhelmed team culture.

Have you ever felt like you haven’t stopped all week, but then found yourself feeling like you’ve gotten nowhere come the weekend?

By reframing our understanding of what it means to be busy, we can focus more on what truly adds value to our lives and work.

Tony Crabbe - Author of “Busy - how to thrive in a world of too much” shares 3 key steps on how to combat “busy”.

1. Address the underlying emptiness and lack of meaning:

   • Crabbe argues that the "triangle of busyness" is driven by an underlying sense of emptiness and disconnection from what matters most.

   • The first step is not just to reduce busy, but to "help people address their emptiness, identifying meaning."

   • Getting clear on core values and priorities is crucial, as it helps ensure the right sacrifices are made.

2. Equip managers to have meaningful conversations:

   • Crabbe recommends that organisations "equip managers to have more regular, and better conversations with people about their career and satisfaction, helping people to figure out creative ways of succeeding at work and at home.

   • This can support employees in finding more purpose and balance.

3. Focus on doing less, but better:

   • Rather than just trying to get better organised and do more, the solution is to "do less, better" - focus energy on the few priorities that truly matter.

   • This mirrors how successful companies operate, saying no to great ideas in order to put enormous energy into the few they choose.

This 4-Day Challenge is designed to ignite your impact, transforming how you approach and resolve conflicts. It's about leading by example, pioneering new paths in communication, and creating a team culture where every challenge is met with courage and collaboration.

Here’s this weeks challenge, Trailblazers.

• Day 1: Identify When You Choose 'Busy' - Reflect on when you use busy to avoid personal and professional challenges. Write them down.

• Day 2: Set Clear Priorities - Decide on three key priorities that truly matter in your role as a leader. Both at work and at home.

• Day 3: Communicate Differently - When asked how you are, replace "busy" with "right now I’m prioritising…"

• Day 4: Reflect on Impact - End the day by noting what you accomplished by not just being busy, but by being impactful.

BONUS TIP:

Time-Blocking Techniques: Try incorporating time-blocking into your daily routine. This involves setting specific blocks of time for different tasks, eliminating multitasking and distractions, and fully immersing yourself in each activity. This not only keeps you on track but also ensures that each item on your to-do list receives the attention it deserves.

Being less busy doesn't mean doing less;
it means doing what truly matters more effectively.

This week, challenge yourself to cut through the noise and focus on activities that enhance your leadership and enrich your life.

Remember, Trailblazers, being busy isn’t the goal
—creating meaningful impact is.

Have a great week,
Howard

I have built and led teams across 3 successful businesses and have over 15 years of people and business leadership experience.

Over the past 4 years, I have grown my business helping “busy” leaders across multiple industries (retail, hospitality, construction, mining, education) ignite their impact both at work and at home.

Let me share my insights and help you:

• Reclaim your time

• Prioritise your wellbeing

• Achieve work/life harmony

• Improve customer centricity

• Connect & elevate team culture

• Develop beyond busy leadership skills

• Build your business bench and succession planning

Book A 45 minute “Beyond Busy Mentor” Meeting Here

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