BUSY IS A TRAP, NOT A STATUS SYMBOL
If you could afford a Ferrari, or take a few years of work-free time, what would you pick? I’ll go first. And I choose the time. Of course I want the time; are you serious? Who wants to be stressed out and surrounded by expensive, nice things, when you could instead be happy and relaxed, surrounded by less pricey (but still nice) things?
While there’s no right answer, but the deluge of articles calling time “the new luxury” would have me think that I’m not alone in dreaming of occasional productivity boycotts over Rolexes.
But if time is the luxe must-have right now, then why are we still acting like “busy” is the ultimate status symbol? We can’t have it both ways. And trying to jab ourselves with a Morton’s Fork is as painful as it is pointless.
If you’ve ever felt like catching up with friends and coworkers is low-key training for the busy-ness Olympics, you know what I’m talking about. Who among us in our worst moments hasn’t tried to one-up someone with anecdotes that—in submitting evidence of our totes busy lives—only serve to stress out everyone involved? It’s gross.
We were raised in a time when exhaustion was a strange marker of success, where women were eager to prove they could have (read: do) it all. But we know better now, right? On paper yes, but we still run around saying that we’re busy while dreaming of a day when we’ll move to the countryside, make pasta from scratch and go full #slowliving. And in the meantime, we’ll still try to squeeze every drop of productivity out of our days, and hours, and minutes. Yay!
Venting about busy-ness with friends is one thing, but cosplaying as a stressed out ‘80s career woman for whom running around further, and faster, than my friends is cultural cache—is not the life I’m about. That’s the commitment I’m making to myself, and all of you, today. Fuck competitive busy-ness. Fuck ordering the “business woman’s special” (Romy and Michele fans, I see you). I will not measure my success against that. I can look after myself; I can rest when I need to, and go hard when it’s time. I can have it all, and so can you. Maybe just not all at the same time. And maybe it won’t look the way we all thought it might.
Photo by Social Squares
Hi, I’m Jerico
I’m a best-selling author and award-winning coach focussed on creative healing and DIY spirituality. My mission? To help you uncover your magic and take your power back.
