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Talking with a colleague today and as colleagues so often likely do, we were questioning what others do with their time. Essentially, and I suspect this happens in all organizations, that whenever something new comes along or a behavior needs to change, many people just *don't have the time* to do what needs to be done. So, we were discussing, what are they actually doing?


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/23tvuGuPhcUMWzAdN99qCz4m6XxFR9KGTYxiV9UWxHsf1L9HyKroTHP5dAwWcrQPacK6q.png)

> We had this discussion when we could have been working.

However, what I mentioned was that there are different kinds of busy, because I know people in our workplace who are always busy, and they churn out value from their activities constantly. It is like everything they do pushes the needle forward in meaningful ways. Then, I know people at the other end of the "busyness" scale, where they are constantly busy, but nothing they do seems to amount to anything useful. 

> Rushing around, going nowhere.

Now, I have no idea whether this is true or not, but I get the sense that the first group who are busy doing something useful, tend to enjoy their work more and are less likely to burn out, than the second  group. I think that when we feel that there is meaning behind what we are doing and we can see the progress, we are more likely to work at creating value without too much trouble. However, when there is a sense of futility in the work, like no matter how much we do, it doesn't make an impact, negative stress sets in.

For a quick definition, *stress* itself isn't bad, it helps us grow in pretty much every way we grow. However, there is a difference between growth stress and stress that takes away our control and agency, making us feel powerless. A lot of people who feel stress at work would argue, but it is likely that the workload has very little to do with their stress levels under most instances, because the person working next to them might be doing the same or more, with low stress. The fact is, we *aren't the same,* so what is an exciting proposition for one, is daunting for another.

> I can stand at the edge of a cliff frozen in fear, next to someone who is looking forward to rappelling down. 

Yet, when people feel stress, they assume that the reason is something outside of them. Similarly, when people do what they do trying to make an impact in their workplace, they think that what they are doing is the right thing to do. Even if it is not. There are many assumptions that we make about our own actions, but one that is pretty clear is that at least in the moment, we feel that what we are doing is the best we can do. Even if we know there are other ways that *might* work better, if we feel we don't have time, *we won't make time.* 

But giving time doesn't help either, as most people will still not change, even when they have the opportunity. Going back to the stress example, the best time to manage stress *is when there is low stress.* Yet, most people only think about dealing with stress and developing the skills when they are already under stress, which effectively puts more stress on them, and as it is more likely to fail because of it, takes away even more agency, as well as adding another layer of failure. 

> We can all do better.

But even when we realize we can improve, we have to also be willing to find the resources, including finding the time, to do something about it. However, it seems that more often than not, we will choose to be *stupid busy* and struggle, rather than take a step back and learn a better way. And, perhaps it is the "step back" that is important to note here, as maybe while we might not want to be busy doing the wrong work, at least *it feels* like we are moving forward. 

> And feelings are the most important thing in the world.

Until we have feelings we don't want to have, and have no control over them. 

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]


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