Renowned philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said, “It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?” 

Are you busy arguing about politics or the latest news? Playing video games? Following the life of your favorite celebrities? Floating on social media sites?

Busy watching your favorite TV shows? Thinking when and where is the next party? Looking for entertainment? Going to shopping malls and buy stuff you don’t really need?

Busy consuming trivial information? Working on things you don’t actually love doing? Meeting the expectations of your parents?

If you think you’re busy, ask yourself what makes you busy. 

Is it important? Is it something you love doing? Is it something that makes you fulfilled at the end of the day? Is it worth the expense?

Famed author Annie Dillard once said,

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”

If every day, you get busy with things that don’t really matter to you and you don’t do something about it, then you’ll never achieve your dreams.

Remember, people don’t really care what you’re doing or what makes you busy or what makes you productive.

They want the results of your hard work.

If mindlessly floating on social media sites or watching TV series or following the life of celebrities DON’T matter to you — and you really don’t want it — then for fuck’s sake, stop, or at least, minimize doing them.

Instead, design your day in a way where you can prioritize the things that matter most to you — the things aligned with your values and aspirations. 

Instead, use your time for things that contribute to your growth, like reading or learning a new skill. Or working on your dreams, goals, and passions. Or spending time with your loved ones.

But, but, sometimes I’m productive, sometimes I binge watch my favorite TV series and float on social media sites like there’s no tomorrow.

That’s okay. You’re a human being. We all do it once in a while.

What’s more important is your ability to catch yourself in the middle of busyness, and you don’t forget the things that matter to you. And once you find yourself floating in busyness again, quickly pivot to the path you wanted to be (whatever path is that).

Give up the things that don’t add value to you. And use your time, your energy, your attention for the most important things in your life.

As the award-winning author Jonathan Fields once said,

“Being busy, alone, need not be a bad thing. What makes it good or bad is why we’re busy, what we’re busy with, and what we’re giving up along the way.”