What to Say Instead of “I’m Busy”
We live in a cult of the busy . Being busy has turned into humble bragging instead of a stress indicator. When people ask you how you are doing, you should aim to say this, not “I was busy.”
Corey Kogon, author of 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity , says flaunting your busyness makes you seem overconfident. It’s also a trick we play with our brains: being busy doesn’t mean being productive.
If you’re actually too busy then it’s okay, although you should probably try to cut your work if you can. But if you are feeling productive, say instead of busy:
But it’s not about being busy, it’s about being able to tell a colleague, someone or your family when they say, “Well, how was your day?” And you ask, “You know what? I’ve done these three key things that move the business forward. “
Okay, this proposal seems a little overly contrived, but there is nothing wrong with saying, “I’m doing well and I’m working on a lot of interesting things that excite me.” It may not sound very different than saying “I’m busy,” but this is a much better place.