Being busy has become a strange measure of modern success. People complain about it but also wear it as a badge of honour. A full calendar suggests that they are in demand. There is always somewhere to be and something that needs their attention. Somewhere along the way, we have come to associate being busy with being important. Perhaps they worry that without all that activity, they might not be.
We are conditioned from a young age to work harder and do more. Effort is rewarded, which is fair enough. But working hard at something worthwhile is very different from filling your days with tasks and activities that achieve very little. People spend so much time trying to get everything done that they forget to question why they are doing it.
In my own case, I prioritise being productive over being busy. I find there are a lot of things I just don’t need to do. Saying no to an event or a meeting that does not fit your core priorities is a good place to start. An invitation might be interesting, but unless it's very worthwhile, I am just not going. You can appreciate being asked and still decide your time is better spent elsewhere.
I go to very few industry events. In fact, I go to very few events generally. Some are worthwhile, and I enjoy seeing people. But I deliberately avoid being busy because it eats into the quiet space where I do my best thinking. I like having time to research and read about investment markets as and when I want to, including following an idea further than I had planned.
That time matters to my work. I want to work out where best to invest funds given everything going on in the world. That requires reading widely and thinking independently. Talking to other investment people can be useful, but I don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. Often, it's better to do the opposite and have a different view. The focused work that matters most to me rarely comes with an invitation, so unless you protect space for it, other people’s requests will fill the day.
The same applies to life outside work. People become so caught up in being busy that they lose sight of what makes them happy. Every spare hour becomes available for another commitment. The days fly by, and suddenly another year has passed. Doing less gives us a chance to enjoy an afternoon without watching the clock or thinking about where we need to be next.
By the same token, the answer is not to turn life into an elaborate exercise in optimisation. There is plenty of advice about ice baths, perfect routines, and extracting more from every minute. That nonsense becomes exhausting too. We do not need to manage ourselves like a production line. Keep it simple. Use your common sense. If something adds little value and you don’t enjoy it, stop doing it. But if something is fulfilling or creates real productivity, then keep doing it.
There is no right answer for everyone. We all have responsibilities and commitments. But we do get to choose more than most people are willing to admit. I want to do my work at a very high level and have time to enjoy my life. Being busy tells me very little about whether I’m achieving either. I’d much prefer to be productive.
General Advice Disclaimer: This information is of a general nature only and may not be relevant to your particular circumstances. The circumstances of each investor are different, and you should seek advice from an investment adviser who can consider if the strategies and products are right for you. Historical performance is often not a reliable indicator of future performance. You should not rely solely on historical performance to make investment decisions.