Lifting the Curse of Busyness

There can be a huge difference between being busy and being productive. Lots of people who describe themselves as busy are spinning on a hamster wheel of activity every day — expending lots of effort but not really getting anywhere. Really successful people are almost always busy, too, but the difference is they’re busy in the right way.

I was reminded of this truth recently when I heard someone say that being busy can actually be a form of laziness. That’s a pretty profound observation, when you think about it: When you allow yourself to get pulled through each day, passively responding to a schedule that is put before you and putting out fires along the way, you’re becoming a passenger in your own life. You’re resisting the work involved in taking charge of your time.

Being busy is easy; being optimally productive takes more work. And the thing is, it doesn’t even take that much work. For dentists, it starts with being strategic about scheduling and going deep with diagnosis so= you can make the most of your time — for yourself and your patients. If you’re feeling like you’re always running but not really going forward, it may be time to reevaluate things. Step back and be strategic with your time, so you can start living a full life — which is a lot different than just being busy.