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The Fallacy That A Busy Life Is A Good Life

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty 0575737

Planes Taking OffWe easily in our business and personal lives conclude staying busy equates with being happy. But it is

A Fallacy That A Busy Life Is A Good Life.

It is an error in our thinking discounting the importance of balance. All work and no play makes Jack or Jacqueline a dull boy or girl you know. The graphic is a montage of takeoffs at a German airport. Pretty busy day going on there you might say.

In a past life, I did that road warrior large territory travel and it is not as glamorous as it looks eating out every night, lumpy mattresses in hotels. It has its good moments but you need to ask yourself about spending enough time with your most important PEOPLE connections and watch the sacrificing your life to "busyness."

Busyness at its highest level is a distraction. People complain after HOURS for example on social media Facebook, or tweeking their web site look, where did all the time go? Stepping away from WORK on a regular basis and not just thinking about PLAY for yourself but SIGNIFICANT AND MEANINGFUL CONNECTION to the people that need the listening, touching, nurturing, and understanding THAT ONLY YOU can provide is an invaluable element to balance.

Likewise too much idle time gets you in trouble too, not doing something PRODUCTIVE in your life.

You need a mix of WORK and also CONNECTION to feel fulfilled as a person. They say no one on their deathbed wished they worked more hours, but from the looks of all those planes in the air, whether by personal choice or business or employers driving people crazy, there is a lot of busyness going on.

BALANCE is the key, and it takes reflection on your part with your own values and knowing yourself to set the balance up right for you.

Teral McDowell
Referral Patners LLC - Murphy, TX

Well-said, Gary we all need those special moments with the special people in our lives.

Jan 13, 2013 01:30 AM
Julie Chapman
Julie Chapman Broker - Ormond Beach, FL
Daytona Beach Shores, Florida

Gary,

Amen.  Work/life balance is so very important.  I am so fortunate that if I want to go rollerblade on the strand on the beach or stand up paddleboard for an afternoon I can do that - it is a mini vacation.  I need a real vacation but that will come.  Business is booming......

Jan 13, 2013 01:30 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

BALANCE is the key but can be quite elusive.  As part of my personal efforts for balance, I have a goal to read at least a book a week.   

 

Jan 13, 2013 01:38 AM
Dan Hopper
Dan Hopper - Gold Way RE - Westminster, CO
Colorado Broker / Referral Services

Many types of being "busy" have to be weighed.  Sometimes, being so busy with handling clients in this industry, can cause us to NOT focus on the prospecting aspect which made us productively busy!  SO, when we do not balance that aspect of business... we then get overwhelmed with FINDING business!!  We need to take time to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor when we have accomplished the goal of closing deals.

Jan 13, 2013 01:45 AM
Brian Rayl
Home Value Leads - Highland Park, TX
Active Agent and Co-founder Of Home Value Leads

Great post! Learning how to balance work and family and personal time are very important to prevent burnout and to be truly successful and truly HAPPY. There is a difference.

Jan 13, 2013 01:50 AM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Gary: You seem to be talking directly to me!!! No kidding; I have been driving back and forth between 4 cities like a mad woman this last few weks trying to get a "Non-conformance" charge lifted from my property in order to sell it....I wanted to close in 2012 and had a closing date set for the 12th of December. On the 11th I got the notice from my buyer saying he did not want to buy my property if he could not build and the Dept of health told him he could not! I went to prove them wrong and what normally takes anyone 6 months to a year has taken me 3 weeks!!! Now, I see that those crazy trips back forth are paying off and I will be able to close next week--so, now I can relax and take those deep breaths that I have not had lately---feeling like I was waking up from "Gound Hog Day"-like dreams has not been fun and I have to think twice now as to what is really important and what is not! (I must say, being able to close on the property has it's rewards too, though! :)

Jan 13, 2013 01:54 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign
Gary- I agree with you about all of the busy-ness . For the last decade or so it has almost become a badge if honor amongst Mothers to see whose child has the busiest schedule. Their after school hours are scheduled to the max. We all need to find some kind of balance.
Jan 13, 2013 02:03 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Good post Gary with lots of good thougths to ponder.

Life experiences teach us many lessons and this is a good one.

Thank you.

Jan 13, 2013 02:16 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

I like to be busy...but it can't be all work.   There needs to be some fun in there also.

Jan 13, 2013 02:55 AM
Sondra Meyer:
EXP Realty, LLC - Corpus Christi, TX
See It. Experience It. Live It.

Gary,

Thanks for the wonderful reminder of how important balance in our life is.  I'm not a big fan of being a couch potatoe yet staying busy all of the time is not cure all answer to a life well lived either.

I hope you have a great week!  

 

Jan 13, 2013 09:58 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

And yet another reason to push back from the desk every so often, get up, and go pet the cats.

Jan 13, 2013 11:50 PM
Bill Gillhespy
16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL
Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Gary,  great pic and post.  Seems so much easier to say we will strive for balance than to actually achieve that balance in our lives.  Still, we try !  Good selling in 2013 ! 

Jan 14, 2013 01:02 AM