Have you read all the minimalist’s posts about being less busy? I sure have. I’ve even written a few posts about doing less and staying unbusy over the years. But we have a practical problem here. In today’s world, to unbusy our schedule is nearly impossible, and the whole idea is another bald-faced lie, similar to the big clutter lie.
You’ve read the posts about people who claim they’ve created so many less time commitments for themselves that they can take nature walks every afternoon and sit by the fire with their feet up every evening. I’m here to call their bluff. Unless they’re single, unemployed, retired, or stay-at-home parents, what they claim is quite impossible.
To Unbusy Your Schedule, You’d Have to Quit Life
I have a pretty simple job. I’m a college teacher. Compared to many careers, my job doesn’t keep me super busy. I’m also a single parent to a 14-year-old girl. She’s not high maintenance, but life still gets busy. And you know what? I can’t do a damn thing about it. It comes with having a career and a kid. So in order to have that leisure walk and daily fire-pit relaxation, I’d need to quit my job and sell my kid to the slave trade.
Let’s look at some of the things I have to do in any given week:
- Work Monday-Friday, 8:00 to 2:30
- Karate practice, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 t0 7:30
- Go to the gym when I can
- Music practice, some Wednesdays and Sundays
- Laundromat, once per week
- Grocery shopping, once per week
- Dentists, orthodontists, doctors, therapists, specialists, and other family health needs, almost weekly
- Daughter’s social events, weekly
- Weddings, funerals, retirements, etc.
- I’m sure I’m leaving some shit out
Life is busy. Get over it! Unless you want to quit your job, move to the mountains, live off the land, and ignore your medical needs, you’re going to be busy. Throw selling a house and a move into the mix and your head is going to spin.
Face It, Don’t Fight It!
Look, I don’t take issue with making an honest attempt to find ways to be less busy. I think that’s a healthy attitude. But if you try to convince me that I can live a life of minimalist leisure with a few changed habits, you’re a liar. I’ll be lucky to reach that kind of lifestyle when I retire. When we retire, we’ll still be busy. The doctor’s visits will increase. You’ll want to go visit your kids. It’s never-fucking ending, and that’s okay. You only live once.
The key to dealing with busyness isn’t to try to get unbusy in vain, but rather to learn how to be effective and efficient in managing your schedule.
So stop buying into the “unbusy movement.” It’s just another dose of false hope. If you live any kind of normal life with a job and kids, you’ll never reach that unbusy bliss of a carrot that’s dangled in front of your nose. What started out as hope will turn into frustration because you can never reach your goal. Instead, accept your schedule and find ways to make things work.
On a Final Note
This is post #494. I’m going to quit posting at Hip Diggs after 500 posts. But let’s go back to the beginning for a moment. Although it wasn’t literally the #1 post, I consider my first real post at Hip Diggs, Take the 10 Step Challenge to Simple Living. It’s still one of my most-read posts to this day. To commemorate my journey at Hip Diggs, I’ll be posting my last post on the five-year anniversary of the 1o-Step Challenge on October 19, 2019. That will complete the 5-year, 500-post experiment of Hip Diggs.
I’ve learned a lot along the way. And although it might feel like I’m abandoning the journey, nothing could be further from the truth. I’m just calling spades spades and getting more real about living a simple, yet reasonable lifestyle. Remember, you’ll be able to continue on this journey with me at my main blog, danerickson.net.
Want to get updates on my ongoing quest into living a simpler life? Sign up for my free newsletter @ danerickson.net.
