Member-only story
Our strengths have shadows
Understanding them is important
Today on my daily indoor cycle, I watched a recommended TED video. I cycle for my health and watch videos on topics I present to make it productive and effective use of my time. Because even when cycling, I should be productive.
Productivity versus Overwhelm
I don't work full time, and my kids are very independent. I have a lot of free time. When I’m not busy, I feel useless or not valuable. To counter this, I have an overwhelming need to constantly be doing something. Whether that's administration tasks or writing. Sitting around doing nothing goes against everything I was raised to do.
We tie our busyness to our worthiness. If I am busy, I am important and needed as opposed to if I sit down and enjoy the moment. We often confuse busyness with productivity, and we shouldn't. I have a full schedule because I create tasks and activities for myself. Then I get upset if I don’t stick to this schedule.
