In recent years, busy has become the proverbial four-letter word. An increasing number of articles warn us about the dangers of becoming someone who's busy. Busy people aren't mindful; they're not present; they're not focussed on the right things; they can't prioritize; they're distracting themselves from what really matters; they're simply not as good as the rest of us. Busy has somehow picked up a negative connotation, and we no longer feel we can say we're busy — even when we are.

But busy also has a purpose. It can help you be mindful, present, and focussed. I'm currently in my busy sweet spot and it feels wonderful.

Too much uninspiring work used to leave me feeling overwhelmed. I started to worry about meeting deadlines, wasting time, and whether my work even mattered. My racing thoughts left me unable to fully concentrate or relax. In the past, I've turned to pacifiers — like shopping or eating or drinking — to take the edge off and escape from the stress.

On the other hand, too little work in recent days left me feeling lethargic, bored, antsy, and even a little sad. I got stuck in a rut, wanting to do lots of things, yet also not wanting to do them. I became the opposite of busy — idle, inactive, unoccupied.

The busy sweet spot is where you have just enough interesting work to keep yourself motivated and inspired. Not too much, not too little. We all need a certain amount of busy to maintain momentum. If you're moving too quickly, you're at risk of burning out. If you're moving too slowly, you're at risk of stagnation.

One of the keys to productive forward motion is to find your busy sweet spot — the quantity of busy is important, but the quality of busy is equally important. How do you feel when you say yes to new projects? How do you feel when you say no? What kind of work makes you thrive? What kind of work is merely a distraction?

Slowly, bit by bit, if you pay close attention and listen carefully, you'll arrive at your busy sweet spot.

Cheers to that magical amount of busy that feels just right,