This is why you’re always busy — and how to address it

There’s seldom enough time to get all the work done that we plan to check off our lists. And, while the popularity of remote and hybrid work has acknowledged the importance of internal communications, it’s also increased the sheer volume of stuff on your plate. While most leaders agree that long-term strategic thinking is key to an organization’s success, how can you think strategically when you don’t have the time to think long term?

During her recent TED talk, leadership expert Dorie Clark said that business leaders need to acknowledge the consequences of working in a world that valorizes being busy. “We’re pushed, we’re driven toward achievement and action and creation,” she said. “And that’s great, but there’s also a downside. And that’s something that I think is worth talking about.”

Clark shared some reasons why perpetual busyness often feels like an endless cycle, offering a challenge to reconsider why we really value our time.

Rejecting busyness as a form of status