Are Busy People Effective?

Have you noticed some people who are always on the move and rushing about to get things done? Are they really effective? Can they do things at a slower pace to avoid stress and pressure from building up? Busy people are not really effective. Here are the reasons:


1. Not an early riser: When they do not get up early it means they have to get busy and rush about to get things done in less time. In the course of doing so, mistakes and errors crop up and there will be further delay. Frustration and stress are what they get and not to mention that they will get busier.

2. Not organized: They get busy by taking on a task first thing in the morning without getting organized for the day’s work. They may be busy but the most important tasks can be ignored or overlooked.

3. Not prioritized: It is possible that there is no to-do list for the day and there is no sense of urgency in tackling the most important job first. They are busy but they are not effective.

4. Not effective: Busy people are always putting out a fire. There is no proper planning to take preventive measures to avoid breakdowns and emergency situations. If the manager of a company is busy meeting customers in the office, it means there is a weakness in the system and the workers cannot work effectively and the customers have no choice but to see the manager. The manager is busy but he is ineffective. An effective manager should be spending more time doing planning and engage in creative and innovative thoughts.

5. Not taking breaks: Not taking breaks is counter-productive. Don’t think that they can accomplish more just by working continuously. Taking short breaks allows them to clear the clutter in their mind and restore their energy so that they can work more productively.

6. Not taking advantage of the 80/20 rule: Do not think that getting busy and trying to get all things done, they will achieve more. They will end up exhausted and wondering whether they have done what they have in mind. The most effective way is to do one or two important tasks for the day and leave all the rest to do in another day or when there is time. They do less but they achieved far more.

7. Not creative and innovative: If they were always busy, when will they find a quiet time to reflect, let alone allocating time to think creatively and innovatively to get things done more efficiently and effectively in less time?.


Effective people are not busy people. They have all the time in the world to do what is important and meaningful to them and there will still be time for them to pursue their interests and passion.