Have you been ‘too busy’ recently? There’s a reason for that.

Why your corporate job has you feeling 'Too Busy' (and what that means for your writing dreams)

Picture this: It's 7 PM on a Tuesday. You've been in back-to-back Zoom calls since 9 AM, your Outlook calendar looks like a game of Tetris, and you've got 103 unread emails. You feel exhausted. You feel important. You feel... productive? 

What you're experiencing is what I like to call "The Great Busyness Delusion." It's that warm, fuzzy feeling of accomplishment you get from crossing off tiny tasks on your to-do list, all while your big dreams gather dust in the corner of your mind. 

Productivity vs. Busyness 

In the corporate world, busyness is often mistaken for productivity. It's why your manager gives you that approving nod when you mention you were up until midnight reformatting that PowerPoint for the fifth time. But here's what they don't tell you in those mandatory time management seminars: 

1. Productivity is about impact, not hours logged. 

2. Busyness is often a form of procrastination in disguise. 

3. Your company loves it when you conflate the two. 

Why? Because a busy employee is a compliant employee. One who's too exhausted to question why they're spending their creative energy on quarterly reports instead. 

The Substack Dream and the Productivity Reality 

Now, let's talk about that Substack dream of yours. You know, the one where you're crafting witty, insightful posts from a sun-drenched café, your loyal readers hanging on your every word? That dream requires a different kind of productivity—one that's focused, intentional, and deeply connected to your values. 

But. 

Your current corporate-induced busyness is actively working against that dream. Every time you prioritize inbox zero over writing that sample post, you're choosing busyness over productivity. Every time you stay late to "get ahead" (spoiler: you never do), you're sacrificing the energy you could be pouring into your writing. 

This phenomenon isn't just a personal hurdle; it's a cultural one. In Jenny Odell's "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy," she explores how society pressures us to remain perpetually occupied, often at the expense of our true interests. Odell argues that by reclaiming our attention from constant demands, we create space for more meaningful activities—like pursuing your writing dreams.

Similarly, Oliver Burkeman's "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" reminds us that the average human lifespan is around four thousand weeks. Burkeman suggests that embracing our limited time can liberate us from the endless pursuit of busyness, allowing us to focus on what truly matters.

Breaking Free 

So, how do you break free from the busyness trap and reclaim your productivity for your writing? Here are a few strategies: 

1. Redefine productivity for yourself

   In Cal Newport's "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World," he emphasizes the value of deep, focused work in a society filled with distractions. Newport's concept of "slow productivity" encourages quality over quantity—it's about making significant progress on tasks that matter, rather than juggling numerous trivial tasks.
   Ask yourself: What would a truly productive day look like if it was centered around your writing goals, not your company's? 

2. Practice "productive procrastination"

   Madeleine Dore, in her book "I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt," discusses the importance of releasing ourselves from the constant pressure to be productive in the traditional sense. Instead of feeling guilty for not completing every corporate task, channel that energy into your writing.
   The next time you're tempted to check your work email for the hundredth time, write a paragraph for your Substack instead. 

3. Set boundaries

   Greg McKeown's "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" teaches us to focus on what truly matters and eliminate the non-essential. This aligns perfectly with setting boundaries at work. Learn to say no to tasks that don't contribute to your personal growth or goals. By doing so, you free up time and energy to invest in your writing.

4. Embrace rest as resistance

   Tricia Hersey's "Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto" advocates for rest as a form of defiance against the relentless demands of modern work culture. Rest isn't a luxury; it's a necessity for creativity and well-being. By prioritizing rest, you replenish your creative reservoirs, making your writing more inspired and impactful.

5. Steal time from your employer (ethically)

   In Celeste Headlee's "Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving," she examines the societal forces that drive us to overwork and offers practical solutions to reclaim our time.
   Use your lunch breaks, commute, or even boring meetings to jot down ideas for your Substack. It's not time theft; it's creative redistribution. 

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So the next time you find yourself drowning in busywork, ask yourself: Is this moving me closer to my writing goals, or am I just spinning my wheels in the corporate hamster race? 

Remember, as Jenny Odell puts it, resisting the attention economy isn't about doing nothing; it's about doing something else. By consciously choosing where to direct your time and energy, you step off the treadmill of busyness and move toward a more fulfilling, creative life.

It's time to get truly productive.