“It is not enough to be busy. The question is: what are we busy about?”
Henry David Thoreau
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you for listening. Enjoy. Are You Too Busy?
Yesterday I woke up to one of my favorite blogs on the planet, The Minimalists. Their post was on the topic of the busy addiction, a topic that is on my mind often these days and is part of my Creating Awesome Workshop. I was so inspired by their post I decided to write about it too.
The Habitrail
Once upon a time, I was too busy. Too busy to pay attention, smell the roses, listen to my heart, see my friends, enjoy the little things, and attend important family functions. I was too busy to breathe. The truth is, it was all a lie.
It was not that I was too busy, I was on the Habitrail, you know, the fun little toy that hamsters and mice play on, yea, that one. I was addicted to the race. Anything to keep me from feeling, living, and thinking. In order to feel alive, I needed more. God forbid I choose to sit still for one second, because if I did, the world will pass me by. And I was on a mission, a mission of external acceptance, other esteeiming, loading up my bank account with money and my life with all the joys of material things. Sounds awesome doesn’t it?
If Its Important, We Find A Way
Today, I see a sad and disturbing trend. People are using the word busy as an excuse to not do the things they do not want to do. Instead of retuning a phone call, email or text, or showing up for a friend or team member, it’s just so easy to say…”I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy.” We all do it. But it’s a lie. We have a choice of how we spend our time, and if its important to us, we will always find a way. Sometimes we just create busyness around us to distract ourselves from ourselves. Can you relate? I know I can.
Busy Or Meaningful?
My life today is so very different that when I was on the Habitrail. As a new business owner, I probably spend more time on my work than ever before. It’s not that I am too busy, I choose to spend my time doing meaningful stuff. And no matter how much time or energy I put in, I am almost never too busy to pick up the phone or return that email or text. I choose to make time time for my friends and family. I choose to make time for things that really matter.
You Are In Charge Of Your To-Do List
Yesterday my friend texted and wanted me to join her for a drink at The Abbey. Now, if you are from LA, you know The Abbey on Sundays is pretty awesome. I found myself coming up with the busy excuse, and then came clean, I was in a little bit of a funk, and not in the mood. Honesty, what a concept. Of course, she totally understood, because she is awesome. Thanks G-Unit, I love you.
Next time you find yourself using the “I am so busy” excuse, how about being honest and just saying, “I choose to use my time for other things”, “You are just not that important to me”, “No thanks”, or “I am not interested”, “I just don’t care”, or “I’m in a funk, so I will pass, but thanks so much for thinking of me.”
It takes courage to be honest. Next time you find yourself using the busy excuse, try telling the truth, first to yourself and then to others. You are in charge of your to-do list. Remember that.
There are so many opportunities today for people and businesses to market themselves and their services. With the social web, anyone can put up a fancy website and all of a sudden become the authority on any topic. And while this is awesome in so many ways, it’s also a bit scary when it comes to knowing who to believe and making decisions on where to invest your time and money.
I have been noticing more and more companies trying to market to salons and beauty companies, with a whole lot of swagger and very little substance. Then I came across Seth’s Blog the other day, here is what he said.
“One way that marketers (of any stripe) make an impact is by displaying confidence. Consumers figure that if a marketer is confident in their offering, they ought to be confident in the marketer as return. We often assume that confidence means that something big is on offer.
The problem with swagger is that if you’re the swaggering marketer, you might run into a competitor with even more swagger than you. When that happens, it’s time to show your cards, the justification for your confidence. And if you don’t deliver, you’ve done nothing but disappoint the person who believed in you.
Substance without swagger slows you down. But swagger without substance can be fatal. Right now, we’re seeing more swagger than ever—but it’s rarely accompanied by an increase in substance…
The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real.”
Do You Want What They Have?
When we are looking for a mentor, coach or company to help us with our business, it is, as it always has been, buyer beware. But now, with the rise of the social + digital web, it is easier than ever to see if the company that is claiming to be all-knowing is actually doing the very thing they say they can help us with. Are they all swagger and no substance, or are they really walking their talk?
Here are a few things to consider when looking for someone to help you with your business: 1. Do they really understand the salon/pro beauty business or are they just trying to “get rich quick” off the backs of unknowing salon pros? (this sadly is happening now more than ever and it makes my heart and stomach hurt)
2. If they are a marketing company, do you like how they market their own business?
3. If they are a website building company, do you like their website?
4. If they are marketing social + digital services, are their own social + digital pages engaging?
5. Does the company have testimonials from people they have worked with and will they share them with you?
It’s easier than ever to do your homework on companies and people who claim to be all-knowing. Many can have swagger, but it’s the substance in the end that matters most. This also speaks to how you are marketing your salon.
And remember what Seth Godin shared…The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real. Do your homework.
As always, I welcome your comments and thoughts on this post. Or you can share them with me, I’m listening.
