Podría poner muchos pretextos a mi desaparición en el mundo digital, y mientras sacudo el polvo de mi cuenta de Instagram les voy a confesar que uno de mis propósitos de este año es aprovechar mejor mi tiempo y en ocasiones siento que no lo estoy consiguiendo. Entre mails, facturas y esas tareas cotidianas que nadie cuenta (como hacer la cama y cumplir con la burocracia de ser adulto), he decidido tomarme las cosas con más calma en un ejercicio que me aleje del autosabotaje./ I could mention many pretexts for my disappearance in the digital world, and while I shake the dust off my Instagram account I’ll confess that one of my purposes for this year is to make the most of my time and sometimes I feel like I’m always busy, but I’m not precisely achieving this. Among mails, invoices and those daily tasks nobody counts (like washing the dishes or comply with the bureaucracy of being an adult), I decided to take things more calmly in an exercise that keeps me away from self-sabotage and from always “being busy”.
DON’T BE BUSY… BE PRODUCTIVE
Después de un viaje a Portugal con desconexión digital incluida y mi cambio de estado laboral a freelancer tiempo completo, decidí decirle adiós a la frase “estoy ocupado”, dejando de utilizar el estrés como una especie de medalla o recompensa. “Estoy ocupado y estresado” son frases que escucho todo el tiempo y que durante mucho tiempo me hicieron pensar que tener un poco de tiempo libre o ir lento eran algo digno de ser castigado por la Santa Inquisición./ After a trip to Portugal with digital disconnection included and my change of working status to freelancer full time, I decided to say goodbye to the phrase “I’m busy”, refusing to use stress as a reward. “I am very busy”, “I am busy and stressed” are phrases that I hear all the time and that made me think for a long time that having a little free time or going slow was something worthy of being punished by the Holy Inquisition.
Si bien es verdad que las 24 horas del día no alcanzan y que todos quisiéramos tener más tiempo “libre”, he decidido seguir tres trucos para trabajar y vivir mejor, que por ahora están funcionando:/ While it is true that 24 hours a day are not enough for busy people and we all would like to have more “free” time, I’ve decided to follow three little tricks to work and live better:
1) Tu propio concepto de éxito 🏅 / Your own definition of success 🏅
Las dos métricas que la sociedad suele tener del éxito son el dinero y el poder, ¿pero por qué no trabajar en construir nuestra propia definición de lo que realmente queremos alcanzar más allá de un número de cuenta en el banco? Mientras que algunas películas te dirán que el éxito se mide por un Mercedes Benz aparcado afuera de tu casa, para otros un coche no figura en el plan de vida./ Two main metrics for success are money and power, but why not work on build our own definition of what we really want to achieve beyond a number in the bank? While some films will tell you that success is measured by a Mercedes Benz parked outside your home, for others a car does not even figure in their life plan.
2) Un paso a la vez 🚶🏻 / One step at a time 🚶🏻
Hace unas semanas recibí una muy buena lección por parte de una persona importante en mi vida: no intentar comerse al mundo de un bocado. Había días en los que en mi agenda figuraban 20 actividades diferentes que debían ser cumplidas en 8 horas o si no, me agobiaba. Hoy estoy practicando dividir mis días según mis actividades, por ejemplo: lunes como día de pagos y hacer facturas, martes como día de fotos, etc. Abarcar 10 cosas al mismo tiempo parecía la respuesta más obvia, pero hoy he comprendido que es mejor ir lento pero a paso seguro, además de que la atención es un recurso limitado que disminuye conforme pasa el día./ A few weeks ago I received a very good lesson from an important person in my life: do not try to take the world by storm in just one day. There were days in my agenda that included 20 different activities that had to be completed in 8 hours or, if not, it overwhelmed me. Today I am practicing on dividing my days according to my activities, for example: Monday as a day for paying invoices, Tuesday as the day for taking pictures, etc. Being busy trying to cover 10 things at the same time seemed the most obvious way to do it, but today I understood that it is better to go slow but at a safe pace, besides that attention is a limited resource that diminishes as the day passes.
3) Disfruta del camino ❤ / Enjoy the ride ❤
Todos, TODOS tenemos poco tiempo para hacer las cosas que nos gustan porque estamos inmersos en una serie de actividades que muchas veces exigen más de lo que nosotros quisiéramos dar, pero darse el espacio para mimarnos y ser felices es crucial para recargar. No hablo de la procrastination infinita ni de ver Instagram Stories todo el día, pero sí de “crear” (porque a nadie le sobran horas) el tiempo para nutrirnos ya sea en forma de ejercicio, meditación, actividad artística, etc. No es egoísmo, sino sentido común./ We all have little time to do the things we really like because we’re immersed in a series of activities that often demand more time than we would like, but to find the space to pamper ourselves is crucial to recharge. I’m not talking about infinite procrastination or watch Instagram Stories all day, but it is necessary to “create” (because nobody has extra hours) the time to nourish us either in the form of exercise, meditation, artistic activity, etc. It is not selfishness, but common sense.
¿Listo para darle otro sentido a la frase “estoy ocupado”?/ Ready to create another meaning for the phrase “I’m busy”?
Hey Pablo!
Cómo siempre, una vez más, tus post me dejan con gusto a poco… es que eres UNICO!
Es tan cierto eso que dices. Cuanto nos cuesta a veces detenernos y realmente disfrutar de las cosas… desde ya me aplico todo lo que haz escrito, que lo sepas!
Un abrazo muy grande!
Paz
Muchas gracias por pasarte Paz, me hace mucha ilusión que los posts te dejen algo al final del día ❤️
Hey Fungi!
This post is so meaningful and great. I like what you’ve said: go slow at a safe pace. That’s the best way to accomplish things and not rush anything in life. Also, being able to set out your tasks for each day, so it doesn’t get too overwhelming is key. It gives you the time to enjoy other things like a walk in the park or spending time with friends. We all need these kind of moments in our lives as well.
Hope you had an amazing weekend and a great new start to the week!
http://www.fashionradi.com
Hey Radi, thanks as usual for stopping by 🙂
I feel like lately everything is going at the speed of light in internet, real life and media channels. I really like to think that going slow is the best way to accomplish things that deserve the effort.
I’m currently working on set my tasks per category instead of doing a lot of stuff in the same day (of course sometimes this is inevitable but I try to do it like this as much as I can).
Best!
You are so right, Pablo! Being busy and being productive are two different things. I was just thinking about this today and I think that sometimes we need to.spend time to make time. For example, when we get enough sleep we are much less likely to mess something up, so taking time to sleep for 7 or 8 hours pays out in the long run. When we recharge we are able to work better.
Ivana, thanks for your valuable feedback. I would say that we tend to mix these words into one concept, business, but there is an abysmal differences between being busy and being productive 🙂
Absolutely, we really need to think about the difference between the two.. being busy might look more cool, but in the end being productive is more important. This applies to so many things. Good organization (simplifying things) & getting enough rest( which should also include digital detox!) is what really helps us get work done, that’s at least how it seems to me.
Thank you so much for the amazing comments you left on my blog. <3 You always inspire me! seriously, you do!!!!
I totally agree with you!
Sometimes at the end of the day I felt like I did a lot of work, but that I didn’t achieve almost any certain goal.
Thanks for your valuable feedback 🙂
you have such a good point here! agreed with everything you said!
http://www.prettyinleather.net
I hear you, I have often felt that way, super busy but then at the end of the day I feel like I have not accomplished anything. And yes it is easy to get overwhelmed, but it always amazes me what people in the west consider stressful. Living in Syria is stressful.
And no car from in front of the house. I don’t drive! Hahaha. But yeah a break from social media is always good.
Allie of ALLIENYC
http://www.allienyc.com
Thanks for your comment, Allie. I can totally feel you and nowadays it is so easy to get overwhelmed by many situations. And you’re totally right with the last sentence, sometimes we don’t really appreciate how lucky we are!
And another great article from you Pablo! So true that we need to be productive and not busy. One of the most important things I learned early on was the importance of resting and recharging. It’s a must if you want to remain sane and also be productive. So important to get enough sleep, have something to do/focus on that’s not work and just give yourself a break. That’s so important for finding more inspiration but also energy and being able to do something in the long run! Thank you for this reminder, it’s always a pleasure reading your articles! Xx
http://www.thefashionfolks.com
Mia, thank you so much for your feedback! I would say breaks are crucial if you want to stay awake and creative 😉 I’m glad you liked this article ❤️
This is all so true!!! They want us being always busy and productive, but… not happy! I really hate this!
I mean, it’s ok to be busy and sometimes even in things you don’t like (it’s normal, sìisn’t it?) but not all day every day! Feels like you’re throwing away life!
I’m very agree on what you suggest: slow down and doing well only necessary tasks, and for the rest of time trying to really enjoy your time !
XO
S
https://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.it/
Hey welcome to the blog and thanks for your comment, it is always a pleasure to receive new people and visions here 😀
Qué bien me viene este post para poder expresar mi situación actual. Me veo, súper reflejada entre lo que dices sobre todo en lo de planear mil cósas a cumplir en el día y acabar K.O. Hace 3 semanas que sufrí un accidente de tráfico y con la recuperación me hizo plantearme muchísimas cosas. Una de ellas, tomarme las cosss con más calma y disfrutar de lo verdaderamente importante. Un abrazo querido
http://caritrini.blogspot.com.es
Cata, gracias por tu comentario aquí y en Instagram, me alegra mucho que el post te haya servido ❤️
have a great day!
Most of my days are not long enough to fit in everything I would like to which can be rather frustrating and I completely agree with you that success is and should be an individual definition. Have a nice weekend, Fungi!
Thank you Miriam ❤️
Hey Fungi!
Thank you for your great article, and I could relax and get motivation again!!
I am thinking what similar to you, but I din’t notice dividing my days according my activities.
We studied to do some subjects in one day, for example Monday is mathematic, science, and history…at school days.
So I assumed that, now I’ll change and try like you!!
I really love your pictures, design, and lovely words <3
akiko
Hello Akiko, thanks for your nice comment ❤️ Dividing days per activities is definitely one of the best things you can do, or at least this methodology is very effective for me. I know sometimes it is difficult to set up, especially for the madness we live in our daily lives, but if you could practice on this this will help you so much!
First I LOOOVE the photos of this post! I really do! About the theme… what a clever theme to talk about! I don’t about your city, but here in Porto there’s a group of cool people that anytime you see them they would say how busy they are, and stuff like that. Honestly, I just see them on parties, trips and… coffee shops. They do nothing, in fact. But anytime you find them “omg I’m soooo busy”. I know that it isn’t exactly what you are talking about but… I’m tired of people saying that they are busy but don’t show any work!! It’s cool to say how busy you are… and there’s nothing cool about pretending to have a busy and interesting life when you don’t have it in fact! Well… I lost myself on the subject, but you’re so right about everything. And I’m tired of these “busy” people! ahahah
Kiss*
http://www.fine-alchemy.blogspot.pt
Ooow thank you so much for your sweet comment, it means a lot coming from you as I really appreciate and like your design vision.
And yes! Same situation here in Barcelona and I would say in almost every big city of the world. I’m currently trying to block those comments to stop my stress haha!
Best from Spain!
Honestly this might be my favourite post that you’ve written. In a subtle way it’s a definite kick in the butt to change little bits of my life haha. Like when you say about our own definition of success, I’ve grown up with the mindset that to be classed as successful you need a big house and expensive car and cleaner and 5 star meals, but now I’m trying to change my mindset – my ultimate goal in life is to make some sort of difference (along with travelling the world). At this point, if I don’t get a super fancy house but I still get to do everything I want then for me, I would consider that to be successful. Enjoying the ride is so important and is something I think I’ve gotten better at this year, I’m trying to take things easier and slower and just enjoy things more. What’s the point in living if we’re just going to race through it and not pay attention?
Honestly such a great post, more like this please!
Have a good weekend dude 🙂
Amy; Wandering Everywhere
Hey Amy, welcome back to the blog and you made my day with this comment ❤️ It is definitely the best motivation to see this kind of comments and realize that these words are an inspiration for somebody else. I would say that many of us in America grew up with that mindset so congratulations on keep working to change this, we all need to work on create our own definition of triumph 🙂
Promise I will share more similar posts, can’t thank you enough
Pablo
Ayyyy Pablo este post me dio en mi corazoncito. Definitivamente tienes toda la razon del mundo, desde la era de las redes sociales estamos en un constante no tengo tiempo, pero eso si para estar revisando el Insta si hay tiempo. Muy cierto todo y creo tomare el consejo,
Saludos y gracias por estar siempre presente
Lizza
JAJAJA hola Lizza! Me alegra mucho que te haya servido este post, la verdad es que lo escribí como una especie de desahogo porque hubo un día en que sufrí una crisis nerviosa, nadie es perfecto ❤️
Siento que estamos en un bucle de decir “no tengo tiempo” pero al final ahí estamos checando Instagram todo el día y para eso no ponemos excusa, pero todo con medida y nada con exceso como dicen por ahí.
Espero te sirvan estos tips 🙂
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the number of things we need to do in the day, especially if you’re a fan of procrastination. I am trying to set things on different days like you mentioned. It helps me to stay sane and have a bit of a schedule.
-Leta | The Nerdy Me
Welcome back, Leta! Thanks for reading and for stopping by!
Me encanta tu post, estoy de acuerdo contigo.
Un abrazo
I often say that I am busy, but really, in reality, I just say those words when I really don’t feel like hanging out with the person who’s inviting me. It’s really a challenge for our generation now to be truly productive especially with the influx of technological advancements and social media. Sometimes, I just scroll and scroll online and forget the tasks that I need to do. However, I just really stopped Facebook-ing. I still have my account but I no longer post nor open it for almost like a month already. I only shared my blog posts and bam, off I go. I’ve uninstalled the app on my phone, and honestly, I feel great and more contented. Right now, I’m hanging on Instagram just to share and view photos. Thank you for this amazing blog Pablo. You’ve given us, your readers, something really worthwhile to reflect on.
love lots,
Tin