Life is busy. People are busy. Lawyers are really busy. Why has it seemed so important for so many of us to be so busy? Do we think that being busy shows a certain level of success, responsibility or productivity? Do we have to be constantly busy to live full, active and purposeful lives or to demonstrate our worth in the world?
A few short months ago the coronavirus brought our routines to a screeching halt. Everyone was moving right along in life’s daily grind and then almost overnight it all stopped. No more afterschool activities, workouts at the gym, dentist appointments, volunteer board meetings, haircuts, shopping trips, etc. While we had some transitions to figure out between work and school, in many ways, life became simpler and a little slower. We went from figuring out how we were going to juggle 10 different balls in the air to figuring out how we were going to secure toilet paper. Suddenly, we reclaimed our evenings. We have weekends that don’t pass by in a blur of activity, but sort of meander from hour to hour. The commotion of the morning commute has given way to the tranquility of morning coffee on our porches or decks. In a time where we often feel pressure to say yes to everything, we have been granted a time-out.
Please do not misinterpret my meaning; the coronavirus is not a gift. It is costing people their lives and their livelihoods. We all want and need this to come to an end as soon as safely possible. We want to see our friends, hug those we love, eat in restaurants, and would love to see some sports again! We miss our routines and rituals and even the craziness of our busy lives. However, I hope that we can all use this time to see that being busy for the sake of being busy is not a goal we should strive to attain. I hope when we emerge from our cocoons, we take pause when filling our calendars. Let’s strive to live a life that is not based on the quantity of things done in a day, but rather the quality of those days.