Busy ≠ Productive: Choosing What’s Essential in a World of Options
Reflections on Essentialism
“You are busy because you are lazy.” — Eugene Peterson
That quote hits hard, doesn’t it?
It’s not about physical laziness — it’s about mental clutter and decision fatigue. We confuse activity with effectiveness and fill our time with everything instead of focusing on the essential.
Dinner Options and Decision Simplicity
Growing up, my mom gave us three options for dinner:
Eat what she made
Make yourself a PB&J
Don’t eat
If she wasn’t feeling particularly gracious, it was just: “If you don’t like it, don’t eat. I’m not running a diner.”
As harsh as it may sound, it made decisions easier. Simpler choices meant less stress and more clarity. We could either take what was in front of us or find a basic alternative — and that was it.
The Overwhelm of Modern Choice
Today, we are bombarded with options — and not just for dinner.
We are inundated with:
Competing programs
Endless invitations
Social causes
Work priorities
Family demands
Digital noise
Many of these are good things. But when we try to do them all, we end up doing none of them well.
We become busy — but not productive.
We stretch ourselves too thin and leave little room for relationships, rest, or real meaning.
The Discipline of Doing Less
In Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown argues that we need to cut through the noise to focus only on what is truly essential.
“There are only a handful of things that are truly essential. We actually need to do less to accomplish more.”
He challenges us to:
Say “no” more often
Create breathing space
Celebrate depth, not busyness
Reflect, listen, and prioritize relationships
HELL YEAH or No
McKeown quotes Derek Sivers, who famously wrote:
“No more yes. It’s either ‘HELL YEAH!’ or no.”
In other words: If you’re not genuinely excited about it, don’t do it.
Now, this doesn’t apply to things like taxes or dental appointments — but when it comes to how we spend our chosen time, the principle holds.
Ask: Does this opportunity align with my deepest values?
The Biblical View of Essential
Jesus had clarity on what mattered most:
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
(Matthew 6:33)
The early church in Acts 2:42 modeled this too — devoting themselves to teaching, fellowship, prayer, and the breaking of bread.
Not 100 things. Just the essentials.
What’s Truly Essential?
From my old Franklin Covey planner days, I still use a priority code for daily tasks:
A = Must Do: Critical and high-priority
B = Should Do: Important, but less urgent
C = Nice to Do: Low priority, little consequence
Even within “A” tasks, I assign numbers (A1, A2, etc.) — so I don’t just get things done, I get the right things done.
Slowing Down to Hear from God
Every day, I try to ask myself:
“What does God want me to give my time and energy toward?”
“Where do I need to slow down and create space to hear from Him?”
Because ultimately, choosing the essential is spiritual work.
And when I do have a choice, I want it to be something I can say:
“Hell yeah!!”
(Sorry — I had to say it again.)
Reflection: What’s Your “Essential”?
What do you think?
How does it make you feel?
Blessings,
Steven
