If you have ever found yourself saying “I am just so busy!” or “I have so much on my plate right now!”…chances are you are on the brink of burnout.

I used to pride myself on being “busy” and having a jam-packed schedule. I loved how it made me feel – important, powerful, admirable, inspirational, and like Olivia Pope, the modern-day Superwoman! (If you don’t know who she is, here’s a quick 101!)

As great as I felt being “busy”, it eventually led me to burn out because I was not taking care of myself. I started double booking things, dropping the ball on big projects, missing out on major life events of my loved ones, and being EXHAUSTED. Oh, and did I mention super grumpy and irritable?

Here’s the thing, I want you to be successful and reach all of your goals, but not at the expense of your health and happiness.

Being busy means that you are going full throttle, filling every waking moment with “stuff”, pushing yourself to your limits in the pursuit of your goals, and honoring your roles, responsibilities, and commitments.

Being productive means pursuing your goals and honoring your roles, responsibilities, and commitments while also ensuring that you are supporting your physical and mental health.

• Productive people know that time is their most significant (and most limited) asset, so they make better decisions to optimize their time and protect their peace.
• Productive people know that there is a time for intense work and focus and a time for rest to recharge and resources themselves.
• Productive people have firm boundaries and clear priorities, so they know when to say “Yes” to something and when to say “No”.

So, which one are you? Busy or Productive?