February 2021 Editor's Fix

In January, I decided to remove the word ‘busy’ from my vocabulary. (Okay, I decided to try to remove it… it’s a work in progress.) Why, you might be asking. Well, I read an engaging article in the Harvard Business Review about happiness* and this point specifically spoke to me:

“Letting go of the word busy is the first step toward owning your actions and explaining them with intentionality.” 

Yes! I thought. The commitments in our lives are our choices and recognizing that they are important to us and how we choose to invest our time is key to it being a positive and not a negative… and not just for the individual! By making this distinction, our kids, partners, friends, co-workers and extended family learn more about the what and why and respect our decisions. It also makes it clear when we should say ‘no.’ 

I’ve taken stock of the commitments in my life. The things I carve out time for. And while there is definitely some fine-tuning needed (I think there will always be) it makes me grateful. For the littles and the loves in my life. The adventures. The business we’ve created. The organizations and people I get to work with. And guess what? That makes me happy. 

* “What You Were Taught About ‘Happiness’ Isn’t True” by Penny Locaso, HBR