We have confused being busy with being worthwhile.

Let’s say you wake up already knowing exactly what you want to do. You know that getting something specific done is what would really make progress. Perhaps it’s an important goal, or a matter that really needs to be resolved. But soon you’re flooded with all the other less important, but necessary things to do, and of course, distractions. Before you know it, the day is gone, and the weeks go by.

What do you think is the difference between being idle, busy, and productive? There’s so much nuance in each, and yet we often treat being busy and productive interchangeably or we believe we already understand them. What looks like busy to you, might look like a waste of time or energy for another. They’re all relative. Busyness and productivity are subject to a myriad of factors.

Usually though, we understand that being busy isn’t the same as getting results. Being productive is getting at the heart of your priorities, making progress, and making money.

And making money is the component of productivity that has created so much unnecessary trouble. It isn’t that making money is the problem, but our belief that anything that doesn’t make money isn’t productive. So as a culture, we are shamed for not being productive enough. We often define busyness and productivity almost exclusively in terms of making money.

Idle isn’t shameful, busy isn’t pointless, and productive isn’t everything.

But what if idle, busy, and productive applied to other areas of our lives, besides just work?

A) Work

As we saw, productivity is almost exclusively defined as it relates to the fruits of our labor. Busyness is oftentimes looked down upon because it doesn’t contribute directly to the advancement of our goals.

But busy is relative, because even mundane activities can be paramount to the completion of more productive ones. A good example of this is the cleanliness kept in Toyota’s manufacturing plants. They prioritize what others would write off as unproductive, because they understand that clean, sorted work areas lead to better outcomes. What looks like unnecessary busywork is actually the foundation of quality products and productive output.

And then there’s being idle. Science, and slowly our work culture, is beginning to catch up with the importance of rest: short walks, a few minutes away from the screen, or just taking a little breather. Often misunderstood as laziness, these are a part of creative work. The reality, though, is that most of us still want to save face and pretend to be busy all day long.

The goal isn’t to be productive all the time, like sleepless conveyor belts working nonstop. It’s to recognize which of the three (idle, busy, or productive) our work is calling for, so that we can produce work worthy of our time and our contribution.

B) Family

I once spoke with the executive assistant of a large corporation’s CEO. She mentioned that his schedule was already booked for over a year in advance. That’s when I realized that being a very successful, highly paid professional (or entrepreneur) often comes with underlying costs we rarely consider. The most productive people are often the least present at home. And even less so with themselves. 

So what does idle, busy, and productive look like in a family? In any household, especially with kids, busy is productive. A moment of true idleness turns quickly into mountains of mess. Parents know—especially those with more than one kid—just keeping the house clean is never-ending, and children’s needs don’t pause for anyone or anything.

But there’s more. Being productive with family isn’t just about upkeep. It’s about being present. Understandably, sometimes we just want time for ourselves, and that’s okay. But to me, the ultimate goal is to be there for our loved ones. Time will always be our greatest asset, and sharing it our greatest gift. No amount of professional success can replace this fleeting window of time. Time with our loved ones is delicate and defining, and worthy of our presence and our love.

C) Health

Health is perhaps the most overlooked of all. We work hard, make money, we show up for our families, and we inevitably forget about ourselves. We eat fast, sleep poorly, stare at screens, and sit for hours without noticing.

How can we get busy and productive with our health? I’m no expert, and each of us has to find our own way to health. No one knows our own bodies and habits better than we do. But here are some of the things that work for me: I try to walk as many steps as I can, I fast, and I avoid processed food. I’ve made it a point to despise anything containing artificial flavorings or colors, as well as maltodextrin and anything that spikes glucose badly.

To be more productive about it, I try to walk for 10-15 minutes right after a meal, and focus on eating nutritious food. These are small things, but they add up. Getting healthier in a world that prioritizes seemingly everything else first is hard. But we all know deep down everything depends on it.

Perhaps we overlook it because we take it for granted when we have it, or because it’s simply overwhelming. There are so many opinions, so many studies, and always another thing we should be doing differently. So keep it simple, in your own way, and on your own terms so that you can make slow but definite progress.

D) Well-Being

And finally, there’s well-being: the hardest one to pin down. Maybe because it feels selfish, and maybe because it doesn’t show up in how we measure success.

Isn’t it true that in many corporations, appearing happy is almost like a handicap? We’re supposed to look busy and annoyed. We’re supposed to signal we’re stressed and productive. The real markers of someone who genuinely cares, like enjoyment, contentment, and enthusiasm, are ignored. Worse, they are discouraged.

But gradually, our workplaces are beginning to recognize the value of well-being. Patagonia, an outdoor brand, is an example: they offer on-site childcare, parental leave, and even flexible hours. They understand that well-being is good business.

That’s the workplace. But what about our well-being, can we even get busy or productive with it? So much of well-being is actually doing nothing. That idleness is not wasted time, but necessary nourishment. It can be a conversation, sharing something, being there, resting, listening to music, cooking a meal, playing—the most important work has no agenda. It’s about appreciating and putting the effort to be mindful about everything that does work, being grateful, optimistic, and kind to yourself and others.

And yet, these are the things we readily sacrifice. We spend years “becoming” someone: graduating, building a career, and a reputation. But in all that becoming, we realize we don’t really know who we are.

The truth is that no titles and no amount of money can finally make us happy. Of course we need money to live, but in modern society, somewhere along our education and careers, we’ve confused financial gain for personal fulfillment. We end up spending so much of our lives in the becoming, in proving our self-worth, and looking “successful” that we inevitably end up feeling empty down the road. So much focus on outward success ends up overshadowing our inner self.

And if none of this is true, then why have we become so isolated? We’re hyper connected online, and lonelier than ever in real life. Hardly anyone has time for anything. Culturally, we have come to expect everyone to text instead of call. There is no doubt we have come to prioritize work over family, health, and our well-being.

Being productive with our well-being starts with recognizing what brings you inner peace, meaning, and direction. Feeling purposeful, connected, and joyful is the whole point. These are the things that make our lives worthwhile: make it a point to spend more time with the people you care about, embrace activities that may seem like doing nothing but are actually restorative, share a meal or a conversation with no phones on the table, walk without headphones, and simply recognize that none of these require money. Breathe, play, do something slowly, enjoy the simple things.

This isn’t to downplay the importance of work, and especially the hard work of all people who keep our society running. We owe so much to so many who work the kinds of jobs that most of us wouldn’t dare to take. However, this is a reminder that productivity has many dimensions, and we must be conscious about them. Solely focusing on making money or chasing status comes at the expense of losing everything else that matters.

The most productive life isn’t the busiest, wealthiest, or even most accomplished, but the one where we are able to slow down just enough to be as present in our living as we are in our achieving.