Here’s a common frame, shared among many people: hard work is good (or busyness) is good.

People who hold onto this frame are the kind of people who brag about being busy, who are constantly looking for something to do, or who make life and work harder for themselves.

Someone with this frame finds it very uncomfortable to relax, chill out, heal, rest, or recover.

They feel the need to always be doing something.

When they’re not doing anything, they feel like they’re failing.

The narrative they tell themselves is something like: “Busy is good. It’s productive. The more you do, the better you are as a person.”

This is usually an inherited frame, taught to us by our parents or the culture we grow up in.

It’s a weird one because, if you take a moment to look at it more closely, you’ll see that it’s simply not true. Some of the most productive people in society live relaxed, casual lives, while some of the busiest people do very little to help us.

The reason I think this is an unhelpful frame is because it’s untruthful.

Being productive isn’t about busyness; it’s about wisdom. It’s about knowing which small actions have the biggest impact. The wisest people do very little, but what they do has a huge impact on the world.

On the other hand, the busiest people often only have an average impact—they’re too busy to do anything well.

The people who focus on doing a few things excellently are the ones who provide the most value, both to themselves and to society.

To dive deeper into this topic, check out the original video here: