There’s a great example of this I’ve seen again and again. A rental company will wash its tents by hand for years. They’ll set one of those tents up next to a brand-new one, and suddenly it hits them. The old tent looks dingy and gray in comparison. It’s not because they weren’t trying. It’s just that hand-washing can only take you so far. It reminds me of how people used to do laundry with a washboard. That was the standard for years. People thought they were getting things clean. Then washing machines came along, and no one went back to the washboard. There was a better way now. TO CLEAN TENTS n Is Clean?
A few years back, I was talking with a friend in EO. Someone asked how he was doing, and without missing a beat, he said, “I’m not busy. I’m highly productive.” That stuck with me. Most of us, especially in business, say we’re busy. It comes out without thinking. But hearing him say it like that got me thinking about my habits. What was I really doing, and why? I can tell you where that mindset started for me. Growing up and in the early days of my business, staying busy was rewarded. If people saw you moving fast and getting things done, you were praised for it. I bought into that idea. But once you tie your value to being busy, it gets tough to slow down, even when your work isn’t helping much. I remember one morning, I woke up, and I had washed my car the day before. I had nothing urgent going on, so what did I do? I washed the car again. At the time, I didn’t stop to ask why. Later, I realized that sitting still made me anxious. But I’d wired myself to believe I wasn’t making progress if I wasn’t moving. It took me a while to break that pattern. Over time, I realized that being productive isn’t about filling the calendar. It’s about doing things that truly move you toward what matters. That shift meant putting more energy into my family, learning to be a better leader, and strengthening my relationships. I had to get comfortable with slowing down when that was the right choice. It wasn’t easy at first, but once I started measuring progress by what mattered most, not how busy I looked, things changed. Why Busy Isn’t Always Better BUSY OR PRODUCTIVE?
In the tent world, we’re at the same point. Machine washing sets a new bar for what customers expect.
A tent that looks bright and fresh brings in repeat business. One that looks tired and worn can send customers the other way. You’re in for a pleasant surprise if you haven’t tried it yet. Once you see what’s possible, you won’t want to go back.
I once heard someone say, “We’re human beings, not
human doings.” That simple line says it all.
If you find yourself stuck in the busy trap, I’d encourage you to stop and ask: Is this moving me toward what I really want? If not, give yourself permission
to change it. When you focus on the right things,
you move forward in ways that count — and life gets better, too.
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