Stop being busy? How do you start to even consider this idea, when it feels like life is coming at you at 100 miles per hour? It’s actually a simple idea; you start with a change of mindset, not a change of circumstances.

I read an article by Leo Babauta, creator of zenhabits.net, called The End Of Busy. It came in the knick of time. Somewhere in the dark reaches of my mind, I had the wisdom to print this article and tuck it away in my papers, where it stayed for 2 months until I read it recently. Now I’m in the midst of being really busy, not just the everyday busy, but packing, moving, working, recruiting, consulting and seeing friends who are coming to say au revoir, “until we meet again” in Santa Barbara!

I don’t worry or get anxious about tackling a lot of details. I know that goals get accomplished with focused and incremental attention. Clean one room at a time and all the boxes get packed; make one call at a time and the recruiting and conference calls get done; friends come to visit and help, and space is cleared physically and mentally for what’s important to get done, without distracting stories about how hard it is.

Stop for a moment, and think about who you are being in being busy. Being is a reflection of what you are holding in mind as a context for what you’re doing. Is it joyful and intentional? Are you fulfilled in what you do? If the answer is yes, then who you are and what you do is reconciled. You’re present to be with friends, to laugh and share a moment. You’re present at work to do what’s important each day. You let go of the non-productive tasks, and have the wisdom to discern what matters, what makes a difference. You pay attention to the essential routines, and recognize what’s not essential.

So here’s the practice this week. It is 5 fold:

1. Recognize busywork for what it is … filler … non-productive … time waster. Busywork sucks your energy. Don’t do it! How do you recognize it? Ask yourself to what end are you doing any task? If you don’t know, ask your boss. If he doesn’t know, ask the owner of the company. If she doesn’t know, stop! Something has become a routine that is non-essential, costly, and counter-productive.

2. Focus on just the few things that are important and essential to your fulfillment, both in fulfilling goals and being fulfilled along the way. Fulfillment is in the actions you take each moment. You’re not waiting until some ethereal future to be happy. You find it comes with each step you create, because you are breathing life into it.

3. Create space for reflection, contemplation, and checking-in on the well being of your people, co-workers, family, and friends. Friends and colleagues are telling me that they’re enjoying times of solitude more than ever. They’re turning the busy switch off, and allowing peace to enter.

4. Don’t wait for later to stop being busy. Eliminate one thing today. Think of what it is, and let it go. As you do this each day, you’ll find that your mind is clear of clutter and worry, and life follows the example of your thoughts into action.

5. “But I have a million things to do!” OK … you still can only do them one at a time. Eliminate the story, and do the most important task first, then the next most important task next, and then what’s unimportant falls away most naturally.

Ah, I feel more peaceful already.

Let me know how this works for you in your everyday living.

My love goes with you as you work with this uplifting moment.