As I walked through the convention center hallway, the cloud of dust in the air sent my sinuses into a frenzy. The noise of a banging hammer and the whirl of a drill told me what I hadn’t yet seen: this was a construction zone.
The building was undergoing massive modernization. During the renovation, dozens of tradesmen and day laborers worked toward the completion of something bigger than themselves—a clear sign of progress and investment in the future.
I navigated the maze of breakout rooms, casually observing the work around me. I was impressed with the coordination of such a large project, all happening while the building remained open for business. Every person seemed to have a task and was executing it. Small teams weren’t in each other’s way. Every piece of the puzzle was integrated with minimal downtime.
And then I saw it.
In one nearly completed section, a crew was doing punch-out work, the final touches: outlet covers, touch-up paint, and small corrections.
Everyone was moving with purpose — everyone except one person.
I noticed a worker with a broom mindlessly sweeping the same clean section of carpet over and over. Nothing was being swept up. The motion was there, and the effort was visible, but the result was nonexistent.
They weren’t being productive. They were just busy.
We’ve all seen it—the person who looks busy but isn’t producing anything of value. Maybe we’ve even been that person sometimes, convincing ourselves that movement equals progress.
Maybe you don’t want to do the other available work. Maybe it is too hard, or you are uncomfortable with the required technical skills. So, we intentionally find something to make us look busy.
Admittedly, I have done this in my own home.
When my wife grabs the laundry out of the dryer to be folded, I suddenly find myself busy with a mindless task that isn’t necessary at that moment. I would rather be too busy to help with the task that actually needs to be done.
In trying to live a better life with better intentions, we should ask ourselves if we are just being busy or productive.
The difference determines whether you’re sweeping a clean carpet or building something that lasts.
Drafted and edited with Freewrite and Grammarly.