Why Are We Still So Busy Despite All Our Technology? I Think There’s a Better Way

I hate being busy.

I hate when my mind never stops and throws a new reminder at me every few seconds.

“Don’t forget to buy Lauren a birthday gift.”

“I still need to reply to my coworker’s email.”

“Did I already schedule date night?”

And honestly, having three commitments on a single free weekend day? That’s too much.

So I don’t do that anymore.

I try to capture all those loose ends—that mental load—in a system. Most things go into my digital calendar, which I share with my husband, or into ClickUp, a project management system.

That doesn’t mean everything gets done immediately. But it does mean every thought has a place to live.

And that brings peace of mind. Otherwise, it’s just another open loop that keeps replaying itself.

Creating a few personal rules to make life feel calmer shouldn’t be that hard.
Using technology to create more free time should be possible, shouldn’t it?

Think about it.

We don’t have to wash dishes by hand anymore.
I order my groceries online, and they’re delivered to my front door.
I plan our meals for the entire week.
AI can answer a question faster than it takes us to phrase it.

So what’s going on?

Social media? Have we become so addicted that we feel the need to fill every empty moment?

The number of people I see on the highway looking down at their phones while driving is unbelievable.

And we all know how dangerous that is.

In fact, someone rear-ended my car because of it.

Whatever the reason, one thing is true:
We don’t actually have to be this busy.

We can create more margin in our lives.

• Technology.

• And choices.

Technology is the easier part.

We all know we can automate work. AI is incredibly helpful for that. It’s a language machine, so let’s use it for what it does best: writing, organizing ideas, analyzing information, and summarizing content.

We can order groceries.
We can share calendars.
And so much more.

Here in the Netherlands, kids’ sports don’t happen during school hours. Practices and tournaments happen after school and on weekends.

Some kids are enrolled in two sports, music lessons, and swimming lessons.

That’s a choice.

Offering your child four activities is a choice.
Offering one is a choice.
Offering none is also a choice.
Cooking something different every single night is a choice.
Batch-cooking for two days is a choice.
Filling every weekend with playdates and social events is a choice.
Limiting yourself to one activity is a choice.
It’s your choice how you spend your Sabbath.

When we’re aware of that, we make better decisions.
And those decisions make it possible to stop living in constant busyness.

It doesn’t automatically make us better people.
More often, it makes us tired, distracted, and forgetful.

“Make the best use of your time,” the Bible says (Ephesians 5:16).

Let’s be wise with the time we’ve been given.

Jane