A student asked me what he had to do in college so that he could
get into a top graduate school or impress a top company. He planned to take a
rigorous academic schedule combined with joining many diverse clubs. In our
modern society, the glorification of busyness often leads people like this
student to overload their plates.
I pushed back on the student, telling him that he should try
to take classes that genuinely interest him. Then he should examine the
different clubs offered at the school and pick one that interested him. Instead
of doing many things at a satisfactory level, he could do a few things
excellently.
His first response was, “If I follow your plan, I will be
bored. What am I going to do with all the time I have?” My response was that I
was not telling him to work fewer hours but to devote those hours to excellence.
Instead of missing some club meetings because of a conflict
with a different meeting, you can invest all your energy into one club. Instead
of skimming the assigned reading for a class, you can read more thoroughly.
Taking a deeper dive into the subjects and clubs you genuinely love will be
more rewarding and fulfilling than doing a lot of things you do not care about.
It will also be less stressful because you will have a manageable schedule.
If you figure out how to do a few things excellently, you will
not burn out. People who burn out at work and in school are those whose plates are
overloaded and who are constantly under the gun to get things completed.
The challenge for all of us is not to confuse productivity
with busyness but instead with excellence. When you find your passion, you can
truly unlock your potential and achieve meaningful results.
As always, your comments and feedback are appreciated.
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