More Isn’t Always Better

I was doing everything—meetings, errands, planning, showing up.
I was moving constantly. But nothing meaningful was moving forward.

“You did a lot this week.”
“Yeah, I was everywhere.”
“So… what moved forward?”
“…Not really sure.”

That dialogue looped in my head one Friday night. I was drained—but unsettled. I’d mistaken activity for impact. Movement for momentum.

It felt like running hard on a treadmill—sweating, grinding… but staying in the same place.

So I made some shifts.

I started asking better questions:
• What actually matters this week?
• Where does my presence matter more than my productivity?

And here’s the part I didn’t expect:
I used AI to help me figure it out.
Not because I’m a tech guy—I was skeptical at first. But I started using it to ask myself questions I hadn’t made time to explore.
It helped me clarify what was actually mine to carry… and what wasn’t.

It gave me permission to release the non-essential.
To see my energy as a resource.
To build from alignment, not obligation.

I saw this playing out in parenting, too.

There were weeks when I packed the calendar—thinking more meant better.
But my kids don’t remember those schedules.
They remember when I got on the floor and played.
When I sat on the couch and just listened.
They remember when I slowed down enough to be with them.

That taught me: Being present is the plan.
Everything else is just noise if we’re not actually here for it.

Reflection:

Busy feels noble.
But fruitful feels grounded.
Busy drains you.
Fruitful fills you.

You don’t need more hours.
You need more clarity about what matters most.

Even Jesus pulled away from the crowd to rest and realign.
If He needed that pause, why don’t we?