Ideas worth spreading

The real reason you feel so busy (and what to do about it)

2,083,173 views |

Dorie Clark |

TEDxBoston

• November 2021

These days, almost all of us feel pressed for time. Leadership expert Dorie Clark shares three hidden reasons people fall into an endless loop of feeling constantly busy, and invites you to question what really motivates how you spend your time.

These days, almost all of us feel pressed for time. Leadership expert Dorie Clark shares three hidden reasons people fall into an endless loop of feeling constantly busy, and invites you to question what really motivates how you spend your time.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBoston, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Dorie Clark

Leadership expert

See speaker profile

Dorie Clark believes in the power of long-term thinking – and works to help people and companies do more of it.

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Laura Vanderkam | Portfolio, 2018 | Book

Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done

How can we create a sense of spaciousness in the midst of everything that has to be done? Laura Vanderkam provides helpful tools - and a mental reset that shows you that you actually have more time than you think.

Juliet Funt | Harper Business, 2021 | Book

A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work

We can probably all benefit from a ‘strategic pause’ — and Juliet Funt shows us how. Insights from the person who coined the term ‘white space’.

Dorie Clark | Harvard Business Review, 2018 | Article

"Track Your Time for 30 Days. What You Learn Might Surprise You."

What will you discover about yourself if you track every minute you spend for an entire month? Dorie Clark finds out and shares what she learned – so you can benefit from her mistakes.

Dorie Clark | Fast Company, 2021 | Article

"I painstakingly tracked everything I did for a month. Here’s what I learned."

It’s time to repeat the experiment. Nearly three years later, Clark tracks another month of her life, and discovers where she’s improved, where she’s fallen short, and the lessons we all can draw from it.

Jenny Blake | Ideapress, 2022 | Book

Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business

An impassioned call to make work more joyful and less pressured – with a detailed playbook that helps you systematize your business to create more freedom.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBoston, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.