Tony Crabbe > Quotes

“In this world of too much, we are simultaneously overstimulated and bored, enriched and empty, connected yet isolated and alone.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“It's easier to simply react; to choose to try to do everything, rather than make the difficult decisions and unchoose things -- it takes more courage to do less.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“If we want to be happier, we should shift our attention to those special people, many of whom are probably not anywhere in your social network, but who are central to your existence.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“Wear your life more lightly. There is a ridiculousness to much in ourselves and our lives; we notice this with startling clarity at times of major crisis, but are blind to it for most of our lives.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“In a world of too much, 'More' no longer works as a strategy professionally or personally.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“Unless we can realign our belief system about how we will achieve happy, satisfying lives, we are in grave danger of defaulting to the obvious, external definitions of success. Which brings us right back to busy: the more we focus on external values and goals, the more we will be driven to sacrifice our time and attention for an empty goal, and the more we will throw our lives away in a flurry of self-defeating activity. Through the fog of our frenzy, we will barely notice the increasing disconnection from things that truly matter to us and that could nourish and complete us. In striving for "More," we make ourselves busier and we become less happy and less healthy.”
― Tony Crabbe

“We will not lead completely happy lives unless we can be completely engaged in our activity; and quietly content in our idleness.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“The opposite of busy in today's world is sustained, focused attention. It is deep engagement in activities that really matter to us, or in conversations with those we care about. It is taking the time to think, to amble and to plunge into the moment. It is to be found in the way we use our attention, not time; in how we think, not produce; and in how we engage, not acquire.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“You can be disastrous on social media, you can fail to develop a large network of acquaintances, and it will have little impact on the quality of your life. But unless you get the 15 right, you will not be happy; you will not thrive.”
― Tony Crabbe

“Mastery is found in what we choose to do -- our outputs -- not from our inputs.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“We zijn werkezels geworden. We hebben het te druk om van ons werk op te kijken en ons te richten op de dingen die ertoe doen en waarmee we ons onderscheiden.”
― Tony Crabbe, Nooit meer te druk

“Instead we should aim to gain a sense of mastery in our lives by letting go of our need for control, by making brutal choices, by managing our attention and by negotiating our life back.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“Sometimes deeper enjoyment starts with something as simple as deliberately doing less.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“Your inputs are relatively random; unprioritised, they have little or no connection to what you hope to achieve, and so are ineffective guides to what you should focus on”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much

“Minder doen en meer zijn.”
― Tony Crabbe

“Beating busy isn't easy, but it's a fight worth having. The harder you struggle against the broiling froth of demand, the harder you resist the lure of the immediate, or the call of the ping, the clearer you become about what really matters to you. Active resistance against the norm of mediocrity builds your commitment to your cause.”
― Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much