Ep81: Time Poverty and the Addiction of Busyness with Peggy Sullivan

So here's the thing about "time poverty" — it's just a fancy term for what most of us are doing: running around like our hair is on fire while responding to emails at stoplights and calling it "multitasking."

Being busy is not a personality trait. It's not an achievement. It's not even productive half the time. We've all bought into this hustle culture garbage where we think answering Slack messages at 11pm somehow makes us better humans. Spoiler alert: it doesn't. It just makes us tired humans with eye strain who keep saying things like "I'm slammed" when friends ask to grab coffee.

Here's what I learned from Peggy Sullivan, who sounds like she has her life together in ways I can only dream about: we need to identify all those low-value activities that are sucking up our time like a teenager's gaming console sucks up battery life. You know, the stuff we do that feels productive but is actually just busywork.

And self-care? It's not selfish. It's necessary. It's oxygen mask territory — put yours on first before helping others. But not in that Instagram #selfcare way where you take pictures of your bath bombs while still answering work emails with your pruney fingers.

The path forward isn't some dramatic life overhaul where you suddenly become a productivity guru with color-coded calendars and a perfect morning routine. It's micro steps. Little happiness rituals. It's saying "no" to things that don't align with your values, which is something many of us are still learning to do well into adulthood.

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Peggy Sullivan is a keynote speaker, author, and researcher whose viral TEDx talk, with millions of views, has inspired audiences worldwide to overcome busyness and achieve peak performance without sacrificing well-being. Through her signature Busy Busting Framework—trusted by Fortune 500 companies like Google, Bank of America, and BlueCross BlueShield…she reveals how packed schedules can reduce productivity and fulfillment. With humor, personal stories, and research-based strategies, Peggy empowers individuals and organizations to shift from hustle to purpose, unlocking greater engagement, resilience, and success.

You can find Peggy on her website: www.peggysullivanspeaker.com.

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To learn more about the grief retreat in southern California in September, visit: Oaks Center: Navigating Grief and Loss

Find Morgan on her website morganmotsinger.com