Time doesn’t lie; however, people do. As we all know, there are 24 hours in a day. This adds up to just 168 hours per week. Time is commonly considered our most valuable resource, and if anything, its value has only increased throughout the evolution of modern society.

These days we’re all “busy bees.” We juggle countless social and professional responsibilities, and the pressure of maintaining a perfect work-life balance can be overwhelming at times. But are we really as busy as we think we are? We’re actually all plagued by BBS—busy bee syndrome. Our vision is clouded by the false illusions our to-do lists and day planners create. They may be overflowing with tasks and commitments, but many may be insignificant or require minimal time. While busy bee syndrome isn’t a legitimate ailment, evidence from the American Time Use Survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that exaggeration of one’s workload is a common problem.

Let’s face it, whether proud of it or not, most of us are highly competitive. There’s no denying the feeling of pride that accompanies excellence. Along the same lines, we also enjoy the reception of sympathy from our peers. We complain about our lack of sleep and how jam-packed our schedules are, and we use this as a source of competition. We embellish our stories and exaggerate our time constraints, and the knowledge that we’re the busiest is oddly satisfying. What is this competition truly accomplishing, though? When fibbing to others, we’re also essentially lying to ourselves about how we truly spend our days.

It’s time for us to accept the truth about time. We must hold ourselves accountable for our actions and focus on the conservation of our most precious resource.

Here are some secrets to discovering time management weaknesses:

Be honest with yourself. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, right? The easiest way to fully assess your time crunch is to keep a journal. Don’t worry, this isn’t your average elementary-esque diary. It’s a time log. Record your daily activities in list form—no mushy musings necessary. The few minutes we spend taking small breaks or checking various social media websites are more significant than we realize. Just three six-minute breaks interspersed throughout each day add up to over two hours each week. If we’re truly as busy as we claim, those two hours can be spent much more efficiently. By keeping track of your time, you create a system for analyzing productivity. At the end of the day, group your tasks into categories such as “travel,” “work,” and “personal,” and sum the corresponding amounts of time. Compare these totals and ask yourself, “Am I devoting too much/little of my time to this area?”

Be honest with your peers. Once you’ve realized the full scope of your internal dishonesty, you can move on to the next step: admitting the truth to your peers. While we’re working on personal improvement here, there’s no need to admit past transgressions to anyone other than ourselves. Our main focus is moving forward. Remember that no one likes a “one-upper,” those annoying people who always have a better story or a longer list of tasks to complete. Fight the urge to offer up a competing grievance when a peer shares a complaint with you. Simply acknowledge their struggles and share your sympathy. Your workload most likely feels more burdensome to you than it may appear to others, and excessive complaints can become annoying. All in all, try to remain humble. Don’t forget, productivity and efficiency are key. Complaints waste precious time! 

Adapted from, “Are You As Busy As You Think?” Laura Vanderkam, Online.WSJ.com