Busy Doesn’t Mean Better

When I was early in my career as an Executive Assistant, I associated being busy with being good.

If my calendar was packed, my inbox was overflowing, a few different events were in progress, and I was triple-tasking while eating lunch at my desk (spoiler: skipping lunch entirely), I thought this meant I was crushing it. I equated being in constant motion with being a high performer. The more I did, and the more I could handle, the better I must be… right?

Wrong.

The more I did, and the more I could handle, the better equipped I must be to handle a C-level executive, right?

Also wrong.

Over time - and through many hard lessons - I learned that being busy isn't a badge of honor. It's often just a sign that something’s broken. Maybe it’s a lack of delegation. Maybe it’s poor boundaries. Maybe it’s just that I was doing too much of the wrong work.

The better I got at my job, the more intentional my work became. It’s not that I cared less or did less - it’s that I got smarter about where to focus my energy. I learned to say “no” (professionally, of course), and to prioritize the tasks that truly move the needle versus the ones that just fill up time. I also got really good at anticipating my exec’s needs before they even said a word, so my efforts were sharper, faster, and way more impactful.

Here’s the secret no one really tells you: A seasoned EA doesn’t just execute. We observe. We pattern-match. We notice the little things. We anticipate. And that’s where the real magic happens.

Early in my career, I’d jump the second my exec handed me a task. No questions, no hesitation - I was on it. Now? I pause. I give it a beat. Why? Because I’ve learned that nine times out of ten, they’re going to change their mind.

That email draft I just spent 20 minutes perfecting? Useless, because now they want to go in a different direction. The calendar we just finalized? Nope, now they want to meet in person, not virtual, which means we have to buffer in travel time, which means we have to move the other meetings that now conflict. That “urgent” deck? They don’t need it anymore. That flight they said they wanted you to book? It’s going to change.

With experience, you realize that not everything requires instant action or any action at all. Sometimes, the smartest move is to wait. To observe. To anticipate the pivot before it happens. It’s also important to understand the “why’s” so you know how to execute and plan in the future and get into your exec’s mind.

EAs also need to be “on” 24/7, but that doesn’t mean we should be working 24/7. There’s a huge difference. Being available doesn’t mean being busy. It means we’ve set up systems. We’ve planned ahead. We’ve created breathing room, both for our execs and for ourselves.

Our jobs are high-stakes, high-speed, high-pressure. But the goal isn’t to burn out or be in a constant state of motion. Busy doesn’t mean better. The goal is to be effective, strategic, and calm in the chaos. To be the eye of the storm. And that doesn’t happen when you’re running yourself ragged trying to do everything for everyone all the time.

So to the newer EAs out there: I see you. I’ve been you. I used to think supporting 3-4 execs and having a 200-tab Chrome window meant I was killing it. Turns out, the real flex is knowing what not to do. Knowing when to pause, when to wait, when to pivot, when to speak up.

As you grow in this career, you don’t stop working hard - you just stop wasting time and energy. You still show up, stay sharp, and stay on. But now you learn when to act, when to wait, and when to let your exec change their mind before you’ve built the deck, booked the travel, ordered the sushi that they no longer want, and printed agendas or taken meeting notes that no one will read.

Now your time is spent on the things that actually matter. Not performative productivity. Not frantic scrambling. Real work. Thoughtful work. Work that moves the needle.

So yes, you should still work hard. But also work smart. And work with intention.

Master the pause. Own your boundaries (after you’ve built trust). Lead with strategy, not chaos. That’s how you level up. And remember: just because you can do everything, doesn’t mean you should.

And please, no more “quick favors” for people that turn into three hour detours.