Are You Growing or Just Busy?
It’s easy to confuse activity with progress. In the fast pace of work life—even within a purpose-driven team—we can feel productive simply because we’re busy. But the real question is: Are you growing or just busy?
The difference between both states is profound. Constant busyness can feed the ego in the short term, but intentional growth nourishes the soul in the long run. This article is an invitation to pause, observe, and make an honest assessment of your real development at work.
1. What indicators are you using to measure your growth?
We often use external metrics to evaluate our development: completed projects, meetings attended, tasks delivered. But real growth goes beyond that.
Questions to reflect on:
- Am I learning new things that expand my capacity?
- Have I developed soft skills like empathy, leadership, or communication?
- Am I contributing with greater clarity and conviction to the team’s purpose?
When these answers are hard to articulate, signs of career stagnation may appear, such as lack of motivation, loss of purpose, or emotional exhaustion.
Related: How to Grow in Ministry
2. The noise of routine can drown out your inner voice
Routine has a function: it brings order and structure. But when unchecked, it can become a trap. Always being “on the go” can be a way of avoiding inward reflection.
Key questions:
- Am I saying “yes” more out of fear of disappointing others than from conviction?
- Am I making space for personal reflection and prayer?
- Do my activities reflect what I truly value?
In teams, it’s also essential to care for mental health in Christian workplaces, understanding that emotional and spiritual well-being doesn’t oppose performance—it sustains it in the long term.
3. The difference between being active and being aligned
It’s not just about doing more, but about doing what matters. Sometimes we’re busy with tasks that aren’t aligned with our calling or gifts, which drains us instead of expanding us.
Ask yourself this every week:
What did I do this week that brought me closer to the person I feel God is calling me to be?
Answering this will also help you reconnect with meaningful work and vocation, giving you clear direction even in the middle of chaos.
4. Evaluate your environment: Is it fueling or draining you?
A healthy work environment can be fuel for your growth. A toxic environment, on the other hand, can make you busy just trying to survive.
- Does your team celebrate growth or just productivity?
- Is there room for mistakes, rest, and vulnerability?
- Do you have leaders who model authentic growth?
A healthy environment promotes not only productivity but also Christian personal leadership, where each team member is recognized as someone in the process of becoming more like Christ—even in their professional role.
Related: 7 Ways to Build a Winning Team
5. Don’t confuse faithfulness with stagnation
Being faithful in the little things doesn’t mean settling for the minimum. It means being consistent, with a long-term perspective. Growth isn’t always visible, but it is always felt.
You grow when:
- You face your limits with humility.
- You invest in your spiritual, emotional, and professional development.
- You dare to challenge comfort when it no longer transforms you.
6. Practical steps to reconnect with your growth
- Schedule a monthly review time: What did you learn this month? What excited you? What drained you?
- Look for mentors or peers who challenge you.
- Choose one skill per quarter to develop.
- Allow yourself rest as part of growth.
Being busy is easy. Growing, on the other hand, requires intention, vulnerability, and direction. It’s not about doing more, but about moving forward with purpose.
At one39, we believe that meaningful work is a powerful tool for personal and collective transformation.
