Breaking Free from the Busyness Trap - E113

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Are you busy doing the right things — or just busy being busy? 

In this episode of the Lead To Excel Podcast, Maureen Chiana explores the difference between survival busyness (working just to pay bills, juggling endless tasks) and purposeful living that aligns with God’s calling.

Drawing from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and scripture, Maureen unpacks why your brain craves activity, how fear fuels over-commitment, and why not every good thing is the right thing. She also shares her own story of being “busy but empty” — and the turning point that helped her pause, reset, and re-align with purpose.

You’ll walk away with practical steps to stop spinning your wheels and start excelling in business, leadership, and life with clarity and transformation.

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Mindsight Women's Network | Mindsight Store | The Mindsight Academy

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Stay curious and empowered!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Lead to Excel podcast, where faith,
leadership, emotionalintelligence and neuroscience
meet.
I'm Maureen Chiana, your host,and I'm here to help you think
differently, lead boldly andlive intentionally.
If you're ready to unlock yourpotential and transform the way

(00:25):
you lead and live, you're in theright place.
Remember to subscribe to thispodcast so you never miss an
episode.
Let's dive in.
Hello and welcome back to Leadto Excel podcast.
To Excel podcast.

(00:47):
I'm Maureen Chiana, yourneuroleadership coach, speaker
and author of Rewire your Brainwith Neuroscience and Scripture
Every Day.
Let's start with this quote bySocrates beware the barrenness
of a busy life.
That quote captures somethingmany people face You're busy,

(01:08):
but is that busyness actuallyfruitful?
And I know this because I havelived it.
There was a season in my lifewhen my days were overflowing
Career, business, family,children's activities, church,
running from one responsibilityto another.

(01:29):
On the outside I lookedproductive.
Inside I was tired andunfulfilled.
I was busy surviving, literallypaying bills, saying yes to
everything.
But when I asked myself, am Ibusy doing the right things, the

(01:51):
things God has called me to do,I realized the answer wasn't
always yes.
That moment was a wake-up call.
It forced me to pause.
Moment was a wake-up call.
It forced me to pause, to askGod to realign me and to start
rewiring my thinking.
Science actually explains thiswell.

(02:13):
Every time you tick somethingoff your list an email, a bill,
a chore your brain releasesdopamine, the feel-good chemical
.
It makes you feel accomplished.
It just rewards motion.
That's why you can be busy allday yet feel empty.

(02:34):
And that's because your brainis rewarding tasks, not purpose.
And when busyness becomesconstant, cortisol, the stress
hormone, rises.
High cortisol clouds yourclarity, reduces creativity and
blocks your ability to thinkstrategically.

(02:56):
So while busyness keeps youmoving, it doesn't always move
you forward.
It doesn't always move youforward.
It doesn't always move you inthe direction in which you
should be moving to accomplishyour purpose.
Emotional intelligence gives ustools to ask these questions, or

(03:16):
to ask important questions.
Why am I doing this?
Am I being driven by fear or amI aligned with God's purpose?
For many, busyness comes fromfear Fear of lack, fear of
letting people down, fear ofmissing out.

(03:38):
But emotional intelligenceteaches us that boundaries are
not selfish, they are wise.
Saying no allows you to say abigger yes to the things that
actually matter.
So I want you to ask yourselfthe question am I busy doing

(03:59):
what others expect of me, or amI busy doing what aligns with my
calling?
That brings us to Ephesians 5,15 to 16, that says be careful,
then, how you live, not asunwise, but as wise, making the

(04:21):
most of every opportunity.
And then 2 Timothy 3, 7 warnsus about the danger of always
learning and never able to cometo the knowledge of truth.
That means learning but notbeing able to really bring that
learning into fruition.

(04:41):
Isn't that a picture of modernlife?
We attend courses, watch videos, scroll through endless
information, always consumingbut never actually pausing to
apply, align and live in truth.
That's busyness disguised asgrowth.

(05:02):
And that's exactly why Icreated the resources.
I have my book Rewire your Brainwith Neuroscience and Scripture
Every Day, so that you don'tjust learn but actually practice
renewing your mind daily.
Get your copy from Amazon orMindsightstorecom.

(05:26):
The other resource is MindsightWomen's Network, a
transformational network wherewomen are trained and coached by
me to excel in leadership, inbusiness relationships and
personal growth.
Rooted in scripture and poweredby emotional intelligence and

(05:47):
neuroscience, mindsight Women'sNetwork is more than a community
.
It's a proven pathway to highperformance and true
transformation.
Every woman is equipped withexpert guidance, practical
strategies and spiritual wisdomto thrive as an influential

(06:08):
leader in her career, businessand personal life.
At Mindsight Academy, we areleaders, entrepreneurs and
organizations.
Don't just study neuroscienceand emotional intelligence
separately, but apply themtogether to rewire thinking and
transform performance.

(06:28):
All this because withoutalignment, all the learning in
the world won't change you.
So how do we shift?
The first key to shifting isstop and ask God.
Begin each day with that prayer, with a prayer where you

(06:52):
actually ask God a question andlisten.
Most of the time in prayerswe're talking at God.
Most times you don't stop tolisten.
So pray the prayer.
Lord, help me to not just domore, but do the right things
and also listen to what Godtells you to do.

(07:13):
The second thing is rewire yourthinking.
Don't celebrate only busyness.
Celebrate progress onpurposeful goals.
My book Rewire your Brain withNeuroscience and Scripture Every
Day gives you 366 dailyreflections to help you practice

(07:34):
this.
The third thing to do is setpurposeful priorities Each week.
Choose three things that alignwith your values and calling.
Let them guide your time.
Then the next one is reststrategically.

(07:56):
Neuroscience shows rest boostsclarity.
Scripture also shows that restrenews the soul.
So rest is actually holystrategy.
Finally, find accountability.
That's why Mindsight Women'sNetwork exists.
That's why I run the MindsightAcademy to create spaces where

(08:21):
you don't walk alone, but withpeople who call you higher.
So here's my challenge to youthis week Write down three
things you've been busy with.
Then pause, pray and ask Godwhich of these are survival
tasks and which are the rightthings you've called me to do,

(08:44):
because busyness without truthis emptiness, but busyness
aligned with God's will isfruitfulness.
If this episode resonated withyou, I invite you to take action
.
Start small by getting my bookRewire your Brain with

(09:04):
Neuroscience and Scripture everyday, and watch out for the
companion workbook coming soonwith exercises to help you apply
daily.
You can also join MindsightWomen's Network if you're a
woman ready to stop spinning andstart thriving with purpose.
And you can also explore theMindsight Academy if you're a

(09:31):
leader, entrepreneur ororganization that wants to
rewire thinking for lastingtransformation.
Because, remember, you're notcalled to a life of frantic
survival.
You are called to a life ofpurposeful impact.
Stay blessed and keep leadingwith alignment.

(09:54):
See you again soon.
Thank you for tuning in to Leadto Excel podcast with me,
maureen Chiana.
I hope today's episode inspiredand equipped you to renew your
mind and lead with purpose.
If it did, please you rememberto subscribe, share with someone

(10:14):
who needs it and leave a review.
It really helps more peoplediscover this message.
Remember you are created tosoar higher.
Think boldly and liveintentionally.
Until next time, stay focused,stay faith-filled and keep
becoming all God designed you tobe.

(10:35):
See you in the next episode.
Bye for now.