"Walls - Busyness Test"
Get a sheet of paper to write down your scores to the following test. Use this scoring chart:
1=Never True
2=Sometimes True
3=Often True
4=Always True
1. I prefer to do most things myself rather than ask for help.
2. I get very impatient when I have to wait for someone else or when something takes too long, such as long, slow moving lines.
3. I seem to be in a hurry, racing against the clock.
4. I get irritated when I am interrupted while I am in the middle of something.
5. I stay busy and keep many 'irons in the fire.'
6. I find myself doing two or three things at one time, such as eating lunch and writing a memo, while talking on the phone.
7. I over-commit myself by biting off more than I can chew.
8. I feel guilty when I am not working on something.
9. It is important that I see the concrete results of what I do.
10. I am more interested in the final results of my work than in the process.
11. Things just never seem to move fast enough or get done fast enough for me.
12. I lose my temper when things don't go my way or work out to suit me.
13. I ask the same question, without realizing it, after I've already been given the answer.
14. I spend a lot of time mentally planning and thinking about future events, while tuning out the here and now.
15. I find myself continuing to work after my co-workers have called it quits.
16. I get angry when people don't meet my standards of perfection.
17. I get upset when I am in situations where I cannot be in control.
18. I tend to put myself under pressure with self-imposed deadlines.
19. It is hard for me to relax when I'm not working.
20. I spend more time working than socializing with friends or pursuing hobbies and leisure activities.
21. I dive into projects to get a head start before all the phases have been finalized.
22. I get upset with myself for making even the smallest mistake.
23. I put more thought, time, and energy into my work than I do into my relationships with friends and loved ones.
24. I forget, ignore, or minimize important family celebrations such as birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, or holidays.
25. I make important decisions before I have all the facts and have a chance to think them through thoroughly.
Now add up your scores. Use the following chart to determine how busy you are.
0-49 means you're probably not that busy or kind of busy. Be careful though. The opposite of busyness is laziness and that's not good either.
50-69 means that you're too busy, but not way too busy.
70 and up means you're way too busy. You might be kind of stressed out and need to cut out some activities.