You Are NOT Too Busy

How to Fix Being Too Busy in Construction

One of the most common excuses I hear in construction is “I am too busy.” Too busy to plan. Too busy to organize. Too busy to attend training. Too busy to implement lean. The problem with this mindset is that it keeps people trapped in a cycle of chaos. The truth is that being “too busy” is rarely the real problem. The real issue is a failure to follow the fundamentals.

Recently a young superintendent reached out with a great question. At only 21 years old, he found himself thrown into the fire, trying to manage projects without the proper training or mentorship. He worried that his current environment might harm his long term growth. My advice to him was simple: do not wait for the industry to hand you the perfect training program. Instead, take control of your learning. Read books, listen to blogs, study, learn, and implement what you learn step by step. Do not fall into the trap of learned hopelessness.

This ties directly into today’s bigger topic. Too many people in construction blame busyness for why they cannot improve. “I would use takt planning, but I am too busy.” “I would get organized, but I am too busy.” “I would go to training, but I am too busy.” The cycle repeats endlessly. Yet the solution is right in front of us, and it is not complicated.

Leaders like Paul Akers have been teaching this for years. He emphasizes fundamentals like keeping your area clean, organizing daily, applying 5S in the morning, and making two second improvements that steadily remove waste. He insists on personal organization systems like David Allen’s Getting Things Done so that people can focus with clarity. When I interviewed Paul on this blog, he explained that he expects his team to use these systems. Why? Because without them, people will always claim they are too busy while failing to address the root problem.

Construction will never slow down. Deadlines will always be tight. Developers will always push for earlier completion. The environment will not change, so the only solution is to master the basics that give us stability. Think about that common image of workers pushing a cart with square wheels. They are too busy to stop and change to round wheels, even though the round wheels would make everything easier. That is exactly what happens when we avoid the fundamentals.

So how do you actually fix being too busy?

First, make training non negotiable. Even if it feels like stepping away from work slows progress, the long term gain is always greater. Every training equips you to master your environment.

Second, adopt a personal organization system. You need a planner, a to do list, and leader standard work. Without them, you will always be chasing tasks instead of controlling them.

Third, cap your hours. Working excessive overtime is not a badge of honor. It is often a mask for inefficiency and poor systems. There is a direct correlation between overwork and incompetence. If you were truly in control of your processes, you would not need endless hours to catch up.

Finally, seek help. Do not shoulder everything yourself. Leverage your team, your trade partners, consultants, and mentors. Great leaders build capacity through collaboration, not isolation.

The next time you catch yourself saying “I am too busy,” stop and ask what fundamental you are neglecting. Busyness is not the enemy. The real danger is letting busyness be an excuse for not improving. The tools are within your control. By mastering the basics, you create flow, stability, and freedom from chaos. That is the only sustainable way forward in construction.

On we go.

Key Takeaway

Being too busy is not the problem. Neglecting the fundamentals is. Master organization, training, and flow to break free from chaos.