Casey Lartigue, left, holds books with graduate students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in this September 2024 photo. Courtesy of Casey Lartigue

On Sept. 26, 2024, I was a VIP guest at the "Chatter and Cheers" event hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), connecting alumni and students. I was asked by HGSE administrators to introduce my career after graduating from Harvard and about co-founding a non-profit organization in South Korea. During the event, I had fascinating conversations with graduate students who were curious about my career. One question kept coming up: How do you manage your time?

They said, "You're so busy," and my response was always: "I'm not busy; I'm active." This distinction seemed surprising, but it defines how I approach my life and career. When I returned to South Korea, in 1-to-1 consultations, my students at the Seoul University of Foreign Studies asked me the same question. My answer remained consistent: "I'm active, not busy."

"People often inform me, 'You're so busy!' But the truth is, I'm not busy at all. I've structured my life to focus on what I truly enjoy and care about. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel energized because I'm active, not busy.

Being busy is about reacting to demands and probably feeling overwhelmed. Being active means choosing what to focus on and pursuing it with purpose.

I've structured my activities around what I genuinely want to do. My life is filled with roles and activities that align with my passions:

As co-founder of Freedom Speakers International, I joyfully work to empower North Korean refugees. As a professor teaching public speaking at Seoul University of Foreign Studies, I engage with students in meaningful ways. As co-country director of Giving Tuesday Korea, I help promote philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. And as an alum of Harvard University, I'm now actively involved, including serving on the Alumni Council. That's in addition to being a public speaker, mentor, author, editor and consultant.

I was already living an active life when a friend was asked, "What do you do?" His answer? "As I please." That resonated with me and probably explains why we have been life-long friends. Just because the world tries to put something on my plate doesn't mean I have to eat it. Life is an a la carte, for me to pick and choose what I want.

When students ask how I manage my time, I remind them that I'm at a different stage in life because they were born after I started my career. Early on, I decided to focus only on what I truly wanted to do. It's not a traditional nine-to-five path, but it works for me.

Recently, I worked 24 consecutive days without a day off. People were amazed, asking, "How do you do it?" But it didn't feel like hard work. Whether meeting people, writing for The Korea Times, mentoring refugees, or teaching, I enjoy what I do. When I'm tired, I take a nap or switch activities.

In his essay Managing Oneself, Peter Drucker highlighted the importance of self-awareness and career diversification. He recommended having a primary job, volunteering and developing a network. This approach builds resilience and fulfillment. When I read Drucker's essay, I realized I was already living his philosophy.

I remain active, not busy, by using three main methods. One, do as I please. I prioritize tasks that bring joy and purpose. When Koreans ask me if I am enjoying living in South Korea, my response: "I'm still here." If I wasn't enjoying it then I would leave.

Two, I eliminate the unnecessary by setting boundaries and avoiding open-ended commitments. I ask myself: "Do I want to be doing this a year from now?" If I agree, then I am in and I don't look back. If I don't, then I set the boundaries from the beginning.

Three, I focus on impact. Is the work meaningful? Am I making an impact on others? When I look at my calendar, I see opportunities to make an impact as an active person, not tasks for a busy person to check off.

Are you busy, caught up in endless demands? Or are you active, living intentionally and focusing on what truly matters?

Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu) is the co-founder of Freedom Speakers International with Lee Eun-koo and co-author with Han Song-mi of her memoir "Greenlight to Freedom: A North Korean Daughter's Search for Her Mother and Herself."