<AI Novel> If Laozi Thought of Life Hacks for 'Busy People'

~Being busy is mostly a hobby~

That night's business program 'BUSINESS VISION NEXT EX' had lost sight of something, more than usual.

In the center of the studio stood a giant monitor. On it, displayed in a very modern font, were these words.

“The era where the busiest people win! A thorough dissection of cutting-edge life hacks”

Below that, in even smaller text,

“*However, please handle your own mental health”

it had an atmosphere that suggested something like that was written.

The host, announcer Makabe, was wrapped in a perfectly ironed suit and had a face that was perfectly sleep-deprived. He said this at the start of the program.

“Good evening, everyone. Tonight, for the modern person who has too much to do and doesn't know what they should be doing, we will feature 'ways to increase results without reducing work'.”

At this point, something was already wrong.
　The thing people want to reduce is work, yet it is only results that get increased. That is the kind of era the modern age is. Even though people are tired, they are encouraged to make even more new efforts as a means to improve their fatigue. It is a kindness like sending a video link on efficient swimming techniques to someone who is drowning.

There were four guests tonight.

The first was Nitta, an entrepreneur in his early thirties who boasts that he 'changed his life through time management.'
　The second was Takigawa, an executive at a foreign consulting firm known for polluting every conversation with words like 'resolution' and 'assets.'
　The third was Professor Hamura, a behavioral scientist. He believes everything can be explained by neuroscience and probably thinks his own divorce was the fault of his prefrontal cortex.
　And the fourth guest was not just out of place, but out of time.

Thinker Laozi

The audience buzzed.
　Makabe buzzed too.
　The floor director buzzed even more.

Laozi had arrived in attire that showed he didn't understand the purpose of the program at all. Hemp robes, straw sandals, and a staff in his hand. He was equipped with no sponsor logos, no smartwatches, and no blue-light-blocking glasses. Because his appearance was so 'unproductive,' it actually looked fresh to modern people.

Before the broadcast, when the makeup artist approached him saying, 'Um, just the shine on your face...', Laozi said, 'Things that shine will shine even if left alone.' The makeup artist was troubled. Being told something like that sounded like a challenge to the entire cosmetics industry.

When the broadcast began, Makabe proceeded with his practiced tone.

“Now, tonight's theme is 'a prescription for people who have too much to do.' First, Nitta-san, please tell us what kind of daily life you lead.”

Nitta answered with an expression that made it unclear whether he should puff out his chest or collapse.

“Yes. I wake up at 4:50 AM and start with a cold shower. After that, I do meditation, English study, news checks, muscle training, protein, watching podcasts at double speed, replying to emails, and confirming industry trends, so I have one job finished by 8:00 AM.”

"That's amazing."

"I have an average of nine meetings during the day. All my travel time is spent on online business negotiations. For lunch, I have smoothies to reduce the number of chews, and at night, I have business dinners or study sessions. After getting home, I organize my to-do list for the next day and write in my self-reflection journal. I use a short-sleeper method to get by on four and a half hours of sleep."

An atmosphere of admiration flowed through the studio.
Some people in the audience thought "pitiful" instead of "amazing" in their hearts, but on television, "pitiful" is processed as a subordinate version of "amazing".

Makabe nods.

"You are truly super busy."

"Yes. But..." Nitta suddenly lowered his voice. "Lately, I've stopped understanding what I'm so busy for."

Takigawa cuts in immediately.

"That basically means your operations have increased too much, raising your decision-making costs. Your priority layer design is weak."

No one knew what he was talking about, but since he looked like he was about to solve the problem, the staff zoomed in with the camera.

Professor Hamura continues, not to be outdone.

"The brain dislikes incomplete tasks, you see. The more tasks you have, the more your attention resources are dispersed. That's why to-do lists are extremely effective."

"I see," said Makabe. "So tonight, I would like to re-examine how to use to-do lists. Laozi, what do you think?"

At this point, a normal guest would nod once and then say something safe.
But Laozi looked at the script on the table for a while before quietly saying this.

"You all have such busy faces while you do a special feature on busyness."

Laughter broke out in the studio.
But that laughter was extremely weak. People cannot laugh loudly at something that has pricked their own hearts.

Makabe smiled professionally.

"Well, modern people are busy, after all."

"Are they?"

"Are they, you ask?"

"There are certainly people who are truly busy. However, there are also quite a lot of people who are just acting busy."

This way of putting it struck a strange chord.

Being busy and acting busy are different things.
However, the latter has had overwhelmingly higher market value in recent years. This is because in modern society, there is a side hustle called 'performing busyness' that exists separately from one's 'actual workload.' Frowning at notifications, walking briskly while commuting, opening a laptop in a cafe, and prefacing conversations with 'I'm a bit swamped right now.' Just doing these things makes one look like a very modern person.

Nitta said, looking somewhat flustered.

"No, but I really do have a lot to do. That's why I manage everything with a To-Do list. I even use four different apps for it."

"Four of them?"

"For work, for personal use, for long-term goals, and for habit tracking."

Laozi narrowed his eyes.

"Doesn't that mean your life has become about managing the list?"

Laughter leaked from the audience again. This time, it was a little louder.
It was the laughter of people who knew exactly what he meant.

Professor Hamura quickly regained his composure.

"Be that as it may, To-Do lists have clear benefits. They allow you to get the anxiety out of your head. They organize priorities. They also prevent things from slipping through the cracks."

"That is correct," Laozi said readily.

The room was slightly surprised. Was he not going to play devil's advocate?

"A to-do list is a good tool. It gives names to the fog in your mind. It turns vague anxiety into concrete actions. It is also useful for not forgetting things. People are quite exhausted by the vague fear that they 'might be forgetting something important.'"

Takigawa nodded with a relieved expression. Television feels at ease when it realizes a thinker isn't suddenly going to bring up something irrational. Television likes surprises, but it dislikes things that are uncontrollable.

Makabe summarized it.

"In other words, To-Do lists have the benefits of visualizing tasks, reducing cognitive load, and promoting execution."

"Yes," said Laozi. "However."

The 'however' had arrived.

"However, many people write down what they need to do, feel relieved, and then drown on that piece of paper."

Nitta asks instinctively.

"Drowning?"

"The more you line up your tasks, the more you feel like you're moving forward. But feeling like you're moving forward and actually moving forward are different things."

"But if you write them all down, you'll have fewer things slip through the cracks, right?"

"Yes. But sometimes, you just end up exhausted without anything slipping through the cracks."

At this, a very clear laugh erupted from the audience.
And half of that laughter was made of despair.

Makabe felt that the show was finally getting interesting.

"So, Master. You're saying a To-Do list isn't enough."

"It is not enough."

"What is needed, then?"

Laozi said.

"A 'Not-To-Do' list".

A new caption hurriedly appeared on the monitor.

"Productivity Skyrockets with a NOT TO DO LIST!?"

Television is a device that, in the end, will attach the word 'skyrocket' even to wisdom from twenty-five hundred years ago.

Nitta tilted his head.

"Not doing things, you say? But if you decide not to do things, won't your growth stop?"

"Modern people are strange," Laozi said. "You think reducing meaningless meetings is stagnation, and cutting back on sleep is growth."

Takigawa interjected.

"However, from the perspective of selection and concentration, deciding what not to do is rational."

If you put it in difficult terms, that is correct. If you put it simply, it means to discard.

But wouldn't I lose out if I discard things?

Many people try to avoid loss, only to clutter up their entire lives.

Laozi picked up a memo pad from the table.

For a to-do list, you should write it like this: 'Reply to client,' 'Write proposal,' 'Attend child's PTA meeting.' This is good. It clarifies your actions. It reduces hesitation.

No one objected to that point.
It was also safe territory for television.

However, Laozi continued.

But for a not-to-do list, you write it like this: 'Do not let your soul react every time a notification sounds,' 'Do not attend meetings just for the sake of meetings,' 'Do not stay up all night making documents beautiful that no one will read,' 'Do not try to improve your life when you are tired,' 'Do not decide your schedule after looking at others' successes on social media.'

The studio buzzed with noise.
It was not merely a time-saving technique. It was almost a character critique. And one that applied to everyone.

Professor Hamura showed the kind of excitement typical of a scholar.

In other words, if a to-do list is a 'tool to increase execution,' then a not-to-do list is a 'tool to prevent the outflow of attention resources,' isn't it?

Exactly, said Laozi. One is for moving forward. The other is for not straying off the path.

Makabe suddenly recalled his own day. He had checked his smartphone twenty-three times since morning, replied to emails immediately, attended meaningless internal meetings, and fallen asleep while watching 're-learning' videos after returning home. His life was very modern and very empty.

Nitta still seemed unable to be convinced.

But if you increase the things you don't do, won't you just become a lazy person?

You will, Laozi replied immediately.

Everyone made a face of surprise.

If you write them out of fear, that is what happens. I won't do it because it's a hassle. I won't do it because I don't want to get hurt. I won't do it because I don't want to take responsibility. This is just escapism.

Then, what is a good not-to-do list?

It is deciding not to do things in order to protect what you truly must do.

Those words alone strangely tightened the atmosphere in the studio.
Irony and laughter both faded away for a moment.

Laozi continued.

"People do not get tired because they have a lot to do. They get tired because they treat things that are not important as if they were."

Takigawa nodded as if impressed.

"Designing priorities, then."

"You really cannot be satisfied unless you turn everything into English loanwords, can you?"

The audience burst into laughter.
Takigawa laughed too. He had no choice but to laugh.

Laozi proceeded without mercy.

"People who only use to-do lists are like people who keep bringing things into their house. Chairs, desks, bookshelves, houseplants, air purifiers, humidifiers, ambient lighting, self-help books. The room fills up. Then, they start learning storage techniques."

"That hits close to home," Makabe said.

"Indeed. But there is something you should do sooner. Do not let in what you do not need."

"That is a 'not-to-do' list."

"Exactly. A to-do list is organization. A not-to-do list is defense. A to-do list gives you speed. A not-to-do list reduces friction. A to-do list increases action. A not-to-do list reduces waste."

Professor Hamura added.

"Psychologically speaking, that is the technique of setting boundaries."

"Is it the job of scholars to make simple things sound difficult?"

The professor turned a little red, but since it hit the nail on the head, he did not argue.

Nitta finally wore the face of someone truly troubled.

"Then, what should I decide not to do?"

"Judging by what I have heard of your story," Laozi said, "first, you should stop 'waking up at 4:50 AM and thinking of yourself as a great person.'"

The studio burst into laughter.
Nitta himself laughed too, but while laughing, he was quite hurt.

'Next, "proving your character by the speed of your replies." And then, "feeling anxious if you see free time and don't fill it with something."

Makabe couldn't help but take notes.
It is rare for a host to seriously take notes on a guest's words during a broadcast, but that night, everyone on the show was taking notes in their hearts. The audience, and probably the viewers at home, too.

The efficacy of a to-do list became clear to everyone's eyes here.
It was about concretizing actions, preventing forgetfulness, and breaking down vague anxieties into manageable units.
On the other hand, the efficacy of a not-to-do list had become just as vivid.
It was about protecting one's attention, cutting away vanity chores, drawing boundaries for choices, and securing space for what is important.

In other words, the former was a technique for execution, and the latter was a technique for not burning out.
Both are necessary, but modern people love only the former and mistake the latter for laziness.

This is because doing things is easy to see as effort, but not doing things, before it is seen as wisdom, is first seen as unpleasantness. Refusing a meeting makes you look uncooperative. Stopping instant replies makes you look cold. Closing social media makes you look like you have low information sensitivity. Modern society sells meaningless obedience mostly as "pleasantness."

Makabe entered the summary at the end of the program.

'To summarize, a To-Do list clarifies "what to do" and helps you move forward. On the other hand, a not-to-do list decides "what not to react to" and "what not to take on," preventing burnout. In other words, is it correct to understand one as the accelerator and the other as the steering wheel and brakes?'

'That is fine,' said Laozi. 'However, modern people sometimes head toward a cliff while pressing the accelerator.'

Laughter erupted again.
But it was no time to be laughing. Half of the program's sponsors were probably providing services halfway down that cliff.

Makabe asked one last thing.

'Then, for those who have too much to do, what should they do starting tomorrow?'

Laozi thought for a moment before answering.

'Before writing down ten things to do tomorrow, write down three things not to do tomorrow.'

'Is three enough?'

'If you can keep even three, that is a job well done. People get drunk on ten goals, but they easily lose to three prohibitions.'

Nitta asks with a straight face.

'For example, what kind of three?'

Laozi counted on his fingers.

'One, do not start your day with notifications.
Two, do not accept invitations you are not in the mood for just for the sake of it.
Three, when you are tired, do not try to "optimize your life further".'

Professor Hamura nodded, saying, 'That last one is important.'

'Most self-improvement decisions made in the middle of the night never turn out well. When people are tired, they want to remake their entire selves.'

'Then, what should one do?'

'You should sleep.'

It was the most blunt and yet the most correct answer in the history of the program.

As soon as the live broadcast ended, Nitta opened his tablet. He created a new list. The title was as follows:

Things Not to Do

After thinking for a moment, he typed the first item.

・Do not prove your worth through 'busyness'

The second one.

・Do not become a person who is only good for quick replies

The third one.

・Do not treat empty space as an enemy

He started to write the fourth one.

・Do not feel satisfied just by watching productivity videos

At that point, he suddenly stopped. He realized he was about to add a new task: 'trying to create the perfect list of things not to do.' Modern people really cannot let their guard down.

On his way home, Makabe asked Laozi at the studio exit.

'Master. In the end, what is busyness?'

Laozi looked at the city center at night. Many windows in the skyscrapers were still lit. Meeting materials, sales reports, improvement proposals, self-growth, career anxiety—all of it was being converted into electricity bills.

There are two types of busyness,' Laozi said.
'Busyness for the sake of living, and busyness for the sake of feeling secure. The former is unavoidable. The latter is mostly something you create yourself.'

'Busyness to Feel Secure'

'You feel that if you don't do anything, you have no value. So you pack your schedule. You answer notifications. You learn. You train. You polish. You post. You connect. But half of the tasks you've increased by doing so are just another name for anxiety.'

Makabe couldn't say anything.
He, too, was one of those who had lived by meticulously writing his anxieties into his planner.

Laozi said this at the end.

'A to-do list moves people.
A not-to-do list brings people back.'

Having said only that, the old man disappeared into the night streets.
His back was small, and his steps were slow. But he looked less in a hurry than anyone else in that studio.

The next morning, the clip of the program was widely shared.
More than the 'ultimate morning routine',
more than the 'email technique to reply in seconds',
more than the 'divine habits of people who increase their annual income',
the thing that resonated the most was that one plain remark.

'To protect what you truly need to do, you must decide what not to do.'

Many office workers secretly turned off their notifications that day.
They declined one meaningless meeting.
They passed on a habitual social engagement.
And for a moment, their breathing became a little deeper.

Of course, the world remained as busy as ever.
New management techniques will be born again.
New apps, new habits, and new anxieties too.
Perhaps by next week, videos like 'Seven Habits to Efficiently Maintain a Not-To-Do List' will be mass-produced, and because of that, people will become busy again.

The modern age is a long joke like that.

Even so, there was one thing that sounded true in what Laozi said on television that night.

A to-do list moves life forward.
A not-to-do list prevents life from being eaten away by side paths.

The former clears away work.
The latter prevents you from being cleared away.

Busyness looks like a virtue.
However, in many cases, it is not a virtue, but
schedules you couldn't refuse, notifications you couldn't cut off,
tasks you took on out of vanity,
and the 'I'm anxious if I'm not doing something' feeling,
which is a highly modern and highly classical habit of the mind,
just walking around wearing a high-performance calendar app.

So perhaps, the planner of a truly wise person
is not filled with appointments,
but protected by a few 'not-to-dos'.

That is not to be lazy.
It is to keep what is important, important.

And the fact that this terribly simple wisdom
is being treated as a 'new discovery' on a cutting-edge business program
is the quite earnest and quite elegant absurdity of the modern age.
(End)
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Commentary: Laozi's philosophy in this novel

To put what Laozi is saying in this novel into one phrase,

“Life is not improved just by ‘adding,’ but by ‘subtracting’ to bring things into balance.”

This is the philosophy. It expresses Laozi’s core concepts of Tao, Wu-wei, Nature, and Few Desires in terms of modern 'task management.' Laozi believed that the Tao is the fundamental principle of all things, and that when humans try to force their way against it through desire and artifice, chaos ensues. Therefore, the idea is that it is more important to reduce the unnecessary and follow the natural flow than to force things by adding more.

The 'to-do list' mentioned in the novel is not Laozi’s philosophy itself. Rather, it is affirmed as a modern, convenient tool. It is effective in that it externalizes anxieties from the mind and clarifies what needs to be done. However, from a Laozi-esque perspective, that alone is insufficient. This is because while people are good at 'organizing tasks,' they often get pulled by desire, vanity, and anxiety without deciding 'what not to take on in the first place.' What the Laozi in the novel is criticizing is not the action itself, but the 'excessive artifice' driven by desire and impatience.

What is important here is Laozi’s concept of Wu-wei (non-action). Wu-wei does not mean 'doing nothing.' Instead, it means not forcing things, not acting excessively out of desire, and moving in accordance with natural principles . Even in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Wu-wei is explained not as complete inaction, but as a counter-concept to actions driven by self-centered desires. The advice in the novel to 'not react every time a notification sounds' or 'not attend meaningless meetings' is precisely a modern rephrasing of this Wu-wei.

Also, the core of the novel is the famous idea from Chapter 48 of the 'Tao Te Ching':
“In the pursuit of learning, every day something is added; in the pursuit of the Tao, every day something is dropped.”
Roughly speaking, this means
in the world of academics and technology, it is important to 'add daily,' but in a life lived according to the Tao, it is important to 'subtract daily.' In modern terms, it feels like 'skill-building is addition, but the maturation of one’s way of life is subtraction.' Therefore, in the novel, the to-do list is depicted as a 'technique of addition,' and the not-to-do list as a 'technique of subtraction.' This is quite a Laozi-esque adaptation.

Furthermore, Laozi originally places great importance on reducing desires . When desires become too strong, both people and society lose their composure, leading to conflict and exhaustion. Therefore, he teaches the importance of stillness, simplicity, and knowing when one has enough. The novel’s satire that 'half of busyness is just another name for anxiety' is a modern version of this philosophy. In other words, the view is that modern people are not just busy because it is truly necessary, but that they are increasing their own busyness to distract themselves from anxiety . This is a way of thinking very close to Laozi’s 'few desires' and 'knowing contentment.'

Therefore, organizing Laozi’s philosophy in this novel, it looks like this:

To-do lists are tools for organizing a cluttered mind and clarifying actions.
Not-to-do lists are boundaries to keep from being dragged along by desire, impatience, and vanity.

And what Laozi really wants to say is,
“Living well is not about processing a lot, but about reducing the unnecessary to create a state where what is truly important can naturally emerge.”
The novel’s business-program-style setting is flashy, but the content is quite orthodox Laozi.