Busy life? Feel like all you do is work? Can’t IMAGINE adding another thing to your to-do list? I feel ya, and I am right there with you!
This has been by far, my most requested blog post of 2020 and I am finally sitting down to write about it. Life can get busy, and if you are like me, you love a good challenge!
To put things in context and give me some credibility, my life is crazy busy. I teach history at a high school AND I am the assistant drill team director. But, it doesn’t stop there. I also teach Freelance Dance Choreography to over 10-15 schools in the DFW area, choreograph solos, and conduct private dance lessons on the weekends. I also work this blog and my social media platforms. AND, to top it all off, I also manage to workout and keep up with my health! So, how does one manage all of this? This post is for YOU!
1.Find Your Why
This is the most important step. If you do all the things, but never find your “why”, burn out will be sure to come quickly. There is no way that you can possibly be super busy doing something that doesn’t bring you joy. Of course some days are better than others, but the pros MUST outweigh the cons.
Let’s say you are looking at your life right now and the cons are outweighing the pros. That’s okay. We all have seasons in life and this could just be on of yours. Don’t loose hope. The PERK of having a busy schedule, is that you can fill it with things that fill up your cup! Things like working out, pursuing a hobby, blogging…these can all be things that bring you JOY in your day. But, you must find your why.
2. Map it Out
Normally on Sundays, I like to peak at my planner and start making a to-do list for the week. I’ve learned that I can’t be too specific on the DAY that I do something, because in life, things always pop up. For example, I was going to write this blog post last night; however, when I got home, my cat was CRYING for attention (she had been alone for 15 hours) and I gave her my undivided attention. Life happens.
I like to make a checklist of things I need to get done for the week. Breaking them up into categories can be helpful, too. Map out what you need to have done by the end of the week for everything in life (even cleaning). This way, if you don’t know where to start, you can at least pick something off that broad list and do something productive.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t always feel like doing something productive. In fact, 2020 has made me want to just sit home with my cat and online shop. Creating a broad list like this REALLY helps me when my mood is just not “in-it”. Normally, I have 2-3 projects going on at the same time that week. Using this list, I can pick the project that sounds the most fun at that time.
3. Get up EARLIER
This one might be hard for some, but wake up earlier than everyone. When I tell people that I wake up at 4AM everyday, they always look at me like I am an alien. In reality, this is the latest I can wake up in order to get everything done. Waking up before anyone else allows you to have zero distractions. It is quiet in the world and you can use this time to re-center. Of course, you don’t have to wake up at 4am to be productive, but set your alarm for an hour earlier than you NEED. This will allow you to Bible study, journal, have your coffee while relaxing, or simply set your intentions for the day.
4. You don’t need a FULL day of Rest to have “rest”
This is something that took me a while to digest. When I have my busier season in life, I would often find myself MAD that I didn’t get my weekend. Or MAD that I didn’t get a FULL day to sit in bed, do nothing, and relax. However, reframing your mind and scheduling out “rest” moments every day will really help you with the burn out.
During my busy seasons, I “work” straight, no days off, for weeks. WEEKS. If I didn’t reframe my mindset, I would definitely be down in the dumps. Instead, I schedule moments to relax. I plan out when I will have my “self care” routine (hair mask, face mask, take a bath, glass of wine). I pop on The Hills and have 45 minutes to myself. Even if I have to open up the computer later and work, I used those 45 minutes to relax. On Sundays when I have private lessons, I schedule them in the afternoon so that in the morning I can sleep in, hang out with my husband and cat, and take it a little slower. You just have to be the Queen of Planning
5. Set up Boundaries
Last but not least, the hardest thing to do. Whether this is at work, hobbies, family, friends, whatever…. you need to become a pro at setting boundaries. Before this year, honestly, I would feel mean if I set a boundary. If someone asked me to do something last minute and I had already planned something else, I would feel really guilty saying “no”. Setting boundaries in life and work has helped me stay sane..and you might need to do this, too. I don’t only mean at work… even if my husband comes to me and asks me to do something last minute when I had already planned to write a blog post, I have learned to tell that to him. Then we can compromise. But you HAVE to set boundaries, otherwise, you will drive yourself insane constantly going and trying to please others.
My Schedule
So of course, this can change based on the day or even just the season of life, but this is a ROUGH idea of my schedule for those that have been asking.
What’s your schedule look like? Will you be adding anything to yours? Most importantly, what’s your why??
