How to Successfully “Do it All”: Tips From a Recovering Overachiever
My name is Rikkie, and I am an overachiever. That means I tend to overextend myself thinking that I can do it ALL. Between, sometimes, 40 hour work weeks (billable hours), active involvement and leadership roles in various organizations, bae time, family time, friends, and my newest source of joy Her Outlette; 24 hours seem to go by rather quickly. Ultimately, all these activities and tasks are helping me reach where I want to be in life. Yes it is stressful sometimes, but hey — if Beyoncé and Oprah can rule the world using the same number of hours, why can’t we?
I know what you’re thinking, how Sway?!?! I don’t have all the answers, but here are a few tips that help me get er done. I hope they work for you too:
1.Prepare for Tomorrow Today — we have zero control over those unexpected things of tomorrow. Like your uber that takes the wrong route, making you later than expected or that project your boss tells you they need later that afternoon, totally messing up your plan for the day. These uncontrollable acts could ruin your productivity for the rest of the day. Luckily, we do have control over what we do today that can make tomorrow a little easier. For instance, I use Sundays to prepare for the upcoming work week. No, I am not saying I log into the office and start my Monday project earlier, though sometimes I do, but I handle those minuscule tasks that make my week a little easier. Like get your grocery shopping done so you aren’t worried about what you will eat for the week. Or you can lay your clothes out and pack your work/lunch bag each the night before work so you are not running around crazy in the morning trying to get out the door. If you know you have an event or meeting to attend Thursday night, stay at work an hour later on Wednesday to get a head start on your tasks for Thursday. Now, I am not a person who is all work and no play, but I do what I can today to make sure my tomorrow is as easy as it can be.
2. TV Is Not Your Friend — I love me some TV just as much as the next person, but with unlimited access to pretty much any and everything you want to watch, it is easy to get sucked in a black hole of binge watching. We’ve all done it, started your Saturday with a long list of tasks that YOU WERE going to get done…then you sit down for a second to enjoy breakfast and finally catch ONE episode of that Game of Thrones show everyone keeps talking about. Next thing you know it’s Sunday morning and you have not left the couch or completed any of your tasks and you find yourself oddly invested in the future of some dragon lady. Even those hours after work, it’s easy to turn on the TV and space out on some new show. Instead of turning on the TV, do a little work on that passion project you swore you were going to start this year or call those friends you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Don’t get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with TV, I just don’t think it is the BEST use of your time when you have so many other things to do.
3. Know How and When YOU Work — All of our brains work differently. We have different times of the day that we are our most productive and different ways we manage work. For me, in the morning or late at night when I get my second wind (I learned this in law school as my obsession with coffee grew) are my most productive hours. I also know that I am goal oriented , so lists really help me keep my eye on the prize. Try to plan and organize your tasks for the day around how YOU work. WHEN — I know if I have to review documents, early in the morning is the best time because my brain is feeling fresh and ready to rock. If there is a call for my passion project or professional organization, I will try and schedule it for the afternoon so I will get to revamp with some creative thinking in the afternoon. If I need to do mindless web surfing for a flight or send some emails, I will do that at night from the comfort of home…while the TV plays in the background. HOW — I have a cute notepad that I use to organize my tasks for work as well as my extracurricular activities. Seeing them all in once place and being able to cross them off, gives me an outline for my life and a sense of accomplishment as I mark them off. The task list function on the iPhone is also a great tool, it can alert you about different tasks when you leave or arrive at a location. Which really helps me when I have personal tasks that I need to handle after work.
4. Use alll 24 Hours…all of them — I’m huge on multitasking and making the most out of my day. It irks my boyfriend’s nerves when we are watching a movie or a show and I am doing a second task like preparing for work the next day (laying out clothes and packing bag) or putting together my new night stand (yes I am handy). These are tasks that could be done WHILE I watch TV, so I do them. Another great “dead space” time is commutes to and from work. If you’re not driving, you could use them to scroll social media or catch another episode of Game of Thrones, which I do often, OR you can be productive. I use my commute to work to organize the emails I received the night before and strategize how I will handle my tasks for the day. It is also a great time to handle any non work tasks that need to get done, like emailing your landlord about that one thing that has been messed up for a while or setting a doctor’s appointment. Heck, I started writing this article during my ride from work one night. Don’t waste any time. Look for opportunities to handle tasks that need to be done, but you never seem to have time for.
5. The Scroll is a Dark Hole — Another time suck the world is falling victim to is “the scroll.” I love scrolling social media to see how my friends are doing or to support someone’s new venture, but mindless scrolling can really suck you in. I remember once clicking a video on someone’s story (@ogprincebarnes) of KeKe Palmer doing a southern accent while saying shady things to some woman named Janet. This might not sound like a big deal to you, but an hour later I somehow found myself watching KeKe’s latest music video and sharing a trailer for her new movie with all my friends. We are blessed to have access to unlimited amounts of content, but it can really consume you. The next time you are considering the scroll, think about what you NEED to get done (or even start) and switch to that. This does not have to be work. It can be something as simple as looking for something to wear that major event that is coming up. Or getting a head start on your blog article that is due in two weeks. Another option is to multitask, maybe tell yourself you will limit the scrolls to when you are doing your cardio or when you are on lunch. Stay away from social media scroll unless you GENUINELY have NOTHING you could or should be doing.
6. No EXCUSES — I hear a lot of people say they don’t have time for this or they don’t have time for that, present company included (me…I am the present company). Like, oh I was going to go to the gym, but I had this project and I was just so tired after work. Or, I thought about joining that organization, but there is NO WAY I could work it into my already jam packed schedule. We make time for what we want and if you REALLY want it, you NEED to make time for it. Maybe the solution is sacrificing an hour of sleep to wake up and get to the gym before work. Maybe you give up some lunch hours, scrolling social media no doubt, to attend a few lunch presentations with other professionals in your industry. Or you have to pass on a happy hour today to finish building out the website for you new business. We all have these grand dreams for our lives, but are seldom willing to sacrifice things to make them a reality. Give up some time spent doing things that do not help you live your best life, and start digging into those things that do.
Life is short and we only get one on this earth so we should make the most out of every moment. This week try spending an hour or so working on one of your goals or dreams. Whether it is doing some research, getting together a demo, or finally submitting that application, use your precious time in a manner that will get you closer to where you want to be. I am not saying that life should be all work and productivity, I do believe however that these tips can help you be more productive in your everyday life.
