Full Time Juggler
I give myself a lot of credit for being a great juggler. No, I don’t have a part-time circus gig outside of private practice. What I mean is that I tend to always have multiple projects/tasks/goals in play. Take for example my 2016. For months I was balancing a job, internship, wedding planning and school. I often think back and wonder how I did it all without sacrificing the quality of work in each of these domains. Here is what I came up with.
1. Time Management
We often complain that we don’t have time to fulfill our goals for one reason or another. This is false. It’s not that you don’t have time, it's that you haven’t set aside time. Think of how much time we waste on going through Facebook or binging on Netflix. That is time that we can utilize to move forward to achieve our goals. You can find an hour a day somewhere, either before bed, waking up an hour earlier, or during your lunch break. A little bit each day can move you forward and help you feel accomplished each day. This reinforces your need to continue moving forward. It’s helpful to have a daily planner so that you can physically set aside time and commit to it. You’d be surprised at how much time you actually have.
2. Compartmentalization
If you’re at work, focus on just work. You’ll sacrifice the quality of your work if your mind is pre-occupied with your other tasks. If your quality suffers, you’ll end up spending time fixing your mistakes, thus taking up time elsewhere. Try to get it done right the first time around so you don’t have to worry about it later.
3. Ask for help when you need it
There’s no shame in admitting that you need help. Off load where you can. It’s helpful to have a supportive team in your corner who is willing to help where possible. Are you tight on time that you can’t drop off the kids to karate? See if your partner is able to do it so that you can focus on your tasks.
4. Don’t sacrifice ME Time
Despite juggling so many things, make sure that one of those balls is also yourself. If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, pay attention and take a break. Do something fun or relaxing. An even better approach is to schedule ME time so that you avoid energy crashes. For those of you who are like me and simply do not have the time to schedule ME time, get creative. My ME time is the drive between home to work. I play heavily-bass filled upbeat songs that fill me with energy and motivation. 20 minutes of Beyoncé does the trick for me. Other impromptu ME times are your showers. Alone time in some steam? Yes please! Prayer can also serve as great meditation while off loading your stress to a higher power. Enjoying a cup of coffee without hurrying to finish it helps you to enjoy your coffee and look forward to the day.
5. Be realistic/ don’t be so hard on yourself
Make sure that your goals are actually achievable. Don’t place eight items on your To-Do List when you only have two hours in your day for them. Setting unrealistic goals equals setting yourself up for failure. When you’re not achieving your goals, you become discouraged and this sends you on the fast track to giving up. Recognize when you have bitten off more than what you can chew and then adjust accordingly.
With that said, if you haven’t been able to accomplish what you wanted for the day, don’t be so hard on yourself. There’s always tomorrow and the day after that. Adjust your timeline accordingly and evaluate if it’s realistic.