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| Balancing in the French Concession in Shanghai, China |
The truth is that my daily reality is far from that. When I'm not traveling state to state as an admissions counselor at a large public university, I'm coordinating service projects for my sorority, planning a wedding, and authoring a college advice blog. So how do I balance it all?
I don't.
Balance is a condition when different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. However, spending an equal amount of time on each task is unrealistic with a demanding schedule. As a college student, parent, a working professional, and/or a combination of all of the above, you will have multiple obligations pulling your time in different ways. Despite, how well-planned your week is, there's always a surprise that occurs, which shifts your priorities. Therefore, this post will focus on how to make time for the things that are important to you, which is the closest I get to achieving balance and #productivity.
1. Hit 2 birds with 1 Stone
Not of all your priorities will need your complete undivided attention. Therefore, intertwine some of the items on your to-do list to make time for things that are important to you. For example, when I was a student, I would call my dad every whenever I walked home from the library by myself. He works nights, so I knew I was not interrupting him and it made that walk go by so much faster. I have mini-watch parties with my good friends, where we watch our favorite shows and catch up on life during the commercial breaks. Or I'll fold laundry while watching Scandal. Multitasking has been a way to stretch my 24 hours so I can accomplish more than one goal at a time.
2. Focus On What's Most Important at the Time
You can multitask, but you can't multi-focus. Therefore, it is crucial that your prioritize your plans and relationships even though the people in your life may not understand. One way that I make things a priority, is by setting aside time on my calendar for an event, meet up, or completing a task. Then when it's time to execute that tasks or attend that event, I make sure to free myself from distractions. For example, my smartphone is a distraction as it's constantly alerting me about social media, work emails, texts, phone calls, etc. Once I see that red bubble notification, I'm tempted to get rid of it immediately. Therefore, in order to be productive, I need to put my phone away. When I'm at work, I'll leave my phone in my coat pocket on silent so I'm not tempted to read texts or look at personal emails while I'm focusing on a work task. I try do the same when I'm on a date or having a conversation with my Abuelita. When I carve out time for the things that are important to me, I can finish those tasks quicker and continue to sustain meaningful relationships. Everything else will simply have to wait until I am finished.
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| I must get rid of those red bubbles! |
You can multitask, but you can't multi-focus. Therefore, it is crucial that your prioritize your plans and relationships even though the people in your life may not understand. One way that I make things a priority, is by setting aside time on my calendar for an event, meet up, or completing a task. Then when it's time to execute that tasks or attend that event, I make sure to free myself from distractions. For example, my smartphone is a distraction as it's constantly alerting me about social media, work emails, texts, phone calls, etc. Once I see that red bubble notification, I'm tempted to get rid of it immediately. Therefore, in order to be productive, I need to put my phone away. When I'm at work, I'll leave my phone in my coat pocket on silent so I'm not tempted to read texts or look at personal emails while I'm focusing on a work task. I try do the same when I'm on a date or having a conversation with my Abuelita. When I carve out time for the things that are important to me, I can finish those tasks quicker and continue to sustain meaningful relationships. Everything else will simply have to wait until I am finished.
3. Utilize your support system
Even if you have the ability to do everything, you shouldn't, because you will burn yourself out. Allow the people in your life to help you. For example, during travel season in admissions, I'm visiting three to four high schools a day and then attending a fair at night. I may not have time to publish a post or share on social media. Thankfully, I have a feature contributor, Aaron, who helps me stay on top of everything when I'm all over the place. I don't know much about planning a wedding and my current schedule doesn't give me much time to learn. Therefore, I delegate tasks or seek advice from from family members and friends, who have experience with this. With my sorority, I can't be present at all the service projects that I help organize. However, I have great sorors, who understand and volunteer their time to help make everything run smooth in my absence.
As a busy person, it can be overwhelming trying to satisfy everyone, accomplish goals, all while taking care of oneself. However, these tips can make a hectic schedule more manageable and get you closer to balance. If these tips have helped you, please share and comment below.
As a busy person, it can be overwhelming trying to satisfy everyone, accomplish goals, all while taking care of oneself. However, these tips can make a hectic schedule more manageable and get you closer to balance. If these tips have helped you, please share and comment below.
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