So quick humblebrag: I’ve been traveling so much in the past few weeks, BUT it’s really taken a toll on my brain, body, and spirit. Now, don’t get me wrong: I love my weekends traveling for sure. It’s SO much fun to talk science with some of the most innovative experts in the field every. single. weekend. But, it’s also pretty exhausting, especially when I have 16 credit hours and assignments due on random dates. My life can seem like it’s go go go 24/7. I figured today I would talk about everyone’s biggest struggle: time management. I haven’t really mastered it yet, but I’ve managed to get a pretty good handle on how I spend my time. Let’s get into it!
Know when to say no.
I promise y’all this is just as much a reminder for me as it is a new blog post for you. I am the worst at saying no. I’m the person who’s at every event, wants to assist every friend with their new project, and wants to experience literally everything I can. I don’t regret it most of the time which I think is why it’s still such a serious problem.
Prioritize. Know when to say no. People who care about you will understand that you need to take time for yourself. The word is: you can’t be super productive if you are exhausted all the dang time. I promise it’s okay to not be present for every get-together, every lunch meeting, every seminar, and every party.
Make time for fun outings and experiences.
One thing I’ve become very good about saying no to is social outings. True story: I have major social anxiety sometimes. Hence why I was very confused about my Myers-Briggs results saying I was pretty clearly extroverted. I crave structure and any situation that’s more laid back freaks me out. So, I pass and opt for another episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
I’m not saying that isn’t a great way to treat yourself and take a break. But, for me, it’s not really that great because I become sluggish and lazy when I don’t have a lot of human interaction. #Extrovert, remember? I try to schedule in some fun activities: photo shoots, brunch, tacos, etc. It helps me balance work and play pretty nicely.
Find a planning and organizational structure that works for YOU.
So, if you’ve been reading our blog for awhile you know that I love planners. Like, I have a DEEP passion for all things planning. But, my system [which you can find here and Hannah’s here] may not work for everybody. The important thing is that it works for you. Some of the most organized people I know do their schedule completely on Google Calendar.
You can sync it to your phone and have it separated by obligation or category. For some people, that’s the best option. I like a handwritten version and something I can carry around physically. Mostly because it makes me feel as though I’m being organized and efficient. Seriously though, don’t feel a pressure to do things the way I or any other bloggers do it. DO YOU.
Develop a morning and night routine.
My best weeks are ones where I follow my morning and night routines. If you want an updated morning and/or night routine, drop a comment down below! When I’m on point in the evenings [nice meal prepped dinner, work out, post-workout smoothie while packing the next day’s lunch, skin care routine/shower, followed by some TV or nightly reading, and promptly in bed by 11pm], I have the best mornings.
In the morning, I’ve started adding in time to do my makeup while listening to a podcast and that’s been heavenly. I’m a huge fan of the You’re Not So Smart podcast [it’s already helped me appear way more intelligent in conversation lol]. ALSO, TheSkimm has started a podcast and I can’t wait to take a listen. I’m very into economics and politics [lol I know right] so I’ll probably also start taking a listen to The New York Times playlist that gets linked with the Morning Brief.
TO BE HONEST, I’ve had a hard time coming up with relevant college-related content. But, you all really want college advice posts! What do you want us to talk about? I’ve really just been trying to figure out my life for post-grad and haven’t felt super inspired to write college-related posts like I have in the past. Let me know what you want to see! Okay cool. I’ll catch y’all next week!
keep on keepin’ on,
