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Now, I know I titled this "How You Can Do It All", but newsflash; the lesson here is you can't. People often ask me how I do "so much". Which honestly baffles me a little bit because I don't really feel like I do *that* much and can think of numerous people who do much more than me.
But, they want to know how I have time to write everyday, workout, go to class, have a job, and do normal life things like see people, go shopping, and get groceries. Now, I have found a few ways to make sure I get things done because my days are typically pretty busy.
The number one piece of advice I would give would be DON'T PROCRASTINATE. Personally, I like to keep myself at least a week ahead of due dates. So, I do about the same amount of work everyday that someone procrastinating would do, but I'm a week ahead so it is not actually due. I enjoy this for several reasons. The biggest one being I mainly get to avoid those "Oh shit" moments when the professor asks for something and I suddenly remember it exists. Not to say I never end up there, because I definitely do. But I can guarantee that it happens far less. Once you get ahead on your work, it is relatively to stay ahead on your work. This also gives me the opportunity to sit on the work and think about it, so if I want to change it I can.
I also recommend doing some work everyday. Even if it is just one worksheet, it will add up throughout the week. I typically use my Sundays to do all the work I don't finish throughout the week. But, on any given day, I'll typically do anywhere from 1-4 hours of homework. Even in those little moments; three half hour sessions throughout the day add up. That way it won't feel so overwhelming when you do get the chance to do work.
Planners! Use a planner. I swear by my planner. I wake up everyday and write out everything that I need to accomplish that day and try not to let myself fall asleep before I can cross everything on that list off. But, I second that with be reasonable and be specific. Don't say "read the entire English book", try "read two chapters of english book". Giving yourself daily goals will help you avoid even needed to read the whole book in one day. If it's a day that I'm working a 12 hour shift, I'm not going to plan to do as much homework as if I was just as school. It also allows you to see what is coming up, so you know how your week is going to look.
Sprinkle fun things in. Like going to the gym, reading a book, getting a smoothie, writing a blog, or hanging out with friends. Instead of doing 4 hours straight and getting burnt out of work, do two three hour sessions with fun things inbetween. I've found that having something to look forward to really helps me stay on task, as well as giving me a nice escape when I need it.
Working towards a goal also really helps me. Whether it's finishing a chapter, unit, semester, or even professional goals. When I get tired or maybe don't feel like doing my work, having something to look forward to often helps me keep going. I just remember "Okay Madison, do this now so you can graduate and get a job and take care of a dog someday". Especially through the pandemic, college has been draining. But remembering I'm doing it for something I want so bad helps put it into perspective.
Look for work that fits your mood. Like right now, I'm exhausted and just want to relax. So, instead of doing absolutely nothing I'm probably going to watch a movie for class. That way I can still relax, but my time isn't becoming a total waste. I was probably going to watch netflix anyways, so I might as well cross one more thing off my list while I do so. One thing I do today is another thing I don't have to do tomorrow.
And finally, my last piece of advice, would be to cut yourself some slack. There are days when I'm so not productive. Today I had several really fun prompts that I was going to write about for here, but honestly, I don't feel like it. I'm coming up on finals week and I wrote two papers today. It feels like I have a cinder block instead of a brain. Right now, I just want to lay ina. dark room and not think anything ever again. There's no shame in knowing that you need a break, because if you take one you will probably get better work done tomorrow as a result of it.
I know I said that would be my last thing, but I would also just like to stress the importance of finding things and enjoy and pursuing those. For some people, the idea of reading a book sounds like the last thing they would want to do after a long day. For me, I enjoy it. Although sometimes I'll admit I do just want to watch tik tok and decompress. If you're doing things you enjoy, the work begins to feel like work that has a purpose.
Personally, I thrive off of a very regimented and busy schedule. If I had nothing to do, I would be restless and irritable to say the least. However, I strongly recommend holding yourself to a high standard because once you begin to let it slip it becomes even harder to come back. Don't say, "How do they do so much?". Instead, think "What can I do to make myself that productive?". Again, not saying I'm overly productive because I don't really feel I am. But, if you go into things with the mindset that something is going to happen and you are going to finish something, you'll find it just does. For me, there is no option. There are things that I am going to do so it's up to me to figure out how to do them all. When you start thinking, "I hope I can do that", you're leaving it open that you might not. When I hope to do something, it's probably not going to happen. It's not always going to be fun, but if you practice pushing through it will get easier with time. Know what you need to do to actually achieve your goals. Be realistic with what you can do, and then do it.
