The Art of Juggling It All

Full disclosure: I'm not one of those people who remain calm during hectic situations. I wear my neuroses on my sleeve. I let people know when I'm exhausted (Like last night, when I laid awake until 5 a.m.), stressed to the max, and generally feeling disastrous. In fact, when a police officer pulled me over for speeding this morning, I even shared my problems with him. (A word of advice: Sob stories do occasionally work on cops!)

So, I'm not exactly qualified to provide profound life advice. The likelihood of Dr. Phil giving me a book deal and a regular spot on his show is slim to none. But, if the past four months have taught me anything, it's that life is never predictable.

Changes Ahead

One year ago, if someone had told me that I would move 800 miles from home, start a new job, and purchase my first condo, I would've laughed out loud. But, I did just that - and within a three-month span. Instead of acquainting myself with my new city and exploring its various wonders, I painted, organized, and bought furniture for my bachelorette pad. Almost overnight, I became an Atlanta resident and a homeowner.

Although I'm typically good with change, I'll admit that this 180 has thrown me for a loop. Just last week, I woke up frantic, panicking about all of the things I needed to accomplish. Even though I tried chipping away at my tasks one by one, my "to-do" list was still a mile long. Between working full-time, maintaining a social life, and trying to turn my house into a home, I felt overwhelmed and drained. (At least that's what I told the oh-so-understanding cop when I weaseled my way out of the ticket.)

Let's face it: Sometimes, there just aren't enough hours in the day. Instead of taking time to smell the proverbial roses, we run ourselves completely ragged. We rush from appointment to appointment, task to task - without assessing how it's affecting us physically and emotionally. Regardless of whether you consider work-life balance an attainable goal or merely a pipe dream, it's important to learn the art of juggling it all. To achieve greater balance, consider these three nuggets of wisdom:

1. Listen to Your Mother

Does your mother regularly check in to make sure you're taking care of yourself? Mine does. Whether it's a daily e-mail or phone call, she always lets me know that she's concerned about my physical and emotional wellbeing. Am I getting enough rest? Have I been successful in my quest to stop double-booking? Regardless of how much I have on my plate, my mother always helps me to maintain perspective.

Her best piece of advice: Take time to unwind. After all, she says, it's impossible to perform at the best of your ability on less than five hours of sleep.

2. Set Aside Personal Time

As a sanguine, I have a tendency to make fun my number-one priority. If there's a party, I'm there...with bells on! Unfortunately, this "eat-drink-and-be-merry" mentality hasn't served me well lately. In fact, it has made me downright exhausted. Instead of agreeing to every social invitation I receive, I'm learning to say "no" graciously. As hard as it is for me to pass up on a good party, it's essential for my wellbeing.

Now, my favorite activity is walking. Every night after work, I lace up my walking shoes and hit the hills of Georgia. Not only does this help me to de-stress, it's also good for my figure.

3. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize!

I struggle greatly with task-prioritization. I often get so overwhelmed with all of the tasks that I have to complete that I actually hinder my own productivity. However, in the past few months, I've made a new ally: the to-do list. Each day, I write down three specific goals that I would like to accomplish before I go to bed.

Whether work-related - i.e., finish editing all of my weekly assignments - or personal - i.e., call the cable company to install my services - having a tangible task list keeps me sane. Plus, there's nothing more rewarding than crossing off items on my to-do list.

Up for Discussion

Do you have any tips for juggling it all? Do you agree or disagree with any of my recommendations? Please share your thoughts and opinions with the OfficeArrow community.