It’s 12:36AM and I have to be up and at a meeting by 7:45.
I just finished my second Red Bull, and I’m cramming for an exam I know I’m going to squeeze by with a C. It’s wake up, make coffee, down coffee, look presentable, make the bed? nah. Off to work/class, eat, salad? pizza? Check myself out in the window’s reflection of whichever building I’m walking past, I regret choosing pizza. 5:30PM, hit the gym, jog it off, is that a love handle? Come home, shower, dinner, call the boyfriend, cruise Facebook, answer emails, finish extra work into the wee hours of the night.
As women, we find ourselves as a freak in our own circus. When is juggling work, school, relationships, health, fitness, knowledge, fashion, funds, and everything else in between possible when I have a hard time screwing the milk cap back on the right way?
It’s about prioritization.
It’s about simplicity.
It’s about detachment.
It’s balance.
Prioritization:
Find yourself a daybook or utilize your calendar app on your phone. It’s not dorky to set yourself reminders. Unfortunately, we can’t hire secretaries to take care of all of our responsibilities and Mom isn’t around to tell us we’re doing too much.
Say NO and feel no guilt. Your friends want you to come to this or do that, but you know you have a deadline that’s nowhere near completion. Don’t say “maybe” or “yeah, let me get back to you”, you’re going to forget and people will classify you as a flake. Say NO and if your schedule happens to clear up, call them up and say YES with joy!
Simplicity:
Drama, drama, drama. Who do you surround yourself with? Do the people close to you support your hectic yet productive lifestyle? Or are they unsupportive and/or dragging you into their pointless dramas? Cut the static and focus on what’s really important. Who broke up with who or who cheated on who or who did what isn’t going to get you anywhere. Be a good friend, but there’s no need to make other peoples problems your own.
Detachment:
This isn’t the Great Depression and saving the used wrapping paper or bows at Christmas is something we leave to Grandma. What about that junk drawer you’ve been meaning to clean out? If you haven’t looked at a document, worn that dress, or used that weird hair curler your sister got you for your birthday three years ago, you most likely don’t NEED it, get rid of it. Goodwill is your friend. Broke? Google your local resale shop!
Balance:
You’re blowing off your friends because you’re working, cut back on your work load. Relationships are everything, find and focus on who is important in your life, and be there for them when they call.
Blowing through boyfriends like toilet paper? Ever think you’re too busy making a career that you forget to make a life? Give yourself some TLC as well as the one you love.
Diet, Exercise, Sleep.
You only get one body, keep it healthy! Sitting slouched over at your computer desk is going to give you that big ol’ hump on your back and hacking away at e-mails all night is going to give you bags under your eyes. Make sure you get your 8 hours because what wasn’t completed today will get done tomorrow.
Be Beautiful.
Take a minute to make yourself look presentable in the morning. A little blush, mascara, and combing your hair never killed anyone. If you’re the type that feels most confident in your sweatpants, so be it! It’s not up to others to decide if you’re beautiful, it starts with you. Do whatever makes you feel fabulous and confident before you walk out the door.
Be Happy.
As good as it feels sometimes to turn on that emotional love song that reminds you of your ex-boyfriend or watching a tear-jerking chick flick… Ditch the sob story, turn up your tunes, and dance! The way you spend your days is the way you’re going to spend your life. Don’t dwell, excel! Allow yourself to be happy and seek for the good in all things. You will naturally attract what you give off. Yes, the world is not always stars and butterflies but nothing is lost if you reflect and learn from the hard times.
This may all sound cliche and unoriginal, but there’s a reason Mom and Grandma have been shoving this down our throats! Enough with the quick fixes or putting off the things you’ll get to tomorrow. Start NOW, I believe in you!
Jennifer Yih is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire.