Last week, I had a lot of things to do.
It was a week where a holiday (New Year’s Day) was on a Monday which left us with 4 days of the work week left (not including a short shift we have on Saturdays).
Each day, I would tell myself what needed to be done and I normally am pretty good at being productive.
But what I found was that I was wasting a lot of time.
I’d get on Facebook or Instagram or YouTube and just vanish down the vortex and lose track of time.
I know I have a tendency to do this but sometimes it’s difficult to catch myself.
As I looked towards this week, I brought back a tip I had used in the past to remind myself that other tasks take priority over social media scrolling.
So, I blocked off the time in each day where I knew I’d be on our training floor, as I knew that certain tasks couldn’t be accomplished during that time.
I forecasted ahead which days I would be exercising and blocked off an hour for those days.
Then, I picked the days and times that would be used exclusively for studying (I’m taking an exam in the Spring that I need to be ready for).
I know that each day has the potential to throw me a curveball, but just like setting a doctor’s appointment in the future, if the activity is blocked off, I know what I’m responsible for doing during that time.
Then, I can give myself a breathing window, if I need it. If I find myself drawn to hop on social media, I just have to remind myself, THIS is when I train, THIS is when I study. Social media can wait, it just won’t be done during those times.
I know that my schedule looks different than yours but I also know that what we don’t prioritize for ourselves will get prioritized by someone else. I can’t control everything but I can control some things.
So, follow my lead if you need it, schedule your workouts, schedule your self-care times, schedule your reading/studying, schedule your pedicure/manicure, get it in stone.
It’s not a fool proof plan to keep you from backing out, but it’s better than leaving your day to chance.
(Photo courtesy of Jessica Lewis)