Do you ever get the feeling that life is insanely busy? I do. And it seems as though life just gets busier each day. The fact is that we have so much more information thrown at us on an hourly basis than we did even 5 years ago. We are exposed to so much choice and persuasion via TV, social media, the Internet, radio and more. It’s no wonder that we are feeling as though we’re drowning and perhaps on the verge of insanity.
So how can we alter our super busy, fast-paced life to one that doesn’t include the phrase, “I feel like I’m going insane”? Let’s talk about some options that you can integrate into your life to help bring you back in from the haze where move from functioning to thriving in this crazy thing called life.
The work/life balance myth
First let’s clear the air – work/life balance is a myth. The idea that we can perfectly balance our personal lives with our careers is simply not real. The reason that work/life balance doesn’t exist is that it doesn’t allow for the fact that it is ok for the scales to be skewed more toward one part of your life, and less in another. Sometimes family is the focus and sometimes your career will take over, but this is ok. It’s your path, so make it your own. Choose what needs to be addressed, or requires work and you can etch out your own version of work/life harmony and how it best fits with your life.
Get a task list
You can use a project management application like Todoist. But, even if you only use a paper version, putting together a task list will help you to empty your mind of what you have to do . Then you can focus on the task at hand. You won’t truly realise how powerful this is until you do it, but wow, the effects can be big. Who knew that putting a tick next to a task could be so fulfilling?
Schedule time with loved ones
This may sound a bit odd, but by scheduling in time with your children, family, friends or significant other, you make sure that they stay on your radar and remain a factor in your life. This puts your mind at ease in that you know you have made time for them in amongst your busy schedule and that you are connecting with them regularly.
Say no
Saying no can be one of the toughest calls you can make. When you are the type of person who wants to help everyone, how do you say no? Before you say yes, take the time to look at every other thing that is going on in your life and the “why you shouldn’t” will show up. Remember that when you are running yourself ragged and fall into bed each night, that is not living – that is existing. Bring a little more “me time” back by learning to say “no”.
Outsource
When you’re super busy, a great idea is to outsource. Not everything, just the things that are either tough to do or drive you nuts! Think about this, the time it takes you to clean the house, you could have sent off that client proposal, had time to play with the kids, made that call you’ve been meaning to make and even started on a new client project. It’s all about perspective on where your time is spent. Think about business project tasks you can outsource too, research, social media posting, scheduling meetings or even just your bookkeeping. Just consider where is the most valuable place to invest your time? You could even put a monetary value on the hours you would spend doing a task to really put things into perspective.
Choose self-care
Self-care is something that I am incredibly passionate about. It’s a tough call for many women who believe that everyone else needs to come first. But think about it this way: when you put yourself first and take time out to go for a coffee with a girlfriend, meditate, go to the beach… whatever works for you, you are strengthening your soul so that it can give back. Plus you are paving the way for the women around you, or perhaps your children, to see that it is ok to choose to care for yourself. That kind of knock-on effect can be huge!
So what am I really trying to tell you? Life is a series of ups, downs, left and rights; but where we end up is exactly where we need to be. We might need to learn a lesson and grow from our experience, or maybe we’re just being the best we can be where we are right now. Wherever you are, it’s time that we stop and take in our surroundings and the people we share this life with and make choices to improve our journey. We’ve all heard the term “stop and smell the roses”, but doing that is seriously hard. So perhaps, review some of the tips I’ve shared and live the life you really deserve.
Drop me a line here and let me know if you’ve been able to make some changes to your fast-paced life. I would love to hear from you.
