I’m sure by now you’ve heard people say, “We all get 24 hours in a day, but what you choose to do with it is up to you.” I think we go through seasons of our lives and cycles of the year that feel like absolute chaos at times.
I’m a planner, but no matter how much I planned for my summer of chaos, I’m not sure there’s much I could have done to succeed. I found myself in survival mode over the past few weeks. I wouldn’t say I was managing my time well – I was just surviving.
What helped me through it was this: I’ve studied time management techniques a lot over the years. I’ve tested out the ones that I thought might work for me during my lapses of chaos so that when something got crazy, I would have some tools under my belt.
So here’s how I finally caught up:
- I said no to everything that was non-essential. I was announced as an honoree for the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Auction. It was truly an honor but came along with some expectations that I’d help them meet their fundraising goals this fall. While this is a cause that’s very dear to me, I declined. It would have been some great PR for our business and I could have truly helped do some good work, but I would have been too burned out for much else.
- I was really honest with those around me. My “good news” during a staff meeting two weeks ago was, “I’m alive. I’m drowning a bit, but I’m alive for now.” That allowed the people counting on me to give grace and offer help when possible.
- I got up earlier. I remember telling Riana last year that I no longer wake up at 5 a.m. every day like I used to because I just don’t have to anymore. I can get my work done and meet my deadlines while still sleeping until 7 a.m. every day. Well, for the last two weeks, I got myself up between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. to get an extra hour of uninterrupted work.
- I focused on the things that mattered most and “called in” some reinforcements. As many of you know I homeschool and it’s something I truly enjoy in life. It’s important to me, but I find myself pushing it off sometimes and rushing through it when I have people waiting on me for things. So, instead of allowing that, I paid for a Latin and math tutor to help get my daughter caught up. I had to think outside the box on this one (I mean…Latin is a dead language…so there aren’t a lot of Latin tutors out there…) It turned out, she learned way more than she would have if I had just rushed through it all.
- On nights my kids weren’t in the house, I worked. I don’t recommend this for everyone, but I worked one day from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. I didn’t allow for distractions (I didn’t even see my dogs that day!)
After two weeks I can honestly say I feel good. I’m back to doing the things I enjoy again. I plan to spend extra time reading and writing next week. We’re going on a weekend trip tomorrow, and I feel good about the time away. We’re all caught up! It wasn’t easy, but I also don’t think I could have done enough planning to prevent it.
If you’re feeling like you’re drowning in the chaos, take a look at what you’ve done in the past to not just keep your head above water, but to get back on track. Chaos can’t last forever. That results in burnout. Your body and brain are capable of temporary strain, but you need to make sure you’re moving in the right direction so it results in rest.
