Habits for Keeping Up With A Busy Schedule

An open planner with to-do tasksSometimes it seems like life only ever gets busier, and worse yet, that there’s no way to keep up with it. Truth is, though, with some good habits, you really can juggle all of the events in your active and sometimes hectic life. The effort that goes into building these good habits will be beneficial in the long run! 

 

Find your system!   There are a lot of great ways to keep your schedule. Journaling is all the rage right now and can be super fun and rewarding, but there’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned day planner either. If carrying around an extra ‘thing’ with you throughout the day seems inconvenient, then there are plenty of options on your smartphone as well. The calendar app already installed on most phones can be useful, along with various other scheduling and planning apps available in app stores.  There are many different apps to choose from, so you can find one that works best for you. Whatever it is, choose a system that you like and can keep up with regularly for organizing your events and commitments each day. 

 

Write things down!   Once you have a system that works for you, writing things down can be extremely helpful for juggling a busy day.  To-do lists are a classic that are undeniably handy for prioritizing what needs to be done and creating more manageable chunks of tasks. Writing all of your commitments and desired tasks down helps you create a plan to attack it all, as well as gives you something to refer back to as you go forward.  

 

Be critical!   Between work, school, parenting, friends, family, pets, hobbies, or any combination of them, a lot of “to-dos” come up.  To actually keep up with your jam-packed schedule, it is so important to be critical and specific about what you say yes and commit to. We all have a tendency to try to accomplish everything that gets thrown at us, but remembering the word ‘no’—and using it—is a must. There are times you just can’t do it all. So be picky about what you will and won’t take on in your busy schedule.  

 

Schedule “you time!”   It’s easy to say that you will reward yourself at some point but it can quickly become difficult to find the time. Mentally and physically handling a busy schedule requires some down time for relaxation, whatever that means for you. Maybe it’s just some time sleeping in and watching television, or it could be something more formal like a massage. Regardless, actually putting that block of time into your schedule is important. It makes it so much more likely that you will actually follow through on it and give yourself the break that you need. It's also huge for knowing how much time you have leftover for other tasks around the house, running errands, or scheduling appointments. 

 

Make time to exercise!   It can be difficult, and seems almost impossible sometimes, to fit anything else into your crazy days. However, you’ll thank yourself for making the time to exercise. Getting your body moving helps boost energy levels and is a great way to relieve stress. With a clear head, you’ll be able to focus more on the rest of the tasks for the day, as well as be more productive about getting them done. Whether it’s kickboxing or zumba, you’ll be glad you did it. For some quick and easy tips on how to fix more exercise into your schedule check out these Tips & Tricks For Adding Exercise to a Busy Schedule .

 

-Jen Maselli

 

Photo Credit: forpanzersseo Clever fox dotted notebook via photopin (license)

 

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