This been a busy year or rather, a busier year. I know I’m not supposed to be claiming to be an authority at being able to manage my schedule. From time to time, I always panic and get stressed about what I’ve put myself into. However, I’ve been trying to change the way I work and I’ve compiled the list of tips that has worked for me. Of course, admittedly, I still need to print this out & post this somewhere so that I can remind myself about this!
1. Try not to sacrifice sleep – Back in college, I was able to survive on 3 hours of sleep for two days. That carried on after I was already working and from time to time, I’d go on sleepless. However, that all changed when I was driving on a highway and ended up catching myself falling asleep for a millisecond. I was so shocked and I’m still extremely grateful nothing happened. Also, I noticed that sleep kind of destroys my passion for the project and I end up hating every single thing about the situation which wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t sacrifice sleep to start with. 2. Don’t say yes to more than what you can actually accommodate – I’m so grateful Ponggo has finally convinced me to learn how to say no. I don’t know how many times we’ve been through this through the years. I’m a yes person and as much as I can I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news. However, my schedule gets filled up against my will. These days, even how tempting it is to accept more projects, I try to limit the slots every month so that I don’t always have a mountain of backlogs. Also, my sanity (and in effect Ponggo’s sanity), won’t be at stake! 3. Learn how to let go. – Oh wow. This was hard. It took me years before I finally realized it’s okay to delegate certain tasks–especially the ones that are not crucial or repetitive. Guys, it’s okay to trust other people with your work. Things such as easy paperwork can easily and willingly be done by other people. Also, don’t obsess over your work too much. Learn how to stop revising! *Yes, that was me talking to myself.* 4. Take a break. – Have you noticed how your laptop or phone refuses to cooperate with you when you haven’t restarted it for days? Well, just like these computers, our brains need a bit of shut eye from time to time. Working with a fried brain won’t help at all because you’ll most probably end up having a staring contest with your computer. I don’t know how many times I forget that if I work for a full week or even two full weeks, I end up being useless, more often than not questioning my existence and purpose in life. If I were you, don’t go there–it’s a lonely & miserable place 🙁 5. Seek some moral support! – As much as you’d like to isolate yourself from the rest of the world so that you can concentrate on your project, you really need to talk to people to keep you sane. Back in college we used to have this group study. All the while, my introverted self was thinking that this was just an idea that was being sold to the students to help them bond better. I didn’t know how talking to your friends while studying could be productive. However, years later, I still bring the same habit and from time to time, I would ask my cousin & friends if they’d like us to work together even when we’re not working on the same project because I’d like to know I’m not alone in this struggle–misery loves company, you know. 😉 Well, that’s it folks! I’ll be back again in a couple of days. Ciao, I need to work on another project! XOXO, Tipsy ❤
More stuff about the business of busy-ness:
Five Stages of a Busy Schedule
Today’s Tasks
Eat Versus Sleep
Beating Deadlines
Signs That Your’e an Introvert
The Five Kinds of Busy
….and more How To’s here:
How to Be More Productive
How to be Annoying on Social Networking Sites
How to Help the Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda Victims
How to Help Typhoon Haiyan Victims (Part 2)
How to Lose a Friend: 5 Easy Steps
