Time management. It's that topic no one wants to talk about, but everyone needs to learn. As someone who is a full-time student with a part time job, plays intramural volleyball, is fully invested in a church and likes to say yes to every little thing her friends want to do, life can be hard, especially when you only get five hours of sleep per night. Most people don't like to admit it, but we have a problem of wanting to do everything. We want to be a part of every single cool project and have a secret fear that the one night we skip hanging out with our friends we're going to miss a cool story. Fear of missing out is real, and it is life. So here are some tips to manage your time a bit better and also conquer the wish of wanting to do everything.
1. Know yourself
This one is huge. Very few people are naturals at balancing everything at once. You need to know how much you can take on at once with out losing any sleep over it. If you can take 20 hours worth of classes and still be a functioning human being with a job and social life, feel free and take it on. If can't, don't sweat it! Trust me, aim to do well at one thing rather than do a lot of things half-heartily. Which leads me to my next point.
2. Pick a few things to do well
You don't have to commit to everything, saying no is actually a option. What I love about this tip is you can apply it to every situation. If you're part of a sorority and they have all of these philanthropy projects, just pick one or two do them really well. Or if you are part of a church and they need someone to help with the music department and the children's church and Sunday school classes, just pick on and do it very well.
3. Let "no" become your new favorite word
Look, you do have a choice. People might be upset with you at first, but the truth is that there will always be another volunteer to take over if you don't want to do something. There will always be more events to go to and more people to see. If you can't always be there to hang out, it's okay. There will always be more chances.
4. Prioritize
Not everything is really that important. Sometimes school becomes more important that movie night with your friends, and other times seeing your family and taking care of your mental health become more important than finishing that assignment. Decide what's more important in the long run and what is more urgent in the moment.
The truth is, you're going to want to do everything, and you're not going to be able to do it all. Pick a few things that really make you feel excited and alive, and don't worry about the obligation you feel to do other things. Yes, you're going to want to do everything, but everything will not be fun if you're drained.
