rest for the weary

Elbert Hubbard once said, “No man needs a vacation so much as the man who just had one.”  And is it not true that once we take a day off, we get spoiled, and long for some more time to ourselves?  Though I have found myself in this position quite a few times, I have finally found a way around it.  Now after a vacation I feel refreshed and ready for another schedule full of appointments and deadlines, instead of lazy and remorseful.

Having seen my day planner most of my friends do not believe that I take vacations, but I assure you I do.  As I have written about before, I plan my weeks out so that my Saturdays (for the most part) are free.  Sure, most weeks I end up running errands or typing up a quick assignment, but compared to the rest of the week my Saturdays are a breeze.  So for a while Sundays mornings were a drag; I did not want to get out of bed (which was not okay since I work Sundays mornings at the bakery).  I started searching for a way to enjoy my “vacation days” and to use them to make myself more productive.  And who knew it would only take three easy steps!

1. Do not procrastinate.  I know you have heard this a million times before, but it is true.  When you keep putting things off, you eventually have to scramble to get all of them done.  If you do things earlier on and in an orderly fashion, there is no scramble and things go by much smoother.  So on your vacation days do not procrastinate.  Schedule tomorrow and make a list of what needs to get done.  Take some time to plan things out, and keep in mind that tomorrow is fast approaching.  Knowing that your vacation is coming to an end can help soften the blow.
2. Know what you want to do.  It sounds arbitrary but knowing how you want to spend your vacation day can make a world of difference.  Without planning it out, you could end up sleeping in til noon, watching television til six, and then just hanging around.  Your whole day (what you have been looking forward to the whole week) has slipped away unnoticed and unappreciated.  Instead, keep a list of things you want to do on your vacation day.  For instance, I write down shows I want to catch up on, friends I need to talk to, and places I would like my boyfriend to take me on a date.  With these things in mind my Saturdays never go to waste.
3. Make everyday a vacation day.  It sounds counter-intuitive, but saving a bit of time each day to relax, unwind, and regroup can make you more productive.  Waiting for Saturday to come can feel like waiting forever, so early in the week i make time to relax by watching my favorite television shows or calling up friends to talk.  These short breaks (which I try to keep under a half hour or so) always refresh me and keep me going.

Busy weeks can be tough, but busy months are brutal.  When you feel like you are running on empty with too much to do and not enough time, make time for a break or a vacation day.  Renewing your spirits is just as important as meeting your deadlines, and most of the time it can help you do so.  Feeling too much stress can ware you down and make you sick.  Take time to recharge once in a while (but do not come to use this as a procrastination tool), and you will find that there is always rest for the weary if you schedule things right.

I hope everyone had a good week, and that you have all gotten a jump-start on those final papers, presentations, and tests.  If you have not started yet you are already falling behind.  Do not let procrastination get the best of you, but click here for your two minutes.

but when am i going to …

Have you ever had a moment, maybe on a Saturday night, when you feel relaxed – like you accomplished a lot - because you got through another week of scheduling mayhem?  How long does the calm feeling last before it is rushed away by the anxiety and dread of the week to come?  You jump up and grab your day planner, calendars, dry erase boards, post-its, etc.  Pencils and markers start flying and scribbling; you spend hours trying to fit all the have to do’s and want to do’s into the next week.  And, some weeks (like this week, if you are me) you cannot even seem to fit the have to do’s into the alloted time.  You pray for an extra day, tell yourself that it will be ok (you just will not have much time for sleep), realize for the hundredth time that your life is our of control, and then lie to yourself saying that next week you will take a day off. 

When scheduling is a daily necessity (as it is in my life), there is always the occasional week of misery – full to the brim with only have to do’s.  I run from one thing to another to another, from school and school work to work to interviews and meetings.  I give up sleep here and there to write papers, forget my favorite show is on because I am preparing for a meeting, and end up posting my blog on Sunday night because I do not think I will get another chance during the week.  I fall behind with reading, friends, and Facebook.  By Friday I am ready to crash and on Saturday that is usually what happens. 

If any of this sounds familiar, you can understand what it feels like to run on empty.  By the middle of the week it often feels like you are out of energy and motivation, and you pray for the week to just end.  But, what does this do?  By wishing our weeks will fly by, our months fly by and with them our semesters.  It is hard, but in the midst of craziness and deadlines we need to remind ourselves that college is one of the best times of our lives.  If we keep wishing it away we will end up missing it.

How do we enjoy our days when they are packed full with no end in sight?  I always try to remind myself what I am working towards.  With every class I take I get one step closer to graduation.  With every interview I go on I get one step closer to that dream internship.  With every day I work I get one step closer to my dream job.  This optimism can be really hard to believe in sometimes, but with a deep breath and some reassuring thoughts I can often renew my spirits for another day of mayhem.

I hope this posts helps some of you to stop wishing away your busy weeks.  Enjoy this week, whether it is crazy or not, and make sure to fit in some studying for finals where ever you can, because they are fast approaching.  Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.  Click here for your two minutes of procrastination.

balancing (aka juggling) act

The title of my blog, as most of you know, is balancing act, because my life is an ongoing effort to balance working, going to school, blogging, building-up my resume, and maintaining a social life.  Although I have an already packed schedule, I often take on more responsibilities (something most people do not understand).  I do this because I am an overachiever, and when a good opportunity comes along I have trouble saying no.  So while juggling a  billion balls in the air, many times I take on yet another.

Unfortunately, I am coming to understand more and more now that I can only juggle so many balls.  When opportunities come along during a week that is already full, I cannot take them on without cancelling something else to make room.  This often perturbs me, because I want to do everything and hate cancelling on friends.  Ultimately, this is something that I struggle with.

Recently, I have had the honor of becoming a Watson Fellow, a prestigious opportunity that will provide me with internships, mentoring, and educational enrichment opportunities over the course of three summers.  Taking on such a huge responsibility that will require a lot of my time and effort means having to give up other things.  Going back to our metaphor, adding “the Watson Fellowship ball” to my “juggling act” means putting others on hold and dropping some all together. 

In many cases it is quite hard for me to decide which balls to drop.  Unfortunatly I often choose to neglect my personal life for the sake of these kinds of opportunities, which is not always healthy.  (All work and no play makes MaryBeth a dull girl.)  Luckily for me, the Watson Fellowship provides me with stipends that allow me to take time off from work to participate in the summer internships they also provide.  But sadly, this is not always the case.

Having such a packed schedule makes it hard for me to take on new responsibilities.  This often ultimately results in me canceling on my friends.  Unfortunately, I do not have the answers for this one.  Which means all comments are welcomed!

I hope everyone had a productive week.  Luckily for CUNY students we only have about five more weeks of class (YAY!).  Get started on those end of semester papers, and start studying for finals before it’s too late.  And make sure to click here, and here for your two minutes of procrastination.

spring cleaning

With this warm weather we have been having, it is very easy to get side-tracked, to procrastinate, and to fall behind on that to-do list I am always rambling about.  A day at the park is much more appealing than writing a paper or studying for finals.  Partly because of these temptations it is this time of year especially that we need to stay focused and stick to our schedules.  How do we do so, you ask?  Well, I like to think that a bit of spring cleaning (which simplifies and condenses your to-do list) can work wonders on your immense schedule, leaving you with some time for a trip to the park .

Spring cleaning can mean a lot of things, but when I use the term I am referring to clearing out your schedule to make room for new and more important and fun activities.  This sounds like a huge task, but it is rewarding to say the least.  To do this, I usually start small.  For instance, clear your schedule for a day by doing everything you scheduled for that day the week before.  This leaves you a whole day to attack the next step, accomplishing those pesky time-consuming tasks, like meetings or trips that don’t fit into you usual schedule and have been being carried along on your schedule week after week.  Next, set aside a day for the little things that you have been putting off forever.  Buy that movie you have been dying to see, catch up on your emails, or do some literal spring cleaning (clean your room).  With these little things crossed off your to-do list is always looks a lot smaller.

Once your to-do list is clear (or close to it), you can start fresh in the new spring season.  Reprioritize.  Since things are always changing (and so are we), reevaluate what is important to you.  Do you want to spend more time with friends this summer?  Do you need to do more volunteer work and build up your resume for the fall?  Redefine to yourself what your goals are and what is most important to achieving them.  Do not be afraid to cut some things out of your life or to take new things on.  Remember that spring cleaning in your schedule is much like literal spring cleaning: sometimes old things have to go so that new things can fit in.  Use this opportunity to refocus yourself and your motivations.  There is little room for laziness when your life and schedule are busy, and this is a chance to get rid of all the things that bore or tire you.  Embrace new and exciting things that spark your interests and inspire you.

Spring is a time of rebirth and new life, so take the time to clear out those old to-dos that have been lingering since the winter.  Clearing out your schedule is time-consuming and tiresome, but the rewards are endless.  By spending your time on this task, you can renew your spirits and recharge yourself for the end of this semester.  Instead of catching spring fever, catch spring-cleaning-itous and clear off that dusty dry-erase board.

I hope everyone enjoyed their spring break and their first day back at school.  Do not think of these coming weeks as never-ending, but rather too short to accomplish everything you need to in them.  Get a head start on studying for finals and come the end of May you will be glad you did.  Have a great week and enjoy the weather!  Click here <– for your 2 minutes of procrastination.