saturation

Someone said to me recently that how hard you work in your twenties is a solid predictor of how successful you will be later in life.  Being that I just turned twenty this past month, the statement meant two things to me: work hard now and sleep later.  And perhaps this has been my motto for a while now.  Afterall, a lot has changed since I started to write this blog about seven months ago.  “Back then” I thought it was hard to balance school, work, and a social life.  Now I wish I could have those days back; those days were easy.

Since becoming a Jay Blogger and taking on this weekly duty, I have also added quite a few things to my resume and schedule.  In the spring I was awarded a Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, which provides internships, mentoring, and enriched educational opportunities to promising New York City undergraduates.  Then in June I was elected treasurer of Phi Eta Sigma (PES), an honors society on campus of which I am a member.  Most recently I was offered a job Echoing Green, a nonprofit that provides funding in the form of seed capital to social entrepreneurs with ideas for social change. 

While my resume has been getting fat I have been working really hard, and with all of these new responsibilities my weekly schedule has nearly doubled in size.  Along with taking 5 classes this semester (three of which are 300 level), working about 25 hours a week at the bakery, and blogging every Tuesday I will also be working 10 hours at week at Echoing Green.  Additionally each month I will have two PES meetings, a PES community service outing, a Watson seminar, and sporadic Watson assignments.  Often times when I explain all of this to people they reply with something about biting off more than I can chew.  My response is usually, “Well, I hope that’s not the case.” 

I guess my message this week is to work hard.  Take on tasks that can open doors for you in the future, and try different things.  But, and here is my disclaimer, do not take on more than you think you can handle.  For instance, I have tentatively sworn off taking on more things until my schedule calms down, as I belive I may currently have reached my saturation point.

Just a brief note for you alternative scheduling methods fans.  I am trying out a new calendar idea I read about in an article.  It’s called the post-it calendar, and it is ideal for people with crazy schedules that change often.  I will keep you all posted (pun intended) on how it goes.  Click here for your two minutes of procrastination.

let’s call it a finish line

I have said it before, but I’ll say it again.  Scheduling is like running a marathon; it’s not a sprint.  There is no way you will get accomplished today everything that you wish you could.  That’s just not realistic.  However, if you plan out your week, incorporating the most pertinent and relevant tasks, chances are you can pace yourself and get the important things done.  It’s not really about speed, but rather covering enough ground.

Why am I saying all of this again?  Well, in the past few months I have been critical (perhaps overly critical) of how much I get done in a week.  I make massive to do lists, and not only do I cross tasks off but I circle those that linger.  What I have found is my to do lists can be prejudice.  In choosing which items to tackle first and most aggressively I am often bias.  Those tasks that linger will linger for weeks while I am working on tasks that are new to the list.

At first I was sure I was experiencing an unexplained phenomenon, but with some analytical thinking I have come to the root of the problem: urgency.  Some tasks are urgent by nature (ie: studying for a quiz tomorrow), and some appear urgent (ie: replying to a Facebook post from a friend).  Some tasks, however, are not urgent at all.  In fact most of the time they seem like they can be put off (ie: cleaning your room).  With all of these tasks mixed up together on a massive to do list, it is no wonder the less urgent tasks find themselves at the bottom.  After all, when you look at a list of twenty things to do in the coming week, you tend to focus more on those that seem important and pressing.

My solution to this phenomenon is known to society as a “deadline”, though I prefer the term “finish line”.  By providing yourself a realistic end date for each task on your list, you make each and every task semi-urgent.  If it is important to clean your room by Sunday and you secure that date, then cleaning your room will not get put off any longer.  By setting the finish line, you can then go about pacing yourself in the marathon (ah, we have come full circle).  Oh, and why do I call them “finish lines” and not “dealines”?  Well, as a psychology student I am aware of the negative connotation the word “deadline” carries, whether it be conscious or unconscious.  The words finish line are much more upbeat and positive.

This week try to set some finish lines for yourself so that lingering tasks can finally get crossed off your list.  Be sure to be realistic in the dates you chose, and do not be afraid to set a date sort of far into the future.  As long as you are aware of all the finish lines you set, you can pace yourself and your schedule accordingly. 

Since these are the last few days of summer for all of us John Jay students, here’s 8 minutes of procrastination that I hope will help you get back into college-mode.

time for reflection

When you are in the middle of a crazy week scheduled to capacity with tasks looming ominously, it is easy to get caught up in being busy.  The day-to-day of getting things done, completing to do lists, and staying on track can distract you from what is really important.  It is rare that we take the time to focus on our goals and more importantly what drives us.

This past weekend I spent the majority of my time working to finish up my internship at Echoing Green, a non-profit that gives starter money to social entrepreneurs with innovative ideas on how to solve the world’s most deeply entrenched problems.  The last project I had to complete this summer was a four-day conference at which the 21 new fellows would meet in NYC.  These fellows are some of the most amazing people I have ever met.  Each one has started an innovative and bold business or organization whose mission is in some form or another to make a positive impact in the lives of the underserved and the underprivileged.  These fellows are business men and women in the start-up phase of their endeavors.  They work extremely hard and spend most of their time on their projects.  As you can imagine, I felt like I could relate to them in this area.

The weekend itself was planned with meaningful seminars and great speakers.  One of the main goals of the conference was to help the fellows remember why they started working in the social sector in the first place.  There was reflection and time taken out specifically for each person to think about the work they do, the time and effort they put into it, and the reason behind all their hard work.  Specifically, each fellow was asked the intimate question, “Why do you do what you do?”  After coming up with an honest and genuine answer, they would right down their reason on a plain piece of paper.  Then each fellow was photographed holding their sign in a very real and raw way.  The entire process got me to thinking and forced me to slow down for a bit.

What I realized this weekend, while spending some time with the most amazing and inspiring people I have ever have the pleasure of meeting, is that I rush.  I schedule my life so that I run from one place to another, from one task to another, from one person to another.  I never slow down.  I never take extended breaks.  I never stop to think why I do what I am doing.  The thought occurred to me that with all this rushing I could end up ten years from now wondering why I was always hurrying and scheduling and running from one thing to another.  I sat down and thought for a few hours about one simple question: Why do you do what you do?

The message this week is to not get caught up in the day-to-day logistics of scheduling and getting everything done.  Take time occasionally to step back from everything, think about your goals and your motives, and slow down just a bit.  Contemplation is never procrastination, but rather a way to check your progress and make sure you are on track.  By taking time to think about what you want and what you are doing to get it, you can fine tune the course you will take. 

So get up early one morning – watch the sunrise.  Enjoy your life, and get back to your roots.  One of the best moments I had during this past weekend came early Saturday morning when I decided to walk from the 96th street subway station to Columbia Business School where the conference was being held.  Walking the 20 something blocks gave me time to think about everything that I had been hearing at the conference, to think about my life and my aspirations, and to slow down and focus on my future.  Something as simple as a quick walk can really do wonders to clear your mind, refresh your perspective, and reenergize your body. 

This week take some time to reflect on all you do and why you do it.  You may be surprised with what you come up with.  Click here for your two minutes of procrastination.

the monster list

Above my desk sits a picture of the old Grand Central Station, a fitting piece of art.  Though I do much of my work on the go, my desk is often just as busy as the transportation hub.  With calendars, lists, dry-erase boards, cork boards, planners, papers, tasks, and post-its this part of my room is reminiscent of a train station.  Everything is moving, everything has a schedule, everything is in the process of being crossed off a list.  No dusk ever collects - things move to fast for that.  Rather, the mess of my desk is in the sheer amount of things piled up.  However, in almost every aspect it is a well-oiled machine with old tasks being completed just in time for new ones to pull into the station.  And then there is, hanging from the corner of my big cork board – dangling as if taunting me, what I call the monster list.  The one list I can never seem to cross things off of faster than they accumulate, it is my Everest.

It all started my freshman year of college.  Stepping out of a small all-girl Catholic high school into a CUNY that specializes in my favorite subject, my mind became like a sponge wanting to suck everything in.  I spent hours in the book store, searching out books on criminal justice, serial killers, and famous court cases.  Professor after professor suggested books that pertained to class discussions, books that sounded inspiring and intriguing.  Friends and family suggested books, and the list grew.  However, college classes mean hours of required reading and with working and volunteering as well, there was just little time to read.  And so the list grew for two years.  For every book I read, three were added and progress became somewhat of a joke.  Then in May of 2010 I made a commitment to cross off five books before the summer was over without adding any …

A book and a half later I find myself adding five more to the list, a list that has become somewhat of a beast.  The worst part is that I publicized this goal of mine to friends and family, and so I received many of the books as birthday presents last week.  Now they sit on my book shelf, seeming to mock me just like the list.  Though I am not a fan of excuses, I do have plenty for why my goal was an epic failure.  I was working two jobs, blogging, attending Watson Fellowship seminars and cultural events, volunteering, applying for a job in the fall, keeping in touch with friends, and catching up on my favorite TV shows.  Also, in my defense I accomplished the other nine items on my summer to-do list, which was no easy task.  Deep down, however, a part of me still feels as though I have failed.  And now that the list has grown so large, I wonder how and when I will ever complete it.

We all have something – perhaps it’s not a list – but it grows faster than we can attack it.  These things challenge us, discourage us, humble us, and annoy us.  They are evidence that we just do not have time for everything we want to do.  They make us human. 

Though I am no expert on how to attack these monster lists or tasks, I can say that never giving up is certainly key.  If we remain persistent, believe the goal is accomplishable, and chip away at it slowly I do think the monster can be slayed.  Maybe I will never read every book I want to, but in trying to do so I will read more books than I ever thought I could.  This is the message for tonight: setting the impossible goal, working on it day-to-day, and never giving up on yourself can lead you to incredible places.  Setting the bar high can make you feel like a failure at times, but in the end it will lead to your victory (or at least I hope). So this week think long and hard about a goal or task you think is too big for you to take on and set out to accomplish it.  Let no one hold you back, especially yourself.

Click here for your two minutes of procrastination.

wishing our lives away

We all do it.  We’re sitting in front of our computer screen at work on a Monday morning, and the thought creeps into our mind.  We cannot help but sigh and say aloud, “I wish it would be Friday already.”  While sitting in a staff meeting that just seems to be dragging on and on, we think, “I wish this would be over.”  Riding the train home after a long day all we want to do it put our feet up and relax.  As the train jolts forward and all the passengers move around, we think, “If only I were home right now.” 

These kinds of thoughts are so common we think them almost everyday.  So, what is so bad about them?  Think about it this way.  If on Monday you are wishing could be Friday, you are focusing all of your energy and desire on the future, while neglecting the present and the tasks at hand.  You slide through the day without any real intensity or focus for your current projects, because your mind is elsewhere.  Productivity is lost and so is your connection to the work you are doing.  This is precisely when work starts to feel painfully long and boring, because you are not invested in what you are doing.

If these thoughts are so bad, then why are they so persistent?  Well, simply put they are a defense mechanism.  When you feel lazy and tired on a Monday morning, your mind does not want to deal with the work you have in front of you.  Instead, it focuses on the reward ahead of you, which often works as a motivator.  Think about running a marathon.  Runners remind themselves of the prize to reenergize themselves, when their spirits are low.  Just like a runner, your mind too looks to good times ahead to minimize your lethargic present.  Though this does work sometimes, it can also lead to wishing your life away.

How can you stop such persistent thoughts?  The answer is it is not easy.  Thoughts like these have the ability to creep into your mind at any given boring or monotonous moment.  They are invasive and hard to ignore.  However, I have come up with three useful tips to fend them off and stay focused.

1. Focus on the positives of the given moment.  Make a conscious effort to have a glass half full” attitude.  Be positive about your present situation, and try not to think of what you are doing as boring.  Rather, present it to yourself in brighter terms.
2. Understand the meaning of what you are doing and how it fits into the big picture.  This means focusing on the purpose of the current task, instead of the monotony of the present moment.  For instance, when I have a project at work that I find tiring and unengaging, I reiterate to myself why the work is important and how it fits into the mission of the organization at which I am interning.  This reaffirms my role and makes me feel pride, rather than boredom.
3. Take a break.  I am in no way a fan of procrastination on a large-scale, but sometimes the best way to rejuvenate and reenergize is to take a five or ten minute break.  This can help you refocus and come back to the current task with a new perspective.

The main take away this week is to stop wishing your life away.  Yes, we all want it to be Friday, but why not enjoy Monday while we can.  This moment is fleeting, and even if we are very busy we can still learn to cherish time.  This week try not to focus on the pending weekend, but rather remind yourself that even a Monday can have its exciting moments.  Click here for your procrastination/inspiration of the week.