At a whopping 20-years-old, life is insanely busy between classes, work, Greek life and clubs, church, volunteering and socializing (you get the point). But when was the last time you put your head on your pillow and felt as though you truly accomplished all of your tasks? Can't remember? Me, either. I am the Queen of over-scheduling and a never-ending to-do list. As the great Ellis Grey says, "The carousel never stops turning." But how is it that if we're all so busy we never feel like we're busy getting things done?
How many times do you check social media?
Chances are that in the 10-15 minutes that you spend Snapchatting, scrolling, trolling, creeping and posting, you could reply to an important email, schedule an appointment, start that online homework,or call your grandma (she lives to hear from her grand-baby, so call her more than once a year). I'm guilty of being on my phone too much, but after realizing it and cutting back, I got to check a few little things off of my list that made a big difference.
No, no, it's not. Go start your actual research paper. You'll feel better, I promise.
How many hours a day do you worry about getting it done instead of actually getting it done?
Fun fact, stressing about the tasks you need to get done doesn't get you any closer to being finished. Stressing only raises your blood pressure and gives you premature grey hair (ew, no thank you). Take a deep breath and get started; it doesn't matter where you start just get going! I tried to argue that drinking margaritas is a great accomplishment and quite productive, but alas, I was wrong.
Are you taking the time to acknowledge the small accomplishments?
Try not to discount the fact that you turned your Spanish homework in before 11:59, that you did your laundry before you got down to your last pair of underwear, or that you cooked dinner tonight instead of eating Zaxby's for the third time this week. Those are all things that deserve a pat on the back and check off the list. Look yourself directly in the mirror and tell yourself that you're awesome because first of all, you are, and secondly, nine times out of 10, you're doing 1,000 times better than you think you are.
While life never slows down, you can. It is possible to take an extra moment to cross something off the list or better yet, stop kicking yourself for not checking every single thing off. If you're reading this, that means that you woke up to a brand new day with at least a dozen hours to run those errands, finish that paper and at least 10 minutes to call your grandma (seriously, do it). Now, get to checking things off that list!
