I Don’t Feel Sorry For You

Brief: This post is about changing how you view your own schedule. Too many of us are claiming to be “busy” when in reality we are just not productive. There are enough hours in the day, you just need to use them properly!

In this fast paced world it seems like we all have a million things going on all at once. How many times have you heard someone respond to a simple “how’s it going?” with “Busy, really busy!”. It seems we all have this unmanageable workload hanging over our heads with more on our ToDo list than we can manage. Considering I used to be one of these “Busy, really busy” people, I know that, in most cases, it’s just not true. There are obviously exceptions to my pessimistic point of view but for the most part, you’re not more busy than anyone else in the world and I’m sorry but, you don’t have my sympathy. Keep reading and I’ll tell you why.

Below are, in my opinion, the top 3 things people do to waste their time and tips to help you stop wasting your time and become more productive. I’m excited to share them with you….if you aren’t too busy….

Number 1. Social “gosh darn” Media

We are the guinea pig era for social media. Right now it’s all good, everyone is doing it and the coolest people in the world are on it just like you and me! However, that’s how people felt about cigarettes 70 years ago. If you are one of those people that is constantly scrolling through your multiple social media pages and consuming content by the truckload, I’m sorry to tell you, you’re not busy. Your issue is time management. You’re doing what you want during your spare time instead of what you should be doing. The social media or Netflix can wait! Nobody ever said they were busy because they had scroll through Instagram, it’s not something that NEEDS to get done. Therefore we have encountered a quick fix.

Tip #1:

If you’re a “Busy, really busy” person, give yourself a daily social media limit. The new iOs update on apple allows you to limit your amount of social media time per day. You simply decide how long you think is ok, set the limit and it will lock you out once your time is up! Start with 1 hour and try to get it down as low as possible. Commit to your limit and lets see how you do. Trust me, your followers will survive without you.

Tip #2:

Don’t take your phone into the bathroom for #2’s. See how long your #2’s actually take….

Ps. Please don’t email me with your results.

 

Number 2. Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things for your brain and body energy levels. Never would I recommend you getting less that your 7-9 hours of sleep. However, a consistent sleep schedule will present you with productive hours outside of your work schedule.

You typically work 8 hours a day right? Let’s call it 9-5 just for fun. You can also sleep from 9-5 and get your 8 hours. Let’s be honest, what are you doing that is anything close to productive after 9pm. Being awake and alert, hours before your work day begins will set you up to have a great day. You won’t be rushed, maybe you could exercise and get your body fired up. Giving yourself time in the morning to prepare for your day will never be detrimental to your productivity. Give it a shot!

 

Number 3. Extra Curricular’s

Your post work activities don’t classify as making you busy. Yes they are important because they are outlets for you and can often times increase productivity. Giving yourself time to unwind and take your mind off of your everyday stresses is definitely healthy. However, these are things that you have chosen to take up your “free time”. You are on the Rec softball team because you’re generally free from 6-8 on monday nights. You schedule a dinner date with your friends because none of you have anything going on that night. We call ourselves busy but it’s because we’re filling our days with non mandatory things, and there is nothing wrong with that! I encourage you to do what makes you happy, if you love the Rec team, go nuts! Just don’t complain about being your lack of free time because you are the one filling your schedule. If you don’t like it, change it!

The point of all this is that YOU are the reason that YOU are busy or overwhelmed. If you want to fit a lot of things into your life then you have to become good at time management. If you’re not good at managing your time that’s fine, just don’t complain about it. You create your own schedule outside of work, you pick up the phone and scroll Instagram for 30 minutes and you decide when it’s ok to waste your time. I encourage you to try your best for 1 week to optimize your schedule and make the most out of every ounce of spare time during your day. You’ll be surprised how much you get done! If none of this interests you, that’s fine too, just stop feeling sorry for yourself because we don’t feel sorry for you.