You can have it all…but not at the same time

I am not a full time influencer. I am a lawyer and I have billable hours. Oh…and I’m human. I have outside interests, organizations, boards, causes I care about, friends and family and so many other things I manage. I can’t have the same normal as someone else because to be honest, I don’t always have the time. When I need to be fully focused with work, I may have to slow down with how I create content and this same logic applies to managing a household, being a caregiver, having a family, remaining committed to your marriage. Everything we take on in life requires a piece of who we are and the reality is, we cannot always give everything 100%.

And guess what, This is ok!

I know the internet makes you think that everyone has superpowers…but I’m here to tell you that they don’t. I know I don’t, I recognize that I’m not perfect. (And If this blog post has typos…that’s why. LOL)

I don’t know if you have heard the phrase Jack of all trades, master of none but I believe it is true. I can want to be the best with my blog but if I want to put energy into my job, friends, health, faith, and organizations I support something has to give. This culture of not resting is one that will have us striving beyond what we are physically able to do and I for one, can’t do it.  I don’t know how we got to this place where constant work became a badge of honor. And now that many of us work from home, we can literally work more than ever.

Social media content creation requires you to be con the cusp of what is happening, however I’ve learned that the pace of change is constant and it can be difficult to keep up. However the reality is, overworking is something anyone can end up doing. So here are a few tips I’ve learned to help us all prioritize what is truly important and hopefully help us manage overwork culture.

1.  Make a list of ALL the things that are important to you in life. your family, friends, work, your faith community, your health, and/or your hobbies. 
2. Rank the items listed in number one in order of importance.
3. Schedule your life around the list you created in #2. Items that have more value should get more of your time.
4. Use a calendar to help you manage your work week, and let your values to guide you.
5. Set alarms on your phone or on your social media apps to manage the hours that you are on social media every day.
6. Consider your schedule before taking on new projects.
7. If you are short on time, consider asking for help or delegating tasks so you have more time for other things you need to manage.
8. Learn new ways of saying no. (I am low on bandwidth today, can I get back to you tomorrow?; I need to really think about what was said, I have some free time on my calendar (give a date) I can discuss this then)
9. Don’t compare what you can do to what others do. You don’t know what others have the ability to handle or if they are receiving help. Make your schedule fit you and your unique personality.
10. Schedule rest on your calendar. If you don’t want to label it as rest on a public outlook calendar, then label it as busy. Rest is a priority worthy of a calendar appointment.

If 2020 taught us anything, it was that life is truly precious. And Life is too precious to feel overworked every single day. Yes, some seasons require more of us than others, but that doesn’t mean we don’t fight for balance and boundaries. I’ve learned to batch content, and give myself time to be creative. I don’t have all the answers, but I hope you know that it is ok to readjust your life in every season so that it reflects your current normal. This past year has changed the way many of us do things. Which means we may have to reprioritize our life each month, week, or even day by day to fit what we have going on at any moment. The goal is always progress and never perfection.

XOXO, Courthousecouture