THE BUSY WOMAN’S GUIDE TO SANITY

Like many millennial women, my schedule is often so jam packed that on most days without my Erin Condren Life Planner, I would be all over the place, literally and figuratively.  Between working a full-time job, running a blog, being in the process of publishing my third novel, interviewing with various publications, attending social events, and fulfilling my travel ambitions, my hours of free time are becoming fewer and fewer (notice I said hours and not days).  Hats off  to all of you that also have a husband and some kiddos in the mix, because I can barely keep me together!  As the days continue to get longer and the nights shorter, below are some tips that help me keep my sanity:

1. Be ORGANIZED.  In the same way that I still like the feel and smell of real book pages versus reading in electronic form, I prefer an actual calendar to keep track of my day versus newer technological methods.  At the start of each day, I take a look at my calendar, so that I have a clear idea of what the day will entail.  On any given day, I might have to leave my office and head to a radio interview, social event, meeting with my PR etc. and can’t afford to drop the ball at this stage in my career.  Whether Google Calendar is your best friend, or if you still like to dabble in the ice age like myself, know where you are going each day, with whom, what you need to bring, the appropriate attire, and anything else you need to continue being the boss that you are.
2. ROUTINES are good and form habits.  This might sound crazy, but I try to reserve my brain cells for things that actually matter.  Even though our schedules are often filled with the unexpected throughout the day, some things. like your morning and night routines should be static.  In areas of your life, where it’s possible, create routines that you can follow almost mindlessly.  For example, my night routine is simple and barely varies.  Drink tea in the bathtub, brush teeth, plan my outfit for the next day, read my devotional, pray, and fall asleep letting the tv watch me.  I can’t always guarantee when and where or if I will be eating a full dinner or even around what time I will get home, but when it’s almost bath time, out of habit, I immediately get the tea to brewing.
3. You can say NO.  As I work towards  becoming the best in ALL of my fields, one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is to not stretch myself too thin.  When you map out your week, because we realize how important it is to be organized (wink, wink), be reasonable in the amount of things you can accommodate into your schedule. Know what goals you are working towards, the achievements you plan to cross off your list this year, and plan everything else around them accordingly.  You might not be able to make every networking event, happy hour, etc, but that’s perfectly okay when you remember to keep the main thing, the main thing.  And this leads us to the next point.
4. MAKE time for yourself.  Sometimes we focus so much on trying to take over the world that we forget to take care of our physical, mental, and social well-beings.   However, the reality is that when we are not at our best, nothing around us gets our best.  Whether it’s a trip to the spa, weekend getaway to your favorite city, happy hour with your girls, or just a day with your phone and laptop tucked out of your reach, listen to your body and know when it’s time to take a break to rejuvenate.