I’ve kept myself busy over the last several months. College was the last time I had such a large number of projects and concerns, but most of them were essentially the same. While I would have four or five classes each semester, these all fell under the banner of school, similar to how several work projects are basically the same to me. However, I’ve since begun tutoring and writing curriculum on the side, while trying to maintain some of my other routinized projects. Add wedding and honeymoon planning, and admittedly, some days it feels like I hardly have any time for myself. Working out how to balance all of this is a difficult task.
There are two parts here:
- The practical requirement that I complete everything needed of me.
- The emotional, or personal, requirement that I feel satisfied with how my time is spent.
These parts are not in conflict with each other, but one can help inform the other. If tracking everything I need to do shows me a load that doesn’t mesh with how I want my life to go, then there are tough decisions to be made. But, the tracking part needs to come before I make any judgements about how my time feels.
A month or two ago I began using Todoist. I needed a robust yet simple task manager. Other project management tools were too busy, and did not encourage me to actually use them. I’ve found Todoist to be a good balance point. It being cross-platform helps too.
Each major job or obligation I work on is separated out into a project tag. This includes podcasts, this blog, volunteer work, and contract work. Then, I set up recurring and one-time tasks as is necessary. There is a kan-ban system within the app that I use for a few projects, and I can add additional descriptions and sub-tasks to provide any needed clarity.
With all this set up, it was now possible to get a sense for what is going on. Todoist has a useful “Upcoming” view, which provides tasks coming up over the next several days across all projects, but shown as a to-do list. This is my default widget view on my phone, giving me a broad outlook so I can gain perspective on any given day.
On any given day, there aren’t many tasks. There’s a good balance between tasks that are long, and those that are only a few minutes. Having all this written down and available helps reinforce that, while I am busy, I am not spreading myself too thin.
So, how to address my feelings on point 2 above? These past few months have served as whiplash compared to my first three years out of college. For a long time I’ve relished in absolute freedom over my time. When I was done with work, only self-directed projects with no given timeframe1Excepting blog posts and Comical Start, which have become habitual. were there to grab my attention. I could consume media, walk around, explore and enjoy everything my area had to offer. Now, to both push myself in general and try to make a broader impact, I’ve added two obligations that have external deadlines, and have people who rely on me to get my work done. They’ve become a second and third part-time job in that way. I’m grateful for the opportunities, and a few months is not enough time to get over what three years set me up for.
This is not bad. Perhaps getting these positions was my final, unintentional act of the Year of Transition. Neither of these opportunities will last forever, but I want to make the most of them. Juggling them is worthwhile, and I’ll keep striving to stay focused on pushing through, one at a time.
- 1Excepting blog posts and Comical Start, which have become habitual.