TIME BLOCKING. <\/strong>This may make some of you groan. It may bring you back to your middle school days when you carried around a school-issued agenda that an adult signed once a week. I started time blocking in college and have continued to now. Here\u2019s an example of how I may time block now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I started with an online calendar because it was easiest to block out times and move things around. As a college student in Boston, my schedule was constantly changing. Before, I never really noted how long it took me to complete tasks. I would block out time for everything\u2014studying, class, internships, socializing, chores, meals, etc. As I finished weeks, I\u2019d look back and adjust my future time blocks based on how the week went and what I knew was coming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I \u201ctime block\u201d in notebooks because I prefer a pen and paper. I have a pocket sized notebook for random thoughts (shown in the top picture). In there, I dedicate one page per week for my major to-dos. I have time blocked for so many years that I no longer need to input exact times (like in the online time block shown above). I have a general start time, but I don\u2019t worry about the end time because, let\u2019s be honest, I\u2019m too lazy to add in that setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I have a separate pocket sized agenda for work. This is a weekly agenda with note pages and a life changer (I can\u2019t show this because I need to protect my work and data). Typically, I\u2019m running several experiments at once, teaching, mentoring undergrads, and trying to keep up with readings and presentations. Having a separate planner where I can write more details than just \u201cWork 8-6\u201d is really helpful in keeping me productive and organized. If someone asks me what I have done or what I am planning to do, I can show them exactly what the weekly plan is, and what I am hoping to accomplish. If I forget about a reaction that\u2019s being stored in the freezer, I open up the planner and remember it\u2019s time to start the next step of my experiment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Find whatever system works for you. I\u2019ve tried over a dozen planning systems (truly\u2014my bookshelf if filled with half-used agendas\/notebooks). My general system of blocking remains the same. After some practice, you won\u2019t need <\/em>to block out time for everything, but you\u2019ll have a clear, accurate idea of how much you can accomplish in one day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n RECHARGE. <\/strong>The second way I do a lot is by doing things that I get energy from. I used to think I\u2019d re-energize from sleep. Don\u2019t get me wrong, sleep is absolutely necessary. Plus, I\u2019ll never say no to a nap. But while my body rests, I don\u2019t feel re-energized. My mind is still groggy. I\u2019ve found that reading and writing give me energy. They\u2019re usually not \u2018work\u2019 unless I need to review a book that I really wasn\u2019t feeling. Reading and writing get me excited about life and motivate me to do more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I\u2019m tired, I\u2019ll sleep my needed 6-8 hours, but I\u2019ll get up and re-energize with books and pens. Because I\u2019ve found what energizes me, I make sure to add in a time block for it every day. Sometimes, it\u2019s only 15 minutes during lunch. On weekends, it can be a multi-hour session. No matter the time, I find it necessary to keep my days balanced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Find how you re-energize while awake and try to make it a priority in your life. It took a long time for me to find the balance in my life, and I always remember the balance will shift based on whatever is happening in life. I know there will be weeks with zero recharging and all work. That\u2019s okay as long as it\u2019s not permanent. And once you start taking care of yourself, your productivity and quality of work will increase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So there you have it. My method of accomplishing \u201ca lot\u201d. I\u2019m still convinced people just think I do a lot because my idea of relaxation and fun are more like chores for others, but it works for me. It may be tedious at first, but try time blocking. Or at least take note of how you spent your day. Once I made a conscious effort to schedule my days, I realized just how much time I wasted doing things that were draining. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Often, people ask me how I do it all\u2014a PhD, advocacy, reading, writing, Chinese lessons, exercise, socializing, taking care of my pets. When…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,27,8,10,13],"tags":[122,310,490,547,655,707],"class_list":["post-1661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-graduate-school","category-life-adventures","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-planner-inspiration","tag-balanced-life","tag-grad-student","tag-phd-life","tag-scheduling","tag-time-blocking","tag-work-life-balance"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfsmusings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/img_0700.png?ssl=1\")