Adulting 101: 10 Time Management Truths
Ah, adulting.
That time in life when you have the shocking realization that grown-ups are all just winging it. We’re barely navigating our way through day-to-day responsibilities, deadlines, and, of course, the constant struggle of trying to figure out where all that time went.
Here are 10 truths I’ve learned along my adulting journey as I’ve continued to wonder to myself: “Wait…am I the one in charge here?”.
1.You can decide to just not do something.
As a kid, you look forward to adulthood thinking that will be the time you can finally do whatever you want! And, you know what, I think the kids actually got it right on this one.
As adults, we have 100% control over what we do or don’t do. You just have to evaluate the consequences.
Clean the house this week? You can just…not. Ditch that regular chore and spend the morning hiking with your dog. The crumby counter will be there tomorrow ready for a wipe down. If you decide to.
Filing your taxes? You can also just…not. But, for me, I don’t think I’d make it in jail. (Let’s be real, I have a 7-step skincare routine and a very particular pillow and sheet combination for the perfect night’s sleep.) So I’ll stick with this particular adulting task.
2. You don’t have to go through all 1,000 unread emails to get to inbox zero.
You’ve decided on the inbox zero goal: Never feel out of the loop or worried about what unseen message might be lurking out there threatening to ruin the day.
But, what about all those unread emails? Thousands of them. And multiplying by the day… Looks like a long few weeks digging yourself out of that one to finally accomplish your inbox zero goal.
Or…move all those emails to a folder called “Old Me”. Ditch ‘em and start fresh. Someone will follow up on anything still requiring your attention.
3. There’s no such thing as perfect.
The perfectionist in me still tries to yell “fake news” in the background over this one.
But perfectionism can be such a time suck. It leads to hours and hours of unnecessary time working and reworking the same task over and over. Time that could be devoted elsewhere like progressing on your goals or enjoying a coffee and pedicure type of afternoon.
Perfectionism is avoidance. Avoidance of possibly feeling shame over not meeting someone else’s expectations. Here’s a harder truth, regardless of how much time you spend on something, it’s never going to be perfect for everyone. My favorite quote: “You can’t make everyone happy, you are not a cupcake.”
So embrace good enough and move on.
4. Inaction is driven by avoiding emotions.
When you don’t know why you aren’t taking action on things you want to be doing, check your emotions.
Procrastinating by mindlessly scrolling the internet or watching “just one more episode”? What do you not want to feel? The boredom of a mundane task. The self-doubt of trying something new that you might fail at. The overwhelm of just getting started.
We are all a ball of jumbled up emotions. Half bad. Half good. If you were unafraid to feel any of them, how would your actions change? Would you finally quit that job? Or set that boundary just to see what life might be like on the other side?
Embrace feeling all those feels and see how your life changes.
5. Taking a break can actually make you more productive.
Stop eating lunch handcuffed to your desk. Take the lunch break. No, really. Stepping away from a task and giving yourself and your mind a moment to decompress, will make you more efficient in the long run.
When you avoid making time for a real break, I assure you you will unintentionally take fake breaks (browing Youtube or checking your phone for the 15th time in the last 5 minutes). These fake breaks are a productivity killer and will leave you exhausted and frustrated when the day finally comes to a close.
Breaks throughout your day are important, but let’s not forget about those extended breaks (hello vacation!). We need them. They’re a real opportunity to step back from your daily routine and responsibilities to reflect and relax and be able to show up as the productivity queen once you dive back into the “real world”.
Get up. Back away from your computer. And allow your brain the much needed break.
6. You can’t escape overwhelm by doing more.
Sorry…but it’s never going to work. Eliminating overwhelm actually requires a pause in action.
What?! But pausing would just make the stack higher and higher…
Not true.
Whatever it is that’s buzzing in your head stirring up the anxiety and the angst that comes with being convinced there’s too much to do, get it out it out of your head. Pause. Write it all down. Come face to face with what “too much” is. Get realistic and re-prioritize. Intentionally decide what you’re NOT going to do.
Just working harder to try to escape that frenzy will do no good other than make you spin your wheels as you obsess harder and harder over everything you won’t get done. Likely proving yourself true by…not getting it done.
Need a little more help dealing with overwhelm? Check out my free cheat sheet to finally stop letting overwhelm run your life.
7. To accomplish something, you must plan to accomplish something.
When you want something, thinking up the goal is a great first step. Be honest with yourself over what exactly it is that you want.
But just saying you’re going to do something isn’t enough. You have to make a plan. Without a clear direction and purpose, it is easy to get overwhelmed or waste time on unimportant tasks and never accomplish your dreams.
Be specific. Break it down. Schedule it. Give yourself deadlines. You’ll get there.
8. You don't have to want to, you just have to do it.
I’ve said it a million times. When you sit down to write the proposal or put together the report or do whatever that next task might be, you’re not going to want to.
You’re never going to want to do the things you plan for 100% of the time.
True success comes from what you do when you don’t feel like it. When you’re not motivated or inspired. Do you go to the gym anyway? Do you write the next chapter anyway? Do you make the phone call anyway?
Don’t let the brain drama take over when the “I don’t want to’s” show up. This is how you can prove to yourself that you’ll accomplish anything you set your mind to.
9. “Working more doesn’t mean you care more or get more done. It just means you work more.”
This one’s a great lesson from one of my favorite books “Rework”.
Working longer hours doesn’t make you more productive or more dedicated. In fact, it might actually mean you’re sloppy and not focused on what’s important to you in life.
Letting this truth sync in may require an identify shift. You might have to stop identifying yourself as: “She’s a dedicated employee who works 60 hours a week”. And, instead, try stepping into: “How does she get all that done in just 40 hours?!”.
Identity shifts aren’t easy, but they’re required to reach those next levels. And I think you’ll like that next version of yourself.
10. Small steps lead to big things over time.
You don’t need massive wins every day.
Tiny improvements can give you a big jolt of momentum. A small boundary set or a new habit you’ve stuck to for a few weeks can build consistency. This consistency let’s you look back a year from now only to be amazed at how far you’ve come and proud of the person you’ve grown into.
Take that small action today. Even if it doesn’t feel like that big of a deal. I promise you, it will add up.
Being a grown-up isn’t for the weak.
But embracing the lessons learned throughout the journey can sure alleviate some of the pressure we place on ourselves. (You might be better at winging it than you thought.)
Now, if you'll excuse me, I hear the buzzer of the dryer and it’s about that time to prep dinner. Back to my regularly scheduled adulting duties.
