I am working in the Education department at PhD U. It is a temporary position until the start of the fall semester, but there is the possibility of it turning into a graduate assistantship. This means I will be even busier that before, with the new job, teaching one class at HBCU, two doctoral classes, and one independent study and research work with Advisor. Oh yeah, and somewhere in that mess, I have to be a wife and a dog mom. And, most importantly, I have to take care of ME! That is one full plate.
One of the questions that the dean asked me was whether or not I could handle all of that responsibility. I conceded that this is quite a full plate. And, my plate has not been this full since I left Tech College. But, I have learned a great deal over the past 2.5 years of being in a state of transition. One thing I learned actually came from my weight loss journey (two years of maintenance...WOOT!). I learned that one must eat sensible portions to lose and maintain one's weight. Too much of anything will cause overload (or overweight). Too little of anything means you do not have enough fuel, and you crash and burn. I learned that everything in life is about balance. With that in mind, I have trying to set up my life to be in balance with my new job responsibilities.
- Proper rest, eating well, and exercise are non-negotiable. I need to keep myself well, especially if the RA decides to act up, like it did a couple of weeks ago. I don't anticipate any more big flares now that the weather is getting nicer in Elsewhere. But, RA can act up anytime because it can. Keeping myself well is the best defense, but it's not 100%. My new boss knows my situation and totally gets it.
- I am working on adjustments to my exercise routine. Running and yoga are a part of my life. They keep me fit and sane. Junior is not happy that Mom is gone more, but making sure he gets his exercise when I get my exercise will help both of us.
- Husband is awesome. He is picking up some of the slack while I adjust to my new routine. We have some practices in place for stuff around the house, so we are good on that front. He also runs with Junior. FYI, Husband is on his own weight loss journey. His goal is to be under 200 lbs by the end of May. He is getting close!
- I've pre-booked my hair, mani/pedi and other girly-girl stuff. First, so that I am not walking around looking like a hot mess. Second, it's my time to take care of ME. I started this last semester of taking off one full day a month, just for me. It has really helped me because I have something fun to look forward to doing. That comes in handy as the semester gets crazy.
- Thankfully, my job is in the same building as my classes and professors, so I can pop in to see them if I need anything. During the interview process, I front loaded some due dates for my classes. I wanted some breathing room for training. The last two weeks were crazy with papers and presentations. But, those assignments are done and I can coast the rest of the semester...and it's not even midterm yet!
- My research project with my Advisor is about to go from 0-100 mph. The amended IRB was granted, so Advisor and I will need to get moving because we have about a month before we need to present our preliminary findings. I am excited and nervous about that!
- Finally, I made some significant changes to my course at HBCU. It's online this semester, which is a good thing. I have lowered the number of deliverables to something more manageable. There is nothing I can do about the ridiculous class size, but I can do something about how much work I have to make for myself.
Yeah...my plate is full. But this time, I am managing my portions.
Portion control and organization. And it sounds like you've figured it out. I've been trying to do the same with my life, because I've always firmly believed that being organized is the best defense against wasted time and energy, both of which I loathe. Still, putting it into practice sometimes feels like holding back the tide.
ReplyDeleteI've lately been trying Trello, for keeping track of everything visually...and in pretty colors. I had also tried Leankit, which does the same thing. I don't remember why I switched. It just makes it more pleasant, I find, to be able to look at where I am in all the different areas of my life, and keep track of tasks.
I've always loved spreadsheets and databases for wrangling the information in my life. But project management apps that allow me to color code my responsibilities seem to soothe me. Gets a bunch of shit out of my head and into one place where I can look at everything and see exactly where I'm at.
It's kind of like what a calendar is for schedules, a glance can tell you plenty. If you haven't tried one yet, I can't recommend it highly enough. In any case, you've been really smart with all of this and I wish you the very best.