Bonjour guys ! In this world of pressure, stress, anxiety… where we are always asked to do more, I thought it would be relevant to give you 5 tips to help you not to freak out and to be effective. I don’t pretend that these 5 advices will change everything, it also depends on your willing and circumstances ( because sometimes even with the best intentions things don’t turn out the way we expected ). But they worked for me, so why wouldn’t they for you ?
1. Write a To Do list
Ok, I am a control freak. Everything I do need to be written down and planned in advance. I don’t leave that much space for the unknown and unexpected things. Maybe it’s fear or loosing control… Anyway, To Do List changed my life. Each morning, before starting the day, I take my note book and write the most important things I want to do by the end of the day. It’s useless to note 30 goals to achieve within the day, 5 is enough. It’s better to do a little but to do it well, than say « oh yeah I have done that and that and that… » but you did’t do it correctly. Writing is a good way to have a clear image of what you will do throwout the day, and to organize your schedule depending on it. Also, all the tasks should be hierarchize. You will notice that all the things of your list are not that important, and it’s ok if they are not done today. If they can be pushed to tomorrow, let them be. It’s important to focus on what’s the most important not to be overwhelmed.
2. Have reachable goals
Your list will depend on what you want to achieve during your day, the goals you want to reach, the things you want to do… Our lives are unique, so we all have our own perspective. There is not « a way » to do things, but what I can tell you is that if your goals are not realistic, low the down. It’s great to have ambition, but lucidity is a good too. Be ambitious and realistic. If you don’t know how to swim, don’t write « Beat Ryan Lochte in the Olympics ». See my point ? Life is hard, and there will always be new challenges. Some will be easier than others to beat, don’t despair if it’s hard. You are not a failure, your are a fighter. And if you realize that some things you wanted to do couldn’t be done, well maybe it wasn’t the moment, maybe you were not ready yet, you will try later, harder, in a different manner. Or you won’t because in the end you’ve realized that it wasn’t necessary, or it wasn’t for you. Holding on to regrets and remorses is useless and depressing. Focus on the good aspects of your life and the things you have already achieved.
3. Have a clean office
Control freak and maniac, yeah I have ally the good qualities haha ! More seriously, you can’t expect to be effective, to do your work correctly… if your office is a total mess. You will loose numbers, coordonnes, names, and in the end you will loose your patience and your temper ! A clean office is a clean mind, and more efficient day. You dont’ need 3873 items on your desk, have the most important and useful stuff at reach, the rest can be in boxes or lockers. With all the deco stores, there is no excuse not to clean. Think about the lightening. Having your desk near a window can make major improvement in your efficiency. If there is no window, artificial light will do it. What’s important is that you don’t work in the dark. Having a plant can be helpful too. It catches the carbon dioxide, so it sanitizes the air, and also it brings some green and cheers you up !
4. Take breaks
It’s useless to spend the entire day working. Your brain will die. Take breaks every two hours max. Go for a walk, call your mum, a friend, read a book, drink coffee, walk your dog… Whatever you want to do at this moment, just do anything but working. It’s a good idea to stand up, to stretches for example, because most of the time we work sitting, and it can damage your back, and hurts your body, your muscles…Take a snack: fruits juice for vitamins, dried fruits for energy, dark chocolate for magnesium, eggs for proteins… Working is exhausting, brain is a muscle and it needs to be nourished. Don’t forget water, it’s important to be hydrated, your body is mainly made of water. It’s also good if your break is not in front of your laptop, your eyes will be tired too. They need their break, so screens away is better. Having breaks is not being lazy, is listening to your body, recharge your batteries, and be more efficient.
5. Be indulgent and PROUD
Don’t be hard on yourself. don’t expect to be perfect, there is no such thing. Do what you have to do , according to your To Do List, focus on what’s the most important, on what makes you happy and proud. It feels so good at the end of the day to look at the list, ticked, so you can say to yourself » Waouh, I’ve done everything, and I’ve done it well, I can be proud of me ». If there are some tasks that you couldn’t achieve, it’s fine, tomorrow will be here. Don’t put anymore pressure on you, it’s unhealthy. The day is over, so take a step back, breathe and let go.
I hope this article helped you to see clearer, to organize if not your life, at least some parts of your day. I know how it’s like to struggle between what you want to do, what people want you to do, what you think you can do, and what you didn’t do. The truth is that we spend more time wondering and hesitating than acting. We are the only one to live our own lives, so we would be the one in charge of it. The most important, is that you should always believe in yourself, especially during difficult times. Think, do, and enjoy.
Bisous, Marion.
Chronicles of Ada 