Balancing Act

9-5 meet Passion Project.

If you’re like me and feel as though, without organization life is pure chaos…creating an effective system that works is pure necessity. With all the curve balls life throws our way, it’s helpful to make sure your ducks are all in a row, whether this is in your personal life with important documents, passports, etc. Or if it’s within your work life, sifting through emails, messy desks, and hundreds of files.

Here are some of my best tips and tricks for keeping organized.

1. COLOR CODE

Everything. Just kidding… actually not really. Color code everything. Utilize Gmail’s “Labels” feature to be about to distinguish between your important information. This is especially helpful if you are balancing a personal project or side hustle with your everyday life via one email. Also, try color-coding your calendar. Keep yourself accountable by creating calendar events for everyday life as well as work.

2. KEEP A CLEAN SPACE

Where do you usually do your work? If it’s at home, have a dedicated space to house all of your work necessities like folders for documents, and a place for pens/pencils. Keep your cords neat, and your desk dust free. Even if you bounce around, coming back to a centralized spot can help you feel like you are being productive. The key is the three C’s clean, cozy, and clutter free!

3. TAB CONTROL

Are you a 40-tab open-at-a-time type of person? If so, I urge you to curb this habit. Not only do multiple tabs kill your laptop battery and slow down your system, but they can also create a bit of panic when trying to pull something up. So what’s the solution if you need to find something? Try using your bookmarks on Google Chrome. There you can create folders of alike documents and pages, so you can easily access them without having to keep them open at all times. Add your favorite sites too! Might I suggest http://www.RennyWomen.com?

4. ROUTINE CHECK UP

Take a look back on your past few mornings or maybe evenings. Is there room to switch up and optimize time in your routines? Perhaps setting your alarm just 5 minutes earlier can revamp your entire day! Check in on your usual routines to see if there is room for maintenance.

*Tip: Add in an extra 5 minutes somewhere in the day to just be still with yourself. If you need a mantra or something to push you forward, take a look at our “Meditations” highlights on Instagram where I share 5-minute mantras every Friday AM.

5. PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK

Job well done, wherever you are. Life is difficult most of the time, if you’ve come this far, pat yourself on the back for wanting to work on yourself. We often put too much pressure on ourselves to succeed, to advance, to perform. There sometimes doesn’t feel like there’s room to give ourselves a pat on the back. I URGE you to find time to take a look in the mirror and say “HEY, YOU ARE AWESOME!” If this isn’t an obvious one to you, let it be.

Stay healthy, stay you.