When I was a freshman in high school, I decorated the inside of my binder with pictures I cut out of all of the things I wanted in my life. It was my reminder of why I was working hard- cause that was gonna get me a picket fence & a corgi, dang it. Now I’m a junior in college and I’m still ever so picky about my studying, but for slightly different reasons.
I’m so nervous that if I haven’t got the best grades, I won’t get the internships I apply for or be able to get a job. I’m stressed that one test can make or break my semester grade, and I’m still struggling to find my footing. Something my roommate repeats to me like a mantra is, "day by day." Not gonna lie Jessy- you got on my nerves with this one at first. How are you gonna tell me there’s a way to live my life that doesn’t involve putting immense pressure/stress into everything that I’m doing??? Pure nonsense. I thrive in my self-induced panic.
I’ve been doing this for years now, convinced as a freshman in high school that my future was going to be determined by the grade I got in Mr. Binkley’s math class. It always feels like the end of the world, until you slow down and realize... it isn’t. So far *knock on wood* I’ve survived every dramatic meltdown, hard quiz, and squabbles with friends. I’ve lived through the bad days at work, the rough workout, and the times I’ve locked my keys in the car. My roomie might actually have a point here- just don’t tell her I said that.
I am beginning to realize (gasp) that through time management, I can actually get things done without all the stress. Something we all tend to do is feed into the O word and overthink until the weight of the world is on our shoulders. The best advice I have for counteracting this is to treat your work like a 9-5 job. Meaning when you’re at work, you’re truly at work. No phone, no twitter, and no ridiculously long breaks to catch up with Nancy in the break room. By blocking off designated chunks of time to do your work, you’ll be more productive, focused, and motivated knowing you have a true end time. I’m the queen of saying ‘oh this should only take me an hour,’ and then ending up spending 3 hours on youtube watching videos about how to braid your eyebrows. (Horrible trend by the way. Wouldn’t recommend it.)
This blog post was written by Haley Williams, Director of Mentorship.
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