Find Your Sports Mole

I'm not talking about a mole on your body that looks like a football. (Thats just weird). Everyone who is not a diehard sports fan should find their "mole" to give them the inside scoop what what is going on in the sports world. Sure, you can read some headlines (really good alternative if you are a loner) but sometimes getting a personal heads up allows you to have (1) knowledge on only things relevant to your needs - like a google alert (2) less falling asleep reading each sports article (3) the necessary bias.

Let me explain.

My friend Trey gives me the heads up on A&M sports news and knowledge. He alerts me if there is an article actually worth the read. (How can anyone keep UP with that stuff: Aggies, Cowboys, Rangers, Stars... and on and on - has anyone noticed that baseball games go on several time a week? That is a commitment!) Trey advises me not because I am a die hard sports fan (clearly), but precisely because I am not. I need JUST ENOUGH information to carry on a decent conversation at work/a wedding shower/my friend's boyfriend/ etc.

Last week, while working in New York, I was asked "So what do you think about A&M moving to the SEC?". (I secretly want to respond with: "What!? A&M moved to the SEC? Where have I been?" -- and then follow up with "I thought they were still in college station?") I was prepared, gave my cookie cutter answer that I have given 100 times. The thoughts have just enough of the correct bias (trey's bias) and I was able to maneuver through the conversation without standing there dumb founded.

You might think this is lazy. I think it is proper time management. Do the things you want to do and interest you, but without living fully under a rock.

Everyone should find their mole.

Remind me to buy Trey a shot.

The 30 minute rule

I am pretty sure I can do just about anything for 30 minutes.

But let’s be honest. If it doesn’t involve shoe shopping or lunch with friends and isn’t something that I WANT to be doing, I am going to put it off. Instead of working, I can drift into the world of online shopping. Instead of folding laundry, I can drift into the latest episode of Real Housewives (or maybe even a repeat.) I would find it hard to imagine that this is just me.

But I can do anything for 30 minutes. So go with that theory. It is a Sunday afternoon. I want to meet up with friends/shop/nap/fill in with lazy Sunday activities. I also have that laundry on my bed that I need to fold. 30 minutes. “I am going to just spend 30 minutes FOCUSING on this one task”. I saw whatever isn’t done in 30 minutes can wait. 80% of the time (rough estimate) the laundry is done). If I get into the trend of working out for an hour or more I can find it hard to drag myself to the gym (What a commitment!) But thinking about getting on a machine for 30 minutes? Easy. I can find 30 minutes in my day.

Same thing goes with work. The internet simultaneously increased and decreased productivity in the work place. (I am not sure how it netted out – but probably negative overall) It increased by opening communication throughout cities and states and the world. Transfer information. And obtain information. Easy to search. Easy to access information. Oh, but the time wasted by employees talking to one another. Or online shopping for shoes (wow, maybe I need to seek help?) Here is my challenge. Turn off the internet. Or gmail. Or chat session. And focus of work for 30 minutes straight. There is something to be said about not multi-tasking 100% of your day. This might sound old-school, but it is amazing what you can accomplish with 100% of your attention. Those 30 minutes can equal hours of multi-tasked work.

A modern girl simply needs more time. But maybe we just simply need to use our time more efficiently. 

Watch Yourself

Time. Such a sensitive subject when you really think about it. “Time is limited” and “Time is money” and “Time flies”. Such a source of stress, anxiety, frustration, and arguments. How many times do I look back at when I was growing up and remember my Dad screaming at us to leave? Oh wait, that was over the holiday break too – some things really don’t change. (In our defense, my Dad thinks that 10 minutes early is on time…. Which means if he says to be ready to leave for dinner at 6, he really means 5:50. And if you are a teenage girl, those precious 10 minutes make all the difference in appearance… which is more valuable than time… but back on track). I think of the frustration my Dad faced and the aggravation it caused my mother and me. What wasted energy.

Basically, people view time differently.

It is interesting that people from different cultures view time differently. My experience is that Europeans view time as a relative term. 6:00 could mean 5:45 or it could mean 6:45. Why rush? What is the big rush?

Why are Americans so stressed and pressed for time? Are the Eurpoeans or eastern cultures less stressed and more content? Could our time pressure be what makes our culture so productive? (And also die of heart attacks and high blood pressure?)

You might be asking: What should a Savvy 20-something care about the large differences in time perspectives? Good question. (Maybe because technically I asked it of myself). When it boils down the importance of time, it is important to remember that there are people like my Dad out there. Infact, the real world seems to be full of them. What message does it send to a friend if I am 10 minutes late to dinner? It says “I don’t value your time, I think it is okay to make you waste your precious time waiting on me”. Same thing when you are meeting your boss – and in that situation? That could cost you your job.

I had to meet a manager for a meeting at 8am. This meeting was 30ish minutes from my house (and in the heart of rush hour). I also hate morning (mornings being before noon). But what did I do? I got myself out of bed extra early, so despite traffic, and despite hating mornings, I could be at work at 7:45 to prepare for the meeting. What message does it send to a superior (or a coworker) when you roll in at  8:15 instead? I don’t get “points” for coming early, but I am sure she was more willing to help me than if I came in late.

On the flip side, if you are meeting someone – and being the prompt person that you now will be – beat them to work/dinner/etc, have some patience. Know that sometimes life happens, and that their schedule might just not have let them get there on time. Their clock culture could be different.

To end: Just remember, always “Watch” yourself and be on time. (hey, good excuse to go shopping for a cute new watch right?)

Do one thing just for you

Tell me if this sounds like you:
You wake up late for work. Hurry to work. Stay late because, well, we are young and have to put our time in. Come home. Pay the credit card. Run to the store for a birthday card/or more mascara/or "team snacks"/or milk or basically anything. Pretend that you are going to work out that night, but decide against it (typical). Call your mom. Turn on the TV. Pass out on the couch. Repeat.

Welcome to my life during a busy week. And aren't many weeks busy?

Once we grow up and get married and have kids I can only imagine (and as I have heard) that you have less "me" time. Less time to do what we really want to do. Or something that just makes us happy. I think it would be good to get in the habit now of finding something that I do JUST for me, and not for my parents or my friends or my coworkers.

I spend alot of time doing things for other people (that makes me happy) and I am sure most of us do. But shouldn't we make an effort to make time in our super busy lives for just ONE thing for "me"? The importance of having a "me" thing is not just for selfish reasons but mental sanity.

For me? It is writing this blog. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if no one really reads this post. It gives me a chance to get my thoughts out there and on paper and have a moment to do what I love to do (write). For you? It could be that step class that you love going to. Or getting your nails done. Or taking a bath. Figure out what it is and do it. (That's my challenge - accept it if you please).

Time is Precious

One thing I have learned working in the real world? Time is precious. Where does the time go? And how do I get more "fun" time?

Yes, there are 168 hours in a week and that sure sounds like alot. Well, until you break it down. You spend roughly  1/3 of those hours working and another 1/3 of those hours sleeping (unless you are one of those lucky human beings who only need 5 hours to operate - there is barely enough coffee in the office to allow me weeks on end of only 5 hours a night...) That leaves you a 1/3rd of your time to do laundry, run errands, go to the grocery store, shower (its important) and get ready, commute to work... and you get the picture.

So what is the solution? We can't quit our jobs (well, I guess we can, but I am not recommending that one), We can't cut down on sleep (again, not my recommendation), We can't exactly stop time (but if you know how to, PLEASE let me know your tricks). All we can do is learn how to use our time more efficiently so that we have more "fun" and less "chore" time.

(1) Make lists. Same as the sticky note concept. If you write down what you need to do, you wont have to constantly be thinking about it to remember it. It frees up your mind to work effectively while at work or out with friends. If you write down what you need to do, you won't forget the important items. Along the same lines, if you make lists for the week you can avoid doing the same task twice. If you figure out meals for the entire week on Sunday, you can only have to go to the grocery store once a week rather than every other night.

(2) Prioritize. Not everything can be done today (and not everything will be done today). Figure out what is a HAVE to do and what is a want to do. You might have to iron your pants for work tomorrow, but you can hold off on washing your sheets two more nights.

(3) Do it now. I can't think of how many "productive sundays" I have laid in bed for an hour longer just thinking about what I needed to do that day.... and then crawled on my couch to watch a quit movie.. you know, to "wake up". By then a friend might call, and of course I would love to go shopping/lunch/movie/just about anything but be productive. Suddenly it is 10pm and I haven't even started my to-do list. Oh procrastination... you were my friend in college, but in the real world? I just don't have time for you anymore.

(4) Time Chunk. Let's say my room is a mess. I am one of those people who will start to straighten it, then take a shower, then straighten some more, then make a phone call, then maybe pick up one more thing, then run to the store. I am most productive when I put a few songs on grooveshark and say "I am going to clean until these three songs are done." The task is literally almost always done.... and in 1/4 of the time. Focus on what you are doing, and the job gets done.

(5) Combine certain tasks. This sounds like it contradicts (4), but stick with me. Some "chores" can be done while doing something you have to do anyways (stick with me while I try to explain). Let's say I am walking to lunch to meet a friend. While I walk, I might as well call the front office to fix a leaky facet. Or (by making lists) I can prepare ahead of time so that I am taking my checks to the ATM inside the grocery store rather than making a separate trip to the bank later. Simple, yet effective. (Also sometimes easier said than done for my frazzled self)

(6) Find your optimal productivity-time. My friend Kelly will get up at 5am (yes, that sounds painful to me too) to do chores and work out before work. She has 3 additional hours every morning that I snooze through. She claims that after work she is absolutely unproductive. As for me? I would rather run my errands on the way home from work than pull myself out of my bed a moment before I absolutely must. Figure out what works for you and live by it.

(7) Step away from the computer. (after you read my posts of course!) I can be completely ready to go to bed and then spend 2 hours surfing blogs, chatting with friends, responding to emails, reading celebrity news (guilty pleasure, don't judge), etc. 2 hours! I would rather spend that time working out, meeting up with friends, getting a good night sleep. And those 2 hours sure do add up overtime. If might be the TV for you, or rockband, or another time eating vice.

These tricks might not work for everyone. And if you are one of those people who already have a great system? please share with me! It is a never ending struggle for me... find more time so I can "play" more and "work" less.