Time Management...and Other Life Hacks
At the start of my doctoral journey, I had a lot of uncertainties and a lot of questions. Because I have always taken great pride in being timely and balancing all of my obligations, if nothing else, I was confident that I would be able to manage everything that I was about to thrust myself into. While it turned out well (thank goodness...lol), I definitely learned a great deal about myself and assisting others in reference to managing time and creating a number of life hacks that helped me both survive the doctoral journey and keeps me on track now in my professional career. Of course I can’t keep them to myself, so here’s a few that I think might be useful to all of my #Ebonies.
Figure out if you are a morning person or a night owl. To this day, Dr. Bell and I joke about my 4 am solo writing sessions at my kitchen table before work. While she despised the thought of being up that early, for me it was the quietest moment of my day and the time where my ideas seemed to flow the easiest. Figure out your magic hour and thrive.
Learn to say no. While I sometimes struggle with this now and have to remind myself, during the doctoral process you only have one goal: to finish. As fate will have it, you will be bombarded with invitations and opportunities as well attempting to balance work and home life. While women are indeed superhuman, you are not immortal. Start early with setting appropriate boundaries around your time and making your self-care a priority. If that calendar is full, you have to say no. There are exams to be passed and chapters to be written!
Make your home environment your happiest place. One of the best feelings in the world, is to walk into a home that immediately evokes a sense of peace and clarity. Often, it is impossible to keep an entire apartment/home completely clean and pristine all week long. Instead, focus on smaller cleaning projects during the week (dishes, making the bed daily, etc.) so that you can focus on school tasks that need to be completed (not in your bedroom!) and utilizing your downtime to be recharged just by spending time in a place that speaks to who you are.
While this list is just a start, if you can commit to trying out these three things just this week alone, I promise you’ll find yourself in a much clearer headspace, happier, and ready to get back to the doctoral hustle!
Sound off, Ebonies! What are some of your favorite time management tips and life hacks? Share them with us in the comments!
