Repeating “after this week things will slow down” until you die, and tips for fixing it.

Adulthood is saying
Adulthood in a nutshell. (Image source unknown.)

I chuckle every time this quote makes the rounds on social media. Oddly I also feel seen, as if I'm still repeating this since the last time it made the rounds.

It doesn't have to be this way. If you feel overwhelmed by your schedule, below are a few things you can try. This isn't an exhaustive list. And you might still find yourself repeating those words over and over. But you can at least slow down the weekly cadence a bit—maybe for real this time.

  1. Focus on what you can control. If you feel powerless to change your schedule, you’re overlooking things within your control. No one has 100% control over the 24 hours in your day.
  2. “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing” (Stephen Covey). Are you keeping the most important balls in the air? Or are you trying to juggle everything?
  3. Schedule focus blocks in your calendar. You need at least 2 hours of uninterrupted time in your calendar to go deep with anything that requires individual focus (designing, writing a proposal, etc). This is because it takes ~30 minutes to clear out distractions and another ~60 minutes at least to make any meaningful progress. You probably don’t have 2 hours of time available in your calendar this week or next week. But if you look ahead 2-3 weeks it’s likely you do have time available. Schedule that time now. And make it recurring if possible.
  4. Review your calendar with your manager. Ask them to help you reduce and prioritize.
  5. Use the 2-minute rule. Can this task be done in 2 minutes? Do it now. Will it take more than 2 minutes? Schedule it.
  6. When possible, arrange tasks according to energy levels. Do you have more energy in the morning? afternoon? Schedule tasks that require more energy during the time of day when you have more of it.
  7. Be consistent with exercise or physical activity. Don’t let this slip from your schedule. You’’re probably sitting at a computer all day. Be sure to get adequate exercise each week to keep your body and mind sharp. Make it a priority. Schedule it. (If you lift weights, here are a few things I’ve found helpful.)

Try some of these things and you won’t have to say the words “but things will slow down” over and over until you die. 😉