Hello Babes,
The beginning of the year means the start of many new things; for me, it’s the start of a new semester and the beginning of my internship. For most of us, now is the time to brush up on those time management skills and kick our productivity level into high gear. Today’s post is your check list for jump starting your year and making meaningful leaps toward your goals. I want this post to spark that fire within, the fire that makes you jump out of bed in the morning and take control of your life. The time is now!
Being productive is not the challenge, it’s staying productive that is difficult for most of us. For me, the cold weather really makes my productivity tank. I just want to stay under the covers all day and catch up on some Netflix. Anyone else get like this? It’s the worst! Since I know the struggle, I figured I could share my best tips on how to stop wasting time and get your life together.
Now’s the time to get it together, girl:
Organize your work space: Nothing makes me avoid doing my list of to-do’s more than a messy work area. Clean your desk, organize your papers and decorate your surrounding environment. This will help you work more efficiently and keep a positive work space. Staying organized will help you find important things quickly and allow a clear space for you to get sh*t done.
Buy an agenda (& use it): My agenda is my life; it contains all important meetings, events and appointments I have to attend. It also helps me organize my blogging schedule and keep track of my work schedule. Your agenda can be tailored to your life; whatever your career or life consists of, an agenda will save your life. It is a must-have for every working girl!
Manage your inbox: Keeping up on your emails not only lessens your list of to-do’s, but it also gives you piece of mind. You can worry less about missing an important message while boosting your productivity. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people do not respond to my emails; I understand everyone gets busy but make it a goal to keep up on your inbox. You won’t regret it!
Set goals: Setting goals not only makes you more productive, but it also increases your motivation. Organize your goals and look at them continuously. This will keep you focused and allow for you to move quicker through tasks. I make a list of my daily goals (or to-do’s) and a list of my long term goals. If you missed my new years resolution post you can click here to read it; this post can help you set meaningful goals and crush them in 2017.
Build your network: I decided to add this one because I feel as though networking is crucial to building a positive image for yourself. It can also lead you to many opportunities, whether it be socially or career-based, networking is great. Grab coffee a person in your dream position or introduce yourself to that person you see on the bus everyday. You never know who you could meet and it never hurts to make a friend.
Dress for success: This last one is more directed toward those college students who constantly wear sweat pants. Referring to the last tip, you never know who you’re going to meet and that’s why you should strive to dress the part. I live by this, and most of the time, I don’t meet anybody special. But, I always feel prepared for what the day may bring and it makes me more confident. If you are a junior or senior in college, you should be taking steps towards building a professional wardrobe anyway, these are just the baby steps toward that. Feel free to connect with me privately to discuss wardrobing advice, I’d be happy to assist.
Now that you know the ways to get your life together, it’s time to get out there in the world and kill it. Lead by example, when you have your life together you influence those around you to get their lives together. The secret to getting your life together is actually faking that you have together when you don’t. It’s like reverse psychology on yourself. Once you train your brain to be productive, even on the days you’re a mess, you will begin to actually have your life together. It’s a crazy concept!
There has been so many times where I feel like my life is a complete mess, but I hold it together and fake it till I make it. It’s funny because during these times I’ve had many people tell me how put together I look or how I have it figured out, and boy are they wrong. You just got to own it and do what sets your soul on fire, and no one will doubt you. When you don’t believe in yourself, no one else can either.
Thank you for reading today! I hope some of these tips can help you get your life together in 2017, or at least motivate you to get it together. Don’t forget to follow PYM on instagram @pym_blog or on Twitter @pymblog_. I share new posts here, along with positive quotes and polls. You can also subscribe via email on the right of the page. Check it out!
Happy Monday.
xo, Lyss
