Time Management Needs to Include Fun Stuff Too!

I manage my time around my energy levels. Then I schedule my tasks and priorities into my week and most importantly, I sprinkle in some fun!

I have had a love-hate relationship with my to-do list ever since I started a wellness side hustle. I tend to take on way too much. I go ham for a while and do really well, but then go into burnout mode every time.

Two things were always at play - I was doing too much, and I wasn't adding enough fun to my schedule.

This is how I changed my schedule for the better:

First, I brain dump on Sunday. I review the prior week's to-do list and look at what I still need to get done and then add my brain dump of new tasks.

Then I look at the long list of to-dos. These are things that go onto a long list of things that I want or need to do, but that don't need immediate attention. I ask myself if there is anything that I want to bring into the current week.

Ok - so this is a lot. A brain dump, last week's list AND the long list. It's ok though!

This is what I do next: as I review the lists, I pull 5 priority items and put them on my short weekly list. I only allow myself 5 items for the entire week because I only have so much free time around my 9-5 job. If I finish them all, then I will grab another task.

I decided a while back that I am not embracing hustle culture. Personally, having fun is more important to me. My side hustle should feel empowering and enjoyable - not stressful.

Now that I have my 5 priority items for the week, it's time to open up my datebook and NOT schedule them. Not yet.

First, I schedule some FUN, including my personal wellness. It is more important! Want to know why? Because fun and my personal wellness are what will keep me going and allow me to have the energy to be able to pursue my passions outside of my day job.

Once I add some fun to my schedule, then I go ahead and add in my priority tasks. The fun comes first - simple as that. I even sprinkle fun throughout my 9-5. We can all do fun things on our lunch breaks!

If I push myself to do nothing but work and don't pay attention to my personal needs and bring in some fun, I know exactly what will happen - another episode of burnout. Life is too short to live like that.

That means my wellness business may grow slowly, and I am ok with that. I would rather live fully in joy with slow growth than grow my business at warp speed with stress.

Want to know a secret?

The slow down, adding more fun, and doing less has actually helped me to grow more! It forced me to hone in on the most important growth tasks instead of trying to wear every hat all the time. I am not making a ton of money yet, but I am growing my audience and my digital wellness content is growing faster every day. 

The top takeaway here is that life is meant to be enjoyed - no matter what we are taking on in our lives. Doing less and adding in more fun can add up to way more than you could imagine.