I am thirty-six years old. And my time is divided between work in a high stress profession 8 hrs a day, five days a week and I'm married with a DH and children just as darling.
Last year I got a promotion which increased our income but also my workload/responsibilities. Fast forward a year and we our expecting out third little bundle of joy.
And the question I have been asking myself is: "will I self-destruct?" And for the life of me the only way that I see to get it done is through some careful/creative planning. Something that I enjoy doing anyway. The feasibility that I can maintain my current position is a little shaky now.
Making A Plan
Making a plan is crucial, whether is is a family plan, a work plan, or a life plan. The more granular and specific you can make it to a specific activity the better. As it stands I
Right now I would have a little bit of maternity leave which will make the first weeks easier, however, when I return to work I will have to hit the ground running. I am not confident that that will - in the long run - be that easy.
As I said before, my work is manageable now because I work it around a pretty tight schedule that is well worth the time that I put into it. My co-workers will have their own ideas of priority and things will be done to fit them. As it should be. However, I will have to put things back into order so that they work for me. And that is where my concerns come from.
So how do I plan so meticulously? What sort of magic or app do I use?
I don't do any of that. I grab a piece of paper, just your standard printer paper, and start blocking things out.
First I start by writing down the days of the week. Next I will write down what needs to be done on a daily basis to be finished for the week. My plan incorporates both professional and personal so I know what will be neglected if I miss one of my points. And then I do everything in my power to stick to the plan.
In most cases I will work through lunch breaks and most breaks to get a little extra time so that I can get everything done.
I have been making plans since my final year of high school.
And I have no intention of stopping.