Leadership Without the Stress...

Leadership involves a lot of time and a lot of commitment. Especially as a student and a leader the stress can be enough to make you want to rip your hair out. Half the time I think I must look like this:

So how do you manage everything on your plate, get it all done on time, and keep from going crazy all at once? For me it meant organizing my time.

When I started college, like most, I had NO idea how to study. Studying in high school meant looking over my notes the night before the exam. Now I was in college and the material as twice as hard and three times as much. On top of this, I was in leadership roles that involved even more of my time that I realized I didn't have. That isn't even factoring in having a life, going to the gym, being with people I love and eating. I had to find a way to manage my time and not crumble under the stress of every day life. 

That is when I became best friends with my calendar. In order to manage my time I needed to see everything that needed to be done and by when. I think keeping an accurate calendar is KEY to time management. By first noting when the item was assigned and then when it was due I got a picture of how long I had to do it..... 

And this is where the check lists come in. Make short term goals! make midpoint goals. Say you have to write a paper for a class, study for an exam and finish a leadership projection all the same day: plan it out. My keys to reducing stress and managing my time include a few easy steps...

1. Prioritize - which tasks can be completed earlier than the due date: start your study guide as you learn! Do the project first because it doesn't matter if you finish it early.

2. Make a schedule: If I know I have an multiple things to do on the same day I schedule the days leading up. I may chose to write my paper a day at a time: research day 1 and 2, outline day 3, write days 4-7. 

3. Study in short bursts instead of cramming: set out 1-2 hour blocks of time to study the material each day leading up to the exam. By learning 1 or 2 sections a day and reviewing the night before exam you cut out the cramming.

4. Delegate: part of being a leader is knowing that you can't always be the person to do everything. You leading people for a reason and those people can help! I put being a perfectionist aside and learned to trust everyone around me to get the job done.

5. Schedule some time for yourself: It may seem like in the midst of 100 things to do that you don't have time for you, but you definitely do! I always give myself a few hours to do things for myself. I will give time to go to the gym, read a book, or just watch TV. Maybe I'll leave time to go to dinner with a friend, or call my mom. 

There is no foul proof way to manage time, but finding the strategy best for yourself cuts down the stress and keeps a balance. Dividing the things you need to do into smaller tasks makes it less daunting and more manageable.