Yes, I work full-time.

No, I don’t work your typical 9-5 Monday through Friday anymore.

So, it really has me wondering…

Why TF does it seem like I have more time to do things even though I’m working the same amount of hours?

Like I’ve said before, I’m not a full-blown believer in zodiac signs, but these Libra traits have helped me use all the time I have to the fullest.

My week usually looks like this:

• Work two or three days in Malibu (the drive is ROUGH from Long Beach)
• Work in Long Beach the other two days
• I typically work Saturday through Wednesday, so Thursdays and Fridays are my weekends (most of the time)

So, like how TF am I supposed to have a social life if my weekends are pretty booked with work and most of my friends are free only on the weekends?

MAKE TIME.

I can’t stress enough that time is totally a social construct. You are not limited by the hours in the day. You’re limited by what you make of your time. 

Here’s some helpful tips on how I “make” time to have a social life and do all the things I need to get done.

• ADD YOUR WORK SCHEDULE TO YOUR MF CALENDAR. Google Calendar? She’s my best friend. I literally add my work schedule to my calendar bi-weekly so I know when I have time off. This allows me to make plans with friends WAY ahead of time.
• Make plans with friends DAYS BEFORE. I know not everyone’s a planner, but this is literally how I make time to see all of my friend groups every week at least once. Usually in the beginning of the week, I ask my friends when they’re free and make plans according to their schedules. Taco Tuesday anyone? I also ALWAYS make plans for the weekend so I always have something to do.
• An extra hour a day can go a long way. A quick gym sesh for me is about 45 minutes, which is basically NOTHING. If you have to wake up an hour earlier just to fit exercise into your day, do it. Working out in the morning for me before work makes me feel way more productive and by the end of the day I feel like I did SOMETHING other than work and it’s a damn good feeling. You’ll also have more energy throughout the day in case you make last-minute plans with friends after work.
• Have a set morning routine and night routine. I’m serious. Making your bed and your coffee in the morning will save you so much time in the long run. No one likes to come home to a messy room they have to fix. Always have a set morning routine to “save” time. Hauling ass sucks and having to do it later sucks even more.

A typical week for me (that I enjoy) is having Friday and Saturday night booked with friends and also one day out of the weekday for friends as well. The other nights I count as self-care nights to do the things I need to do like laundry, cleaning my apartment, organizing my bills and finances and at least one evening of solitude. This weekly schedule allows me to have a very much alive social life, time for self-care and also productivity so I can stay organized (and sane).

How do you make time?

 

LIFESTYLE helpful life LIFESTYLE organized personal productive productivity selfcare selfhelp