5 of My Personal Tips to Kick the Stressful Week to the Curb
You guys, it’s Sunday morning. Arguably my favorite time of the week. Is it just me or is there something magical about Sunday morning, when you’re still in your pjs, drinking that first cup of coffee, when everything just feels right in the world?
Sunday is a Funday, until about 5 PM, for me. That’s when SMONDAY kicks in. You know, the feeling that my beloved Sunday is almost over and now I have to switch over into Monday-mode. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, I don’t hate Mondays, but I just wish that Sunday mornin’ feeling could stick around a little longer.
And I know that some seasons in life are especially stressful.
For all my multifamily peeps, budget season has officially kicked off and it’s easy to get in overwhelm mode. For our student housing friends, you guys are in the thrust of it all right now with turns and soon move-ins. This is the time where anything that can go wrong, usually does.
When things get especially hectic at work, here are a few foundational things that I go back to:
So much about building a successful career is about managing your mind. When those voices tell you that you aren’t enough or when you are so frustrated that you want to throw in the towel, take a minute. Tell those voices to zip it. You are enough. My business coach shared with me a little phrase that has stuck during hard times. “Leaders bear the burden of complexity.” The pressure is there because you have shown that you can handle it. This time is no different.
The compound effect is real, y’all. Winning the race is all about the pace. It’s all about what you do every day. How do you show up for you? How do you show up for your team? Put in the work everyday and you won’t have to hustle to catch up. Decide on the daily activities that matter every day and do them. NO. MATTER. WHAT.
Stop the auto-yes.This is a big one. Don’t say yes to every commitment. I’m guilty too. We want to please. They call it the disease to please for a reason. Please our boss. Please our spouse. Please our kids. Please our friends. Please our colleagues. But enough is enough. Take pause. Everything we say yes to means we are saying no to something else. Challenge yourself this week to pause before you say yes. A simple, “Let me check my schedule and get back to you,” buys you the time to really think if this request fits into your big picture. I love what Tim Ferris says, “If it’s not a Heck Yes, it’s a No, Thank You!
An organized mind creates an organized life. Take the time to organize your life. I love to do this on Sundays. Life is complex these days. We have so many demands. Ditch the open loops in your brain (that make you crazy) and put it all on paper. Personal and business...it all needs to go on there.
Here are a few of the things that I like to plot on my calendar:
My morning routine. It’s the same every day, but it’s on the calendar.
One-on-one Meetings with My Team
Client Appointments
What’s for Dinner
Time Dedicated to Family & Friends (it’s important, so it’s scheduled)
Down Time
Schedule downtime everyday. You can’t go 100 miles per hour non-stop. Take the time to decompress. Find time daily, weekly and monthly to recharge. Even if it’s just five minutes every day that you go outside and take a quick walk. It gives you the time to get back to you. To quiet your thoughts and get your mind (and body) right. Think you don’t have enough time? You do. In just 5-10 minutes you’ll come back with an new mindset to tackle whatever is next on your list.
Alrighty, guys. That’s it for now. Enjoy your Sunday Funday! I’m off to take my Dobie, Jax for a little stroll to visit the neighboring cows.
*Please excuse any typos. Written Sunday at 7 am CST before the coffee fully kicked in.
