Hi lovelies!
Sara over here, I blog (sporadically 
) at Miles and Manhattan. When Ali asked for guest bloggers I jumped on the bandwagon since I adore her blog, her puppy and her amazing accent, obviously. I thought I would do a guest post about something I know all too well which is juggling a million things at once, aka being overwhelmed. So to briefly explain my expertise in being overwhelmed, this is my current situation:
- I am engaged and planning a wedding without the help of a wedding planner/coordinator or anything. Every single last detail of the wedding is being handled by moi.
- Recently landed a brand new job at a new company which is extremely intense, time consuming and a lot more responsibility than my previous job. Huge promotion, huge responsibilities.
- I am trying to stay fit for said wedding and working out also helps keep me sane in terms of said job and life in general J
- I live in NYC and try to maintain a very active social life with lots of friends in the immediate area
- Everything else
My point is not “woe is me I’m so busy”. I love being busy. In fact, I thrive on it. I have a google calendar with four colors and many other systems to keep me on top of my game. So in my humble opinion these are some tips when life gets a bit overwhelming….
1. Plan EVERYTHING. I mean, everything. Date nights with your significant other, walks for your dog in the park (oh yes, did I mention we have a rambunctious 70lb dog too? ) I use a gmail calendar and have a color code for everything. For instance, things that are “only me” (manicure, dinner with friends) are in pink. Things that are myself and my fiancé (shared dinners, any other co-activities) are blue. My workout schedule is green. And the list goes on 
Having everything written down and plotted out (I do my calendar WEEKS in advance) helps keep me on track and be able to see the ‘big picture’ of how my week looks.
2. I keep my email inbox as a to do list. If there is an email in there, it needs to be responded to or handled. True story? I email myself things. Such as “Call the band and set up a meeting”. It just works for me. My email is so ‘in my face’ that having all of my to do’s in one place instead of a separate list (ie: having “email mom back” on a separate list instead of having her email still sitting in my inbox) is just SO much easier for me. However you manage it though? Keep an up to date to do list. Who doesn’t love checking things off a list after all…
3. Ask for help. This is where I often fall short. I try to do everything myself all the time without ANY help. Not to be superwoman, I’m just a control freak. But I recently learned that giving my fiancé small tasks/wedding assignments was (semi.. J ) helpful. And takes something off your plate. Even in terms of non-wedding tasks, you have many people in your life who would surely help you out when the going gets crazy, reach out! And let them know you’ll reciprocate when your life calms down of course
4. Smile and take time to laugh & unwind. Even when you don’t feel like it. Fake it till you make it. When you’re so swamped you think you can’t fit another thing on your list, plan some time to just relax and smile. For me it’s usually walking the dog with my fiancé on the Hudson river, getting a drink with a good friend, enjoying a manicure (best $10.50 I ever spend…) or doing something else that you enjoy to relax you. I’m not big into meditation or any of those things, but I’m sure that would be even more ideal.
5. Rest assured it will all get done. Whenever I am super stressed my friends/fiancé/family always remind me “it will all get done”. And you know what? It’s true. It does. And things have a way of working themselves out.
So, lovelies, what are YOUR suggestions for managing a crazy-busy life? We all have them, so dish!!
XOOXOXOX
Sara
