sometimes, always, never

This fall, I can comfortably say I have bitten off a bit more than I can chew. Have you ever played chubby bunny? That's sort of how I feel when I say I've bitten off more than I can chew.

I've been working part time for Fresh Harvest, am trying to fully launch my coaching business as I finish up my certification, started LEAD Atlanta, am wedding planning and also am still working at my job. {spoiler alert: now you see why I've been drinking too much coffee and didn't blog for weeks on end!}

I tell you this not to complain. I am grateful beyond words for each of these opportunities and feel so alive, excited and passionate about life as I dive into them. These are things I have been praying and yearning for during the last few months and years. I am overcome with joy for what this season looks like.

But, pretty much every day I've been hitting the ground running. From when I wake up at 5:45 to crash into bed around 10:30, my brain is churning and my list making is out of control. As I attempt to maximize every day, I've found certain things have helped me enhance productivity. Here are my top tips:

1. At the end of each day, make your to do list for the next day.

It will help you get things out of your head and on to paper, as well as set you up to be successful right when you begin the next day.

I love using the Day Designer's free printable to make mine. My favorite part is that it helps me identify my top three goals for the day and also reminds me to write down a daily gratitude.

2. Protect chunks of time each day.

Schedule calls and meetings in blocks and protect back-to-back hours of time to create more room to knock projects out. Nothing interferes with me diving into a project full throttle than having a meeting in 20 minutes hanging over my head.

3. Take a break every 90 minutes.

Give your brain the chance to reset. Grab water, do some push ups or step outside. Do anything you can to give your eyes the chance to move away from technology and your brain the chance to rest. Then, begin again!

4. Keep a tidy work space.

A decluttered work area = a decluttered brain = more productivity. Math y'all!

5. Check off the little things.

I kid you not, the first things I check off when I get to my desk are: wake up, quiet time, workout, get ready. I do them every day, but I write them down and check them off every day.

Why? It instantly creates a sense of accomplishment and encourages more productivity by releasing Dopamine.

6. Don't be a slave to your inbox.

Reply in a timely manner, yes. But don't reply to every email instantly. It's a distraction and, sometimes, if you wait a few minutes, requests will be resolved by the time you get to your inbox. Try turning off Outlook's popup to avoid the temptation.

7. Know when you shine.

The morning is the best time for me to get things done - especially those involving creativity. Trying to get me to write between 3 and 5 p.m. is like trying to get a cow to produce vegan milk. Pretty much impossible. I try to do creative or brain-heavy activities first, then handle more administrative work in the afternoon.

Know when you're at your best for the work you're trying to do and give yourself grace during non-peak hours to do other things.

8. Stop multitasking.

First of all, it's not real. Multitasking is actually impossible for us. Second of all, it slows us down. Focus on one thing at a time, then check it off that list, baby.

9. Use the internet to your advantage.

There are so many amazing tools to help us be more productive. I love Chrome's free Day Board. When I open a new tab, I can see my five more important tasks for the day, which is a lovely reminder when I'm opening a tab to say, shop.

10. Get rest.

Lots of it. Give up those 45 minutes of late night work to get sleep and I guarantee you'll make them up with how much more efficient you are the next day.

Happy doing!

1. Compare yourself to others. Nothing saps my creativity faster than comparing myself to other people. There will always be people who do it better than me, are funnier than me and get more likes. I can be overflowing with creativity and then - BAM - I start comparing myself to other people and it dries up instantly. Don't use your measuring stick to compare yourself to others. You do you.

2. Be a perfectionist. Sometimes you just have to let it free flow. Whether it be writing or drawing or cooking - aim more for creation and less for perfection.

3. Ignore self-care. When I take time to sleep, exercise, eat well and create white space, I find that my creativity overflows. But when I'm exhausted and stressed? I might as well not even try. My output is stifled. I'm best creatively when I take time to process, reflect and make room to learn along the way.

4. Consume junk. The old adage is true; we are what we eat. What we listen to, watch, read and who we spend our time with is what we become. If I start a book that is really poorly written, I don't let myself finish it. And I try to spend more time listening to podcasts than watching mindless TV. I find that, unfortunately, my output is really influenced my input, so I try to be aware of it.

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My greatest struggle among this list is easily the comparison trap. There are so many amazing people out there with blogs and websites and services that are far ahead of me. I find myself looking at their sites and thinking, I can never do this. And then I remember: I'm not supposed to do this. I am supposed to do it my own way.

I once heard a sermon that said: find your purpose and live it. We are all one body and we have a purpose to serve to the body. You'd never ask a leg to be lips, would you? I think of this whenever I find myself wanting to compete with someone else - someone I'm not. I always think: I would not run on my lips or eat with my legs.

I believe humans are at their best when they're creating. Whether it be through fine arts or gardening or any of the hundreds of ways to create in between, we were made by a Creator and are fulfilled by creating things.

Whenever someone tells me they aren't creative, I think they generally mean they aren't clever or artistic. Everyone is creative in some capacity. My brother-in-law is an engineer through and through, and a lot of stereotypes would say engineers aren't really creative types. But he builds rockets for a living - he creates rockets. Do you know the kind of mental capacity and creativity that takes? I wouldn't ask him to write my blog and he sure as heck wouldn't ask me to build a rocket. But he is creative in his own right. And I think it's important to find our creative voice and capacity as we grow into whole, full people.

What's killing your creativity today?