What if I told you you can have it all? A Guide to Balance, Career Success, and Happiness
What if I told you that you can have it all?
Many people have assumptions about career and academically oriented people--whether they are young professionals or people who value their careers as top priority. These people are "uptight," "can never have fun," and "don't value their time with loved ones," due to working "too much" and "too hard." The list of assumptions goes on and on.
What I learned about myself and my peers in my graduate program and the other Fisher graduate programs (SMF, MAcc, and MBA) is that you can have it all. You can be a top student, involved in extracurricular clubs, enjoy a company happy hour with your work friends, make time for the gym, prioritize seeing your friends and families, and receive a job offer to a Fortune 500 company. And do it with a smile on your face.
The key is balance. A lot of my friends and family often ask me how I do it all. I would be lying if I said it is a challenge at times, but all worthwhile things requires extra effort. Utilizing a planner- whether physical or online- is helpful for me. I write out my schedule for the day. The first things I write down are nonnegotiable things that I must show up to. Those two things for me and my life are school and work. No matter what I am locked in for school and work when class or my shift is occurring.
Then I go on and look at my day and play a mental game of Tetris with my values. I am an exercise lover and I weight lift 5 times a week. Moving my body is my top priority, and I value living a healthy lifestyle. I work out either at 6 am or in between classes when I have enough breaks in between. I also listen to my body and go on long walks if I finish my homework on time. These walks are great for clearing my mind, practicing gratitude, and listening to music!
After that, I list out the important deadlines for the week and homework assignments and organize my days accordingly on when I should attack each item. I do this in the cracks between working out, my classes, and work.
Finally, I am a social extrovert that values spending time with my loved ones. This is where I utilize the weekend. I made a boundary with myself to not do school work on the weekends (Friday and Saturday, I do most of my work on Sundays) unless I absolutely have to. These "absolutely have to" scenarios are typically if I have major exams or projects to work on.
Balance is key to not just success, but to happiness and contentment.
I have utilized time management and balance in graduate school and in doing so, I have been able to keep my scholarship through achieving stellar grades, go to the gym five times a week for both my mental and physical health, go out with friends every weekend, lead my cohort as Madame President, and receive a full-time offer to a fortune 50 company. All while having a smile on my face!
