Redefining Focus

February has been a whirlwind.  

For the last three weeks I have been in full on triage mode. "What is the most important thing I have to do in this moment and what is the least amount of time I can spend on it while still producing high quality work?" I feel like this is the only thought my brain has had all month. I have  a nasty habit of overextending myself, however, I genuinely enjoy almost everything I do and what I don't enjoy is a necessary evil. I am currently a graduate student, graduate research assistant/teaching assistant, LEND trainee, volunteer prenatal dietitian, and volunteer public policy coordinator for a non-profit. My biggest fault  is a tie between caring too much and having too much ambition.

Earlier this month, I attended a leadership training at the Kansas Leadership Center called Your Leadership Edge. During these three days, I was exhausted from introspection but I learned some very valuable skills and received guidance from my amazing small group. First, I need to address "competing values." I cannot physically focus the full about of my attention on everything I'm currently doing (plus, friends, family, and taking care of myself). Second, I need to focus a little more on taking care of myself. The last year in particular has looked very different for me in terms of diet and exercise compared to what I consider my "normal life" and how my friends and family think of me. In fact, I would say that those two aspects have been relatively non existent. So after continued introspection the last few weeks, I've come to the conclusion that I would like to get back to doing the things that make me happy and have nothing to do with work (because my work actually makes me very happy, most days). 

Going forward, my goal is to practice saying "NO" to things that do not get me closer to my future goals. Luckily, a few things on my plate are timestamped to end in May, regardless of if I want them to or not (Grad School, GRA/TA, LEND) Some of that time will be replaced with a job where I'll have more direct focus on one thing. Then I'll just need to work on not filling that space (easier said than done). I'm also making time in the kitchen, making meals I love, a priority (something that has not been happening as much as  I would like) along with spending a little more time in the gym (also, not happening regularly, if at all, right now).

​The most important piece of all of this might be better managing my schedule and the corresponding procrastination to create more space for non-work/school things and people. Which means leaving the office at 5 pm not 8 pm or 9 (or at least going to the gym in the morning). And finally, allowing myself time to dedicate to this platform and interacting with all of you (so that probably means a little less Netflix)!

I'm a huge proponent of feeling good from the inside and I'm excited to refocus on the healthy things that I love. 

Your health and livelihood is important- I encourage you to take a little time and reflect on what your life looks like. Is it the live you want to live?

Being busy is not an accomplishment.