In kindergarten I was the kid that got sent home because I couldn’t take naps. Growing up I’d always be doing something: reading, writing short stories, riding my bike, or coming up with clever ways to shirk doing Kumon math… I was the only child for 6 years and had immigrant parents who worked a lot so I learned to entertain myself. I find joy in having multiple projects going on at once: my startup, bikram yoga, training for a half marathon, speaking engagements, blogging, cooking, reading, traveling and spending time with my friends. A lot of people have asked me how I juggle it all so I figured I share some tips. But before you go and try to replicate this model a few caveats:
1. I’m not trying to “keep busy” I genuinely like doing a lot of things. Some would call me a workaholic, which is a fine with me, but I chose the projects I want to work on. I also recruit others to participate in my projects if I think its something they would enjoy taking part in or if I think the project is going to be too much for me to handle e.g. SXSW panel, cooking for 10+ people, running a company 🙂
2. I’m single this is not meant to be a proclamation or an advertisement… It just means that I have a LOT of freedom and can do what I without feeling guilty about it.
3. I’m a planner I know there are a lot of people who procrastinate, that doesn’t work for me, and actually causes me to have high anxiety. I’m a girl scout; I like to be prepared, I’ll anticipate issues coming up and try to think ahead of time how to handle them.
4. I have the memory of an elephant I’ve been blessed with a good memory for events, dates,and data. For things I know I’ll forget I use a calendar or a long todo list.
5. I’m not a social butterfly contrary to popular belief I am not one who spends a lot of time socializing in the purest sense, i.e. I don’t go to a lot of parties. Yes I have a LOT of friends but that’s mostly the result of building relationships over the years. I actually prefer being by myself most of the time even though I’m classified as an ENTJ. I do enjoy Sunday dinners and meeting up with people 1-1.
Ok so now onto the “secrets” behind my machine like ways:
1. Detachment I used to take things to heart when I was younger and it would fester, then I learned to shirk off the little things like my neighbor bitching me out, or someone cutting me off in traffic. This helps me keep my cool and even keel state. I also avoid drama or alleviate if at all possible, which I know seems unemotional, but if you’ve met me you know I can be quite emotional in a good way 🙂
2. Priorities Just because I have a lot of projects doesn’t mean I give them all equal weight. My top priority these days is my startup and my team. Everything and everyone comes after that. This makes decision-making easy because before I chose to take on a project or task I’ll weigh it against my list of priorities. And if I don’t have time for it then I just don’t have time. I don’t like to overcommit myself because then I’m not doing anything particularly well, which by the way is key; I focus on the quality of my projects and work rather than the quantity.
3. Commitments Once I’ve committed to a project then I’m going to see it through. That includes meetings, although there are times when I just don’t have time to meet with people. I feel bad about it and I’ll try to circle back with them if there is too much going on.
3. Diet/Exercise/Sleep These should probably be before detachment. I try to work out at least 2 times a week but aim for 4-5. Exercise keeps me happy and its a great outlet for stress. Sleep keeps me sharp, I am for 6-8 hours. I have a really hard time sleeping in, even on the weekends. As far as diet goes I don’t eat crap (hardly any processed foods) and I eat a LOT of fruits, veggies, and lean meats this keeps my blood sugar even throughout the day. I love dark chocolate, wine, and cocktails but I keep it to a minimum.
4. Focus I can’t multitask. It may seem like I do, but I’m actually parallelizing and context switching. I like to do one thing get it done and then move onto to the next. If this means I don’t accomplish everything on my todo list then so be it. Tomorrow is another day!
5. Time Sinks I’m hyper aware of how much time it takes to do tasks. I’m not really a facebook junkie, and will limit my twitter and email times. I also alway factor in transit time and use it to accomplish things like working on the train, taking phone calls (with my headset) on long drives, or reading when I’m waiting for something or someone.
6. Relaxation?!? Some people like to come home and take a load off. I prefer relaxing throughout the day, I’ve got a 5 minute yoga routine in the morning, I’ll take a couple 15-20 minute walks throughout the day, and I’ll listen to music in the car or if I’m doing a mundane task it keeps me going. Exercise is also my form of relaxation, I’ve never really been a couch potato, and sometimes I wish I was.
7. Limits I think its important to know your limits. Like I said I don’t like to get mad, yell, or obsess. If I find myself burning out then I will plan a vacation or take a day off. Keep in mind that these are time that I spend solely by myself!
These are my tips, they may or may not work for you, I certainly don’t advocate anyone copying them exactly, who wants a bunch of Poornima’s running around… and do realize that I’m optimizing for a happy and fulfilling life!
