How Smarter Living Taught Me to Be an Adult.
Four things I’ve learned that can help you, too.
1. Do less — but do it better.
In February, I wrote about a work-life philosophy that changed my life: “If it’s not a ‘hell yeah,’ it’s a ‘no.’” The idea sounds simple, but with honest self-examination you realize it affects every part of your life.
For me, that meant declining projects at work — even ones that sounded exciting — because they weren’t core to my goals and to what I want to accomplish. By thinning out my workload I’ve been able to (I hope!) improve the quality of the work I am committing to, which in turn makes my work better fulfill our mission at The Times: serving you.
(Though I have my annual review with my editor coming up, so, uh, I’ll get back to you on this one.)
2. The power of an exercise routine.
I entered 2017 about 35 pounds overweight and with awful eating habits. I’ve always had a not-so-great relationship with exercise and food, but I reached a turning point last year. It wasn’t through a weird trick or life hack. I used the same advice we’ve heard for all of our lives: Find a routine and commit to it, and find a support network of people who keep you motivated.
I fell into a regular schedule of classes at SoulCycle, and I found an instructor I loved (hi, Charlee Atkins!) and a group of friends who keep each other coming back. That’s it. Consistency will always win.
3. Pay yourself.
Like with exercise and food, I was never good with money. Paycheck comes in, you’re supposed to spend it, I thought. This is far from unique, and it’s systemic; there’s no formal structure in place for Americans to learn how to manage their money. You either learn it yourself, or you don’t learn it at all. However, one of the most important money habits you can develop is also a very simple one: Pay yourself before anything else. Even if it’s $25 here and there, it adds up over time. Start right now, literally today, go sock away $25 (we’ll wait).
4. Relax!
Earlier this month in the S.L. newsletter, I wrote about burnout after feeling a lull in my motivation and energy — my mojo was off. Hundreds of readers shared their experiences with burnout as well, and it was eye-opening to see how all of us feel this way sometimes, and that’s perfectly fine.
If you’re feeling it too, take some time to yourself to recover. Even if that’s taking a “sick day” at work or just a long lunch, giving yourself space to be burned out can be huge. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a mountain of work that keeps growing, slice up your tasks into micro-goals and knock them out one at a time.
Lastly, talk with someone. Experts say that talking with other people can be the strongest antidote to burnout.
And really, that has been the core of Smarter Living for the last two years — just talking about these things we’re all a little unsure of and trying to get better in whatever ways we can.
That said, it’s a process: The weekend I wrote this I showed up 30 minutes late to a dinner with friends, without anything close to a valid excuse. Do as I say, not as I do.
