With work, family, friends and hobbies, it can be difficult to find ways to organize your social life. Life can get hectic quickly and I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with far too many obligations. I hate telling people no, but with everything that goes on, I sometimes have to. When you find the right ways to organize your social life, you'll find you have more fun and you're more productive.
One of the best ways to organize your social life is to get rid of anything that's not important. Do you volunteer your time at numerous organizations or commit to every event your friends ask you to? It's okay to let some things go. If you're always on the go, you're not able to give your all to what you're doing. Trust me, your friends will notice that you're not yourself. Discover what's most important to you and let the rest go.
If your friends are all vying for your attention, plan a group get together. Instead of having to make time for a dinner with one friend, a lunch with another and a movie with yet another one, gather all three together for dinner and movie one night. You still get to see everyone, but your schedule becomes a little less chaotic. Always make sure the friends you group together actually get along. To make it easier for everyone, let each friend in the group take a turn at planning what everyone will do each week.
I am a firm believer in multi-tasking whenever possible. To get the best results, you should pair a physical and mind-intensive activity together. This lets you focus better on both. For instance, I set my tablet on my treadmill and read while I walk. When friends call, I'm usually busy cleaning the house or cooking. I get twice as much done in half the time.
If your plate starts to get too full, take a moment to get your priorities straight. What things are most important to you today or this week? Is it more important to meet your co-workers to get ahead on that big project or head out with your friends for some downtime? Odds are, work trumps in this case and maybe your friends will give you a rain check. You'll reduce your stress and still take care of everything that needs to be done.
The busier your social life becomes, the more need you have for a planner. You can use an app or just standard paper planner. Keep track of every single appointment you make. This will keep you from over-scheduling yourself and having to disappoint someone after making a commitment. I prefer an app myself since I always have my phone with me. I can check if I'm free in just a few seconds and decide whether to make new plans or not.
The more stressed you are, the more tired you become. I know when I'm dealing with stress, I tend to be slower at things. It takes me longer to make the bed, cook dinner, handle my work and get ready to go out. This extra time cuts in to my social life. I find myself running late to things or forgetting about them entirely and having to reschedule. Take time to de-stress and you'll suddenly find your social life far easier to manage.
If you're like me, your social life can pull you in 20 different directions at one time. Whether it's family, friends or work demanding your attention, you get lost in the process. Don't be afraid to limit your activities for the week in order to have some time for yourself. You won't have any time to get organized if you're always on the run. Plus, you need the downtime to rest and relax. I found that by scheduling a little me time, I got a much better handle over what social activities were most important to me.
You don't have to let your social life get the best of you. Your life is something to enjoy, not dread. I got my social life under control by remembering that I don't have to make everyone happy, just myself. What are your techniques for managing a busy social life?