By Anthony Russomanno
The Princeton Review
It's easy to spot someone who's over-scheduled. Tired and stressed out – oh there he is. He spends all his time making calculated choices based on what he thinks will help him get an edge. If you ask him what he does for fun, he doesn't have an answer. He doesn't feel confident about his ability to measure up to expectations–his parents', his friends' or his own. He spends a lot of time trying to fix his weaknesses, meeting with trainers, experts, coaches and tutors.
Over-scheduling is hazardous to your mental health as well as to your chances of success. If that sounds like you (or your spouse, child or friend), here are some suggestions to help you reclaim some time.
1. Every day, reserve an hour of time that is just for you.
This should be a time you get to spend doing something that makes you happy. And don't you dare use that time to study or do work. This is your time to read Us Weekly, paint, or play guitar with nobody watching, or listen to music, or play video games. We don't care what it is. Don't justify it to anybody. Just do it.
2. Cut back on the time you spend trying to fix weaknesses.
It is absurd to think that anyone, including employers, family and friends, expects you to be great at everything. If you're meeting with a guitar teacher because you're not very good at guitar but you really want to be, that's great. But if you're doing yet another round of prep for a qualifying exam (work, school, etc) because your first three tries aren't in Google’s or Stanford's range, ditch your tutor and pick up the guitar (or the video game or Us Weekly).
3. Don't measure everything by its potential value to schools, employers or others.
Your career (or going back to school) should be about lots of things, and preparing for it is certainly one of them. But it should also be about being a regular member of society. Being productive is a good thing, but scheduling every second of your day trying to please others is just unreasonable.
4. Sleep more.
Seriously. Too many people talk about how they're sleeping 5 or fewer hours a night. No good. You need to sleep to function well, to be happy and to enjoy your life. If there's just no way you could sleep more and still get everything done, then you need to follow tip #2 above and tip #5 below.
5. Quit any activities that you don't enjoy and/or don't really care about.
It's better (and less stressful) to do a few things that really matter to you than too many that don't. If you don't look forward to doing one of your activities and/or it just doesn't mean much to you, quit.
You don't have to be over-scheduled to be productive.
Are you preparing to return to school, pursue an advanced educational opportunity, or advance your career prospects? Player Engagement has collaborated with The Princeton Review to assist NFL players, their wives, significant others, and their children in pursuit of their educational goals.
- Discounts on The Princeton Review Test Preparation Programs -Receive a 10% discount on test prep courses and tutoring for the LSAT, GMAT, GRE, MCAT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP and PSAT. Click ENROLL, enter test type, zip code and use the promo code NFL10at check out.
- Take a FREE Practice Test?Determine your preparation needs by taking a full-length practice exam (online or in person) without affecting your record and receive a personalized, detailed score report, analyzing your test taking strengths and weaknesses. Click HERE.
*If you qualify for the Tuition Assistance Benefit, you may be eligible forconfidential one-on-one in-person or online tutoring sessions for Targeted Learning or Grad School Exam Prep with an expert coach, free of charge. Please contact your Director of Player Engagement or the NFL PE Dept. at 855-4PE-2472 to learn more.