How I Made My Life Productive In 2020 || July 2020

    Well hello there! It's been a minute!

    You would think with all of the time that I have during quarantine that I would have posted a lot more... sorry about that. 

    BUT, that's actually what this post is about- how I made myself productive with everything that's been happening. 

    In case you've stumbled across my blog and don't know, I'm from SC, and right now, it's number four in the world for COVID-19 cases. Pathetic, I know. So, with that, we've been almost regressing back into a quarantined-like lifestyle with a little bit more breathing room (with masks, of course). 

    As much as it frustrates me that we couldn't have just done all of this the first time, there's nothing I can do except keep moving forward. 

    I'm a pretty creative person, I'm sure I could find something to do (I mean I have this blog, a WIP, and a podcast, what more could I need?) But, I found myself spending the majority of my days watching Markiplier or Matthias on youtube or scrolling endlessly through Avatar: The Last Airbender TikToks or on my Tumblr. And don't get me wrong, I enjoyed that- a lot. But, I realized that I needed to do more than just sit on my bed all day and occasionally go to the pool. I work, but it's not every day, and also it's not something that stimulates me creatively (I mean, it's work, that's not it's job.) And every time I went to do something creative I had too many projects that I didn't even know which one to do first, so I just... didn't do any? 

    It was pitiful. 

    This was also last week. 

    Anyways, I came to the realization that with all of my projects (writing, crafting, etc.) needed to have designated days for me to do them, otherwise, I would legitimately never complete any of them. At the moment, I have two (ish) WIPs, plus a new idea (that came to me at 2am?) and then just a bunch of little extra things for the ATLA fandom because I'm so invested. It's a mess, I'm aware. So, when I divided them up by designated days, I realized that in total, I only had five days that were totally designated to a specific project, so I left the last two days (Saturday and Sunday) up for what I felt like I wanted to work on, etc.

    So far, it's been the best idea I've had. I finally have my agenda up and working for the first time since March (and if you know me, you know that my agenda is my baby, so it felt really good to get back at it). I also have felt so much more accomplished. I've been doing some of these crafts that I've had in mind FOREVER and haven't had the time to do, and I'm not stressed about getting things done or choosing a project because I have designated days for them. 

    I wanted to write this blog post because I felt like it was important to share that creating an outline for your day, creating purpose, can make you feel so much better and keeps you from a depressive state. I remember talking to two of my close friends and how much we had become just so lethargic and felt like what we were doing was meaningless. Ultimately, a schedule puts meaning back in your life. As much as we hate school or our jobs, they add to a routine, and without them, it's a lot harder to become motivated to do anything. 

    I've learned a lot about myself over this year so far, but this is one of the biggest ones. I missed blogging, and I hope that by now having a schedule, I'm able to get back into it. I also miss my podcast too! (I have two unpublished episodes at the ready... oops) so be on the lookout for that. (you can find it on Anchor, or on literally any other podcast platform!) 

    Well, I think that's all for this week. I hope this maybe helped you understand where you can find better use for your time and make yourself feel less like a mess. I know we all need that sometimes :)