Coach Calling: Managing two degrees, isn't tough to do!

WORK-WORTH-LIFE BALANCE for those who are pursuing two degrees simultaneously. Here's how you can take a step in the right direction
Pic: EdexLive
Pic: EdexLive

Be it for young professionals who've just started their careers or veterans who possess more than a decade of experience, the one aspect of their lives that I am approached to coach them on is work-life balance. But here's something new that I decided to address today, keeping those rockstars in mind who are pursuing two degrees simultaneously. I like to call it WORK - WORTH - LIFE BALANCE. Recently, an appeal was made by the UGC (University Grants Commission) to devise mechanisms to aid the same, and I for one, feel it's an amazing step in the right direction.

The mantra of work-worth-life
When I say work, I definitely am referring to the main degree. I name the second degree worth because if it isn't worth it, you'd not be doing it! And last, but most important is life, which refers to everything else apart from your academic stuff. Remember that all three are equally important. Why? The first degree is necessary, while the second that you're planning to pursue in parallel is value addition, which is going to give you an edge. And if you don't prioritise life, it will be like having your feet in two boats. If they move apart, you're in for a dive. 

The reason I emphasise this is because in most cases, people usually don't BALANCE and end up focusing on the work aspect, procrastinate about the worth and/or life aspect and eventually end up not excelling in any one of these three. I'm sure that you would've heard tips about making a schedule and sticking to it, prioritising your life, taking ample breaks, being adaptable and so on. Hence I'm going to give three of my ADVANCED TIPS that take it a notch higher.

1. Don't just make a schedule, use technology to your advantage:
Use technology to help you stay organized. Set alarms for breaks and reminders to follow what you've either pushed to the corner or what you've decided to give more time to and focus on later. Use a calendar app to schedule your classes and deadlines. But always remember to keep buffers by planning ahead. Simply put, I am saying that you can not only manage time better but also be more productive.

2. Don't just prioritise; chunk it down:
Yes, assigning priority to your tasks is very important, but if you make the task look too big, the fear of failing at it kicks in! Just prioritise important tasks and then break them down into smaller, achievable, manageable chunks. This will make it less overwhelming and also help you balance all three aspects that I've mentioned above. The best part is that it'll ensure that you stay on track and not stray away.

3. It's not just one and done, it's constant and continuous:
Life is dynamic and every individual's life is subjective. These two variables make it impossible to have just one plan and expect it to work. It's very crucial to CONSTANTLY AND CONTINUOUSLY review your schedule and make adjustments on the go. Accept that it's okay to keep changing your plans as long as you're going in the right direction and procrastination is definitely a dead end which needs to be avoided. If you find that you're spending too much time on unimportant tasks, or are not able to work according to your plan, make adjustments and keep making them.

Some of us are ambitious; some are over-ambitious, but legendary are those who'll go ahead with such a plan. Be confident; remember that you're a legend in the making and don't let anything pull you back. Even if something does, visualise yourself being in a catapult and focus on going farther ahead!

With Regards,
Adarsh Benakappa Basavaraj
Your Coach

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