You’re new in a foreign country, you’re new to your host organization, you’re in a new environment and you’re trying to get the most of it.. And you’re absolutely right, but don’t try to do everything at once. “This is not a radical discovery but, in a world where relentless multitasking is a way of life, acceptance of this fact does feel like one”.
When I first came to the US, I didn’t want to miss a THING! I was booked 24/7! During the day, at my host, I wanted to be part of everything! Needless to say, I often brought work home. A work that I could finish only late at night, since I signed up to every single extra-activity/event in DC. My weekends were also full : Work, Volunteering opportunities, conferences, events and so on..
If you’re anything like me, the only way that you will come to accept that it is ok to chill for a second; take a good rest and not doing anything because you can’t manage to be in 87 places, achieving 200 things at once, is if somebody else says it to you!
You’re in the United States for one whole year! Make plans! Manage your time and REST! Decide what your priorities are, and then give yourself permission to do those things without feeling bad about it. It doesn’t mean you can’t do additional stuff too, just don’t beat yourself up for it.
Give yourself the mental freedom to stop the internal dialogue that tells you to do everything or else you’ll miss on everything. Focus on what’s important to you! Focus is everybody’s bestie!
So dear fellow, if you try to do everything in one go, you’ll either end up getting nothing done, or you won’t enjoy a thing.
So as Charlotte said,“ let’s be a little bit kinder to ourselves, shall we?”
