How I Manage to Manage It All (Well, Sort Of)
written by Tyler James | Creativity, Productivity
Where do you even start with a post like this? Honestly… life is busy. And everyone’s version of “busy” looks different. For me, it looks like working full time, running two side businesses, posting on my cooking website, taking care of my dog Finnegan, keeping my home together, keeping myself together, and building a life (and relationship) with my boyfriend. Just typing that out is enough to feel overwhelming.
Take a second and look at your own life. What are you responsible for day to day? Who relies on you—and who do you rely on? Once you’ve got that picture in your head, here are a few things that help me manage it all… or at least manage it better.
No perfection. Just real life.
Plan. Plan. Plan.
I know—planning sounds like everyone’s least favorite thing. It can feel like extra work or like you’re boxing yourself in. I get it. But once I started planning my days (and staying ahead of them), I felt an immediate sense of relief.
Coffee with your boyfriend? Put it on the calendar.
Dog needs a bath? Schedule it.
Quick errand you keep putting off? Give it a time.
Everything in your life has a place. Planning isn’t about being rigid—it’s about not carrying everything around in your head all day.
Be Intentional (and Efficient) With Your Time
One of the biggest lightbulb moments for me was learning about stacking. I first heard about it from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. The idea is simple: pair things that naturally fit together. Want to wake up earlier and keep a tidier home? Get out of bed and immediately make it. No scrolling. No climbing back in. You’re up—and your room already feels better.
Once that clicked, I started applying it everywhere. Group errands together. Clean the kitchen while dinner finishes cooking. Call someone you’ve been meaning to catch up with while walking the dog. None of this is groundbreaking, but realizing it actually works changed everything for me. Look at your schedule and see where things can overlap.
It adds up faster than you think.
Lower the Bar (Seriously)
This one took me a long time to learn.
Some days are “bare minimum” days—and that’s okay. The house doesn’t have to look Pinterest-ready. Dinner doesn’t need to be impressive. You don’t need a perfectly optimized morning routine or a color-coded planner to be doing life “right.”
Lowering the bar doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you care enough to keep going.
And honestly—so help me God, if I see one more hype-beast, grind-mindset YouTube bro trying to sell a “this one secret habit will change your life” course, I’m going to lose it. Life isn’t a highlight reel. You don’t need to wake up at 4:30 a.m., drink green juice, and monetize your personality to be successful.
Sometimes success looks like getting through the day without burning out. Sometimes it’s ordering takeout, skipping the workout, and going to bed early. Sometimes it’s just showing up at all—even if you’re tired, unmotivated, and not firing on all cylinders.
I used to think lowering the bar meant I was slacking. Now I realize it’s what keeps me consistent. Done is better than perfect. Sustainable beats impressive every time.
Accept That You Can’t Do Everything
I hate feeling like I failed or didn’t give something my all. That’s also why I hate traditional to-do lists. Writing down 20 things and only finishing half is a great way to feel behind—even if you worked all day.
So I stopped doing that.
Now, I pick my top three priorities for the day. If I get those done, it’s a win. Anything else is a bonus. Some things still need to happen, sure—but I stopped setting expectations that I know aren’t realistic.
Letting go of the “grind harder” mindset was huge. There’s nothing motivating about trying to do 30 things, failing, and then beating yourself up over it.
Your Life Has Seasons
This is something I have to remind myself of constantly. There are seasons where I feel on top of everything—work is flowing, the house is clean, meals are planned, life feels balanced. And then there are seasons where just keeping things afloat takes all my energy.
Both are normal.
Your capacity changes. Your responsibilities change. Your energy changes. Trying to live every season like it’s your most productive one is a fast track to burnout. Some weeks you can do more. Some weeks the goal is simply to not let things fall apart. That doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re human. Adjust your expectations to match the season you’re in.
Build in Reset Time
I used to treat rest like something I had to earn. If I wasn’t exhausted, I felt guilty slowing down. Now I see reset time as basic maintenance—like charging your phone before it completely dies. Resets don’t have to be fancy. Sometimes it’s a walk without headphones. Sometimes it’s a quiet night in. Sometimes it’s zoning out on the couch and doing absolutely nothing productive.
The point isn’t what the reset looks like—it’s that you actually let yourself have it. When you don’t build in pauses, burnout builds them for you.
Give Yourself Some Credit
To-do lists and schedules aren’t just there to point out what you didn’t get to. They’re proof of what you did do—often while juggling way more than anyone sees.
Finishing that last task. Wrapping up a long day of meetings. Getting through a week that felt heavier than usual. Those wins count. Before you jump into the next week, pause and look back. Notice the effort, not just the outcome. Celebrate in whatever way works for you—quietly, loudly, or somewhere in between.
You’re not behind. You’re building a life. And that takes time.