WORK HARD PLAY HARD: Balancing sports, school, and everything in between
As most of you are back into the grind of another school year AND another artistic swimming season, it can be easy to forget how you managed to get it all done last year, eh?
Homework, tests, studying, SAT, ACT, college prep work and applications, volunteer hours, oh, and artistic swimming practice, which we all know, doesn’t require THAT much of a time commitment at all right?
(Insert eye roll here) :)
It can be easy to feel as though the student part of student-athlete starts falling behind the athlete classification especially when the pressure to compete at a high level, earn a college scholarship or award, or potentially make the National Team is on the line.
In the “treat yo self” and the “you do you” times of the current day culture, the idea that the work must get done first before you can enjoy the fruits of your labors, is getting lost in the mix.
In the wise words of Theodore Roosevelt, the originator of the work hard play hard lifestyle…
“When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all”
- Theodore Roosevelt
Now I am sure most of us have heard of the ‘work hard, play hard' mantra, because let's be honest, you can find this anywhere from bumper stickers to hashtags to TikTok videos empowering us to find enjoyment in our lives. As most of you know by now, I am definitely all for that kinda attitude! :)
However, it can be challenging to find the balance behind this work-and-play relationship. It has taken me nearly two decades to figure it out and I see many people struggle on both sides of the spectrum; the workaholics who don’t know how to relax and enjoy, and the enjoyers of life who have trouble settling into concrete hard work that would give them the stability to really enjoy the good parts of life as fully as they could.
Now, by reading that synopsis, do you know where you fall?
If not, (or even if so), keep reading …
Here are a few steps to help adopt the work hard, play hard lifestyle:
Avoid Distractions
As Theodore Roosevelt points out, if you are playing, PLAY. If you aren’t, then focus. Avoiding distractions while working can be challenging with the constant dinging of social media notifications, phone calls, email pings, etc. When possible, allow yourself to silence and distance yourself from distractions that are pulling your focus from work. This is also true in your play as well. Do you notice you occasionally check your work or school email while you are spending quality time with your friends? Did your boss call you while you were at the beach with your family? Setting these boundaries can be an important step towards finding that balance between where and when we work and where and when we play.
Create a ‘Want’ List
Although some people may call this a ‘Bucket List’, for me this term is a little archaic in the sense that I like to think of my life as something that I will look forward to enjoying rather than things I need to check off before I … well, kick the bucket. If you create a list of all the things you wish to do in the span of your life, it will be easier for you to determine how much work you will need to put in. It is also a great way to lay out some goals for the work ahead of you and organize the more important goals first and the less important ones later.
Reward Little Achievements
I am a huge believer in celebrating the little successes along the way. Heck, I have even been known to celebrate the fact that it’s Monday (my favorite day of the week!), just because! :) Rewards are motivations to encourage you to work even harder. They support the aim to continue towards your dreams. This is a crucial piece of realizing the proper work/life balance.
So after reading this, take some time to evaluate and see where you fall. Are you playing hard AND working hard? Or is one of them overtaking the other?
I hope we can continue to evaluate and find that balance between the two.
I truly believe better health of our mind, body, and soul will result from finding the healthy balance with both work and play.