From time to time, we all get a little overwhelmed trying to keep all the plates spinning. That’s a circus analogy for having many things going on… But what should you do when you feeling jawed day in and day out?

Start letting the small plates drop! In an effort to perform optimally, it is essential to determine whether you have to many things going on.

I’m too busy to get things done.

However, be careful not to just drop any old random plate. You must prioritize the plates. Unfortunately, I see too many stressed-out students dropping the “academic” plate. That’s the wrong plate.

In their quest to be “well-rounded,” students join clubs, play sports, run for class office, etc. Because these activities are more “fun” that academics, the academic plate is too often left to shatter on the ground.

News flash… if you’re grades suck, most colleges and employers won’t care how many touchdowns you scored or the number of activities you joined just to list them on your college/job application.

Wow Tom, this person may not be able to add, but did you see that they lettered in three sports AND joined the prom decorating committee? That’s the kind of people we need to make this organization profitable!

Unless you’re going pro, or it’s paying your way through post-secondary education, only the “High School Harry’s” out there remember anything about high school sports. Unless you’re exceptional, your abilities will be forgotten the day your sports ends. And even then, people just remember that the exceptional athlete was good at [fill in the blank].

Focus on learning and mastery.

School enrollment is about the learning and mastery of content that will serve you later in life. So it depends on what you want to do when you grow up. If you’re experiencing chronic stress, letting one of the non-essential plates drop may provide relief. But the last one you want to drop is the academic plate.

So if you feel anxious about all you “have to” do, remember that schooling is really the only “have to.”

You don’t “have to” be the class treasurer. You don’t “have to” play the flute. You don’t “have to” do a sport. You don’t “have to” add to your Tik Tok. Those often turn out to be low mileage gambits.

So what do you do?

In conjunction with a good transcript, these extracurricular activities may help differentiate you from other good applicants. Coupled with low grades, it’s not so impressive. Anyone can join a bunch of things. Not everyone can focus and earn good marks.

So if you’re frazzled, focus on what’s important. To quote Tim Ferriss, “If you don’t have time, you don’t have priorities.” So eliminate an activity. You’ll likely feel less stress, and you’ll have more time to get your grades on the rise.

Until next time…

Remember that success is a planned event. Believe in yourself.

Pay attention, do the work, and don’t give up!

And don’t forget to check out my new YouTube channel!

www.youtube.com/@PlanetNumeracy