You've probably heard that old Spiderman quote, "With great power comes great responsibility." And now you might be thinking, what does that have to do with wedding planning? Well, being a bride is a powerful thing; you're given the power to create your dream wedding, to choose a gorgeous gown, to pick and choose the people who will help you on this journey.
But with that power comes all the responsibility of doing those things, and let's be honest, it can start to feel a little overwhelming at times. You've got all your other life stuff to think about as well.
So how does a bride balance life and wedding planning without going crazypants? Here are a few tips on how you, as the all powerful bride, can wedding plan and live life like a full-on superhero!
Prioritize for Productivity
Have you ever heard of the MIT technique? MIT stands for Most Important Tasks and it's usually three tasks you write down at the end of the night that you must take care of the next day.
Here's the thing: when you try and do all the things at the same time, your brain gets overwhelmed and tends to shut down, resulting in a whole lot of getting nothing accomplished. Or, if it doesn't shut down, you end up doing busy work that feels like you're being productive, but you're actually not get anything important done/everything is half done. And all that leads to frustration and dread (the dark cloud of the to-do list lingers).
Moral of the story? Take it one step at a time. Prioritize your most important tasks (keep it to three or less) for the day and let go of the other stuff for now. Remind yourself that you'll get to those other things once these MITs are complete.
Micro Movements
This leads us to another brilliant technique that can help you balance life and wedding planning - micro movements. This tool is especially great for procrastinators.
Micro movements are itty bitty movements that get you closer to your goal. So instead of thinking in terms of the big picture (the wedding, for example), you break it down into easily digestible tidbits.
It's normal to feel overwhelmed when thinking about the big picture, so let's break it down. Let's say your goal for the week is to find a florist. To help you accomplish this big goal, break it down into smaller tasks, as small as you need to (depending on your level of procrastination). For example:
- Google local florists on Monday
- Visit three websites
- Reach out to one florist on Tuesday
- Reach out to a second florist on Wednesday
You can even break it down further if you're a super procrastinator. For example:
- Open web browser to Google
- Type in (your city's name) florists
- Visit one link
The point is to break it down so much that you have no problem handling the task. You can choose to check off one task and stop for the day or continue onto the next task, depending on how you feel.
Me Time
It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of wedding planning and forget that you even have an outside life. When you're in the throes of making your dream wedding a reality, don't forget to continue doing the things you love. Keep going to the gym once a week, go for your evening walk, read a book before bed.
This isn't so much about being alone as it is taking a moment to breathe and relax. Burn out isn't pretty. So go ahead, take a long, deep breath right now. Relax your shoulders. Make yourself a cup of tea. Remind yourself that everything you're doing is a journey, not a race, and that all will be done in good time. Now doesn't that feel better?
Go with the Flow
You can schedule, plan, organize, and micro move all you want, but stuff will happen to disrupt your plans. That's just life, and the best way to handle it is to go with the flow.
Keep your schedules and plans, but leave a little wiggle room, a little flexibility space, and remain open. You can't control everything, even as a superhero bride, but you can control how you react to what happens.
