By Amare Teel, @scdeca_amare | Aynor High School, SC
Finding a balance between classes, jobs and DECA takes extra effort. Discover how to manage it all while staying motivated and achieving your goals.
Here are four tips to help you effectively balance responsibilities and make the most of every opportunity!
1. Color-code your calendar
Assign different colors to represent school (red), work (green), DECA (blue), and various extracurriculars (orange). This will allow you to identify conflicts and balance each commitment effectively visually. You’d never want to double-book yourself!
If you ever notice too much of one color, you know it’s time to rebalance.
2. Maximize “in-between” time
Waiting in the car before a work shift, sitting on the bus or even standing in line at lunch are all hidden moments you can take advantage of. Use those small windows to review notes, knock out quick assignments or review role-play scenarios.
By turning idle time into productive time, you’ll slowly chip away at deadlines and responsibilities without overwhelming yourself later. These little moments add up more than you think!
3. Protect at least one “off” block each week
Balancing major parts of your life is only sustainable if you recharge. Think about muscle growth; you can’t grow your muscles if you don’t give them time to recover. Block out at least one chunk of time each week just for yourself. Protecting that space helps you avoid burnout and return to school, work and DECA with more energy.
4. Remember your “why”
Remember why you're doing it all when your schedule feels packed and overwhelming. Whether building skills for the future, saving money or chasing that next DECA goal, keeping your “why” front and center makes the long days worth it.
Motivation follows purpose!
