One of the biggest productivity challenges we face is managing many projects at once.

It’s fairly simple to keep on top of things when there’s not much going on, right? For most of us in academia, the summer is one of those periods. But when the pace picks up (and it always does), delivering the goods gets trickier.

So how can we do our best work when we’re being pulled in dozens of different directions? The ability to comfortably manage multiple projects is a valuable professional skill, and it’s within reach for each of us. “Busy” doesn’t have to mean “stressed out”.

Journaling seems to be one of those things that impressive, successful, serious people do. And me.

I’ve tried to start journaling probably seven or eight times in my adult life, but never with any lasting success. This time, though, I’ve managed to stick with it for three months, and journaling has delivered some major benefits (and some minor ones, too—like the fact that it’s kinda fun to carry a Moleskine around and maintain a little analog-only zone in our increasingly digital lives).

Think back to a super-important, hyper-busy day in your past. I’m talking about a day filled with mission-critical tasks; a day in which nearly every minute was “go time,” everything had to go right, and everything had to get done.

• Maybe it was hosting a convention for 4,000 people after 18 months of prepping.
• Could’ve been an orchestra audition in a faraway city requiring complicated travel plans.
• Perhaps it was a wedding in which you featured prominently.

Whatever example you’ve called to mind, I’d bet my boots you were operating from a schedule.

I eat too many Snickers bars.

When left to my own devices, I eat a Snickers every day at work. I walk to the vending machine around 3 PM and return to my desk with the Snickers already half-eaten. Sometimes, I eat two: a morning Snickers and an afternoon Snickers.

One time I had three. Three Snickers bars in one day. 645 calories of . . . whatever’s in a Snickers. The custodian who empties my office trash must have seen the wrappers and thought I hosted some kind of weird Snickers party, where I invited two friends over and we ate Snickers together. Nope. It was just me.

Develop the habit of letting small bad things happen. If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things. — Tim Ferriss

A year ago, my life ran like clockwork. I faced the day on my own terms, largely in control of what happened and when. I was in the driver’s seat.

Now, we’ve got a six-month-old daughter. Parenting is already incredibly rewarding, but I’m no longer really in the driver’s seat. Or, more accurately, I’m sharing the driver’s seat with a six-month-old, and she doesn’t negotiate.