When Alicia Jessop, JD, graduated from Chapman University in 2009 with a law degree, it was at the height of the economic recession. She knew that she would have to make sacrifices to meet her goal of becoming an expert in sports. That’s why she left a law practice in California in 2011 to return to Colorado, where she found more flexibility between life and her work as a lawyer and began building a blog and a social media presence.
“Since I couldn’t afford to fly to New York to meet with league executives, I carved out space as an online sports expert,” she explains. The move allowed her to create regular, compelling content, and bolster it by using Twitter to build a following. She has now gained more than 10,000 followers and has been credentialed to cover the Miami Heat, the Indy 500, the College Football Playoff National Championship, the NBA Finals and All-Star Game, and the Super Bowl.
Today, she’s an assistant professor on campus and for UOnline’s Master’s in Sport Administration, a sports contributor to CNBC, the Huffington Post, and Forbes, the founder of RulingSports, and the director of branding and communication for Louise & Eleanor.
Suffice it to say: She knows how to balance her busy schedule as a professor, lawyer, and entrepreneur. Here, she shares tips you can use in your own life.
1. Start by prioritizing everything. “There are three things that are always most important to me: My family, my friends, and working out. If they call, I answer. And I make time to exercise.”
Determine three to five core priorities and allow them to stay at the top of the list, even if that means they receive slightly less time overall.
2. Map out your day. Your coursework, readings, and assignments have to fit in—so plan for them. “I live and die by my planner,” Jessop shares. “Every day is carved out. If I stick to my planner, I get everything done and have time to read, workout, and go to dinner with a friend.”
If you don’t have a written schedule, it becomes very easy to lose track of time and not accomplish what you need to do.
3. Write out three goals each day. “Sometimes, you have to shut your life down Monday through Friday to get your work done. Identify your top priorities, rank them, and make sure you upheld your priorities before you go to bed,” she shares.
4. Never say “I can’t.” “If you have that attitude, you can’t do what I’ve done—but you shouldn’t have that attitude. It’s not like I painted the ‘Mona Lisa,’ ” Jessop laughs. “You simply have to be organized and strategic. You can do what I do.”
5. Above all, stay dedicated. “Don’t accept your dreams not coming true. You may have to make sacrifices, but there’s no limit to what you can accomplish in this industry.”
