#MakingTime: A Day in the Life of an Assistant Athletic Director By Day, MBA Student By Night

Kristina Minor

Photo courtesy of Kristina Minor

Fairygodboss
Fairygodboss
May 3, 2024 at 11:15PM UTC

Women can do anything — but not everything. As the largest online career community for women, we at Fairygodboss realize that balance is a myth, and that picking what to prioritize when everything feels important on a day-to-day basis isn't always easy. In the #MakingTime series, women share with us how, for one day, they chose to spend their most precious resource: time.

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Who: Kristina Minor

What: Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Rutgers University

Where: New Jersey

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6:30 a.m.

My alarm goes off. If I’ve had a good night’s sleep, I pop out of bed. If not, it might take a couple snoozes and a self-pep talk to get myself out of bed. Either way, I thank Jesus for another day and get moving.

7-ish a.m.

I get my workout in. I swore after my college athlete days that, on principle, I’d never work out in the morning again. But, I discovered mornings are my only guaranteed “me-time” blocks. My workouts are generally a 60/40 mix of lifting to cardio… embrace the muscle, ladies!

8:45 a.m.

I crank up my favorite Spotify playlist. I am singing, rapping and dancing all the way to work. No, my windows are not tinted. Yes, people can see me. No, I absolutely do not care. My car, my time, my rules.

9 a.m.

Check-in and coffee! I make a point to say good morning and chit-chat with my coworkers for a minute or two. I eat breakfast (oatmeal, fruit, and COFFEE) at my desk while I do a quick email scan for any “emergencies,” skim the daily athletics-industry and national news emails, and then get to work on my to-do list.

Noon

No two days are the same. Sometimes I eat lunch at noon, sometimes I eat at 2:30 p.m. Today, I had two scheduled meetings, three impromptu meetings, and I had my to-do list progress interrupted a dozen times by emails and people popping in my office with questions. It’s all part of the grind. I really just “make it work” (Tim Gunn style) and make it exceptional.

6:30-9:30 p.m.

It's time for my MBA night class. This is by no means “free” time, but I am choosing to spend my non-work time investing in myself (however painful it may be to focus after a full day).

10 p.m.

I dawdle. I have (ideally) done everything I needed to do today, so I reward myself with doing whatever I feel like at that moment… this kind of freedom is a luxury I don’t intend on wasting (#singlelife). I usually peruse Pinterest for some DIY and art project inspiration and then read a book (preferably fiction). Sometimes, I watch a couple episodes of "The Office" or "The Daily Show." I graduate next month, so I will be extending my dawdle time by a few hours! I think Kristina Minor, JD, MBA has a nice ring to it. 

10:30ish p.m.

Lights out. I pack my gym bag for tomorrow and make my lunch since I’m feeling ambitious. I wish I were like those CEOs who only need four hours of sleep, but I function best after eight hours. I can’t channel my inner Beyoncé and “run the world” if I’m exhausted.

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Interested in contributing to Fairygodboss' #MakingTime series? Email [email protected] with "#MakingTime" in the subject line.

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