If you've ever had a long list of things you want to accomplish, you might be familiar with the feeling that you don't have enough time or energy to do them all.

I'm very familiar with that feeling — I have more on the list than I can often keep track of: I want to eat healthier, exercise more, cook more often, get less takeout, take fewer cabs, not eat the ice cream in the freezer (or at least not replace the ice cream in the freezer once I've eaten it), check off my whole to-do list, and be the most productive, functional person I can be, all while maintaining my social life and sanity.

And as you might imagine, I'm never quite able to focus on — much less achieve — every goal on that list.

I wanted to be the most productive, functional person I can be, all while maintaining my social life and sanity (Anna Arsenault)

So I decided to test myself. For one week, I would commit to focusing on, and achieving, all of my goals.

The first step in this plan was to explicitly define “perfect.”

After going through my general wants and digging into the specifics, my weekly goal list looked like this:

1. Exercise five times, for at least 30 minutes. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week, to maintain cardiovascular health and strength, so I'd increase my gym sessions from two or three a week to five.

2. All meals prepared at home, with the exception of one night — meal-prepping all of my lunches, and cooking all of my dinners, allowing myself takeout or a restaurant on Friday or Saturday. Similar to the “if you stopped buying coffee you'd save so much money” adage, I know if I spent less money on lunches, I could put it toward other things I'd like to spend money on (vacations, concerts, savings).

3. Actually stick to my weekly expendable “fun” budget of $75 (£57).

4. Wake up at 6:30 a.m. during the week (a number of successful people wake up early to maximise productivity) AND get a full seven hours of sleep, the minimum necessary for adults, according to the CDC. That meant I should be bed by 11:30 p.m.

5. Avoid sweets. I've always admired the people who do Whole 30 or entirely cut sugar out of their lives — but I really enjoy chocolate. So, I thought I'd settle for making better snack choices.

6. No alcohol Monday-Thursday. If I was committing myself to waking up earlier, and exercising more often, I wanted to get a full night's rest, and drinking leads to poorer sleep quality. Plus, I wanted to avoid draining my budget on a bar tab.

7. Accomplish all of my chores and those annoying to-dos that pop up and you put off thinking I'll do it later.

8. No cabs (unless my budget allowed for it).

I can tell you immediately: Things did not go according to plan.

Day 1, Sunday: Successful, but entirely work

In my mind, Sundays are for meal prep and laundry, so that's what I did — and besides watching Twin Peaks and Game of Thrones, that's about all I did.

Wednesday was the only other day during the week I'd be home before 9 p.m., so I needed to prep enough food to last me a few days without cooking again. I spent the afternoon planning, shopping, and cooking, in addition to laundry, dishes, and cleaning out the fridge. All of this brought me exactly to 8 p.m.

The upfront cost of the groceries initially unnerved me — I spent almost double what I normally spend — but I also usually don't see my takeout and lunches consolidated into my grocery bill, so I was able to understand that it would still (hopefully) save me money in the end.

And while I wanted popcorn to accompany the Game of Thrones finale, I already bought all of the food I allowed myself, so I denied the temptation. I crawled into bed and fell asleep by exactly 11:30 p.m.

Money spent: $70 (£53) groceries, $5 (£3) laundry, $3.15 (£2.40) coffee ($71.85 left for week) (£54)

Made all meals at home: Yes

Exercise: None (5/5 workouts left)

Alcohol: 1 beer

Sweets: I might have had a piece of 80% dark chocolate that was hanging out in the fridge

Cabs: None

To-do list completed: Yes

Time asleep: 11:30 p.m.

Day 2, Monday: Almost completely successful​

My alarm went off at 6:30 a.m., but I hit snooze out of habit, and rolled out of bed at about 6:45 a.m.

I usually buy coffee every morning — I realised this is a non-negotiable part of my daily routine — and this Monday, I got one for free because of the rewards card I have with my bagel place.

Although I packed my lunch and dinner — I had a bachata dance lesson after work — I realised I left my breakfast at home and I ate the trail mix my office has in our kitchen. While this should be OK, it had chocolate, so I had to take a point for myself for giving in so soon.

On the successful end, the dance lessons were a gift from my boyfriend, so it didn't count against my fun-money, and it counted toward my exercise!

Time awake: 6:45 a.m.

Money spent: $0

Made all meals at home: Yes

Exercise: 60 minutes (1/5 workouts)

Alcohol: none

Cabs: None

Sweets: Some chocolate

To-do list completed: Yes

Time asleep: 10:30 p.m.

Day 3, Tuesday: One misstep after another led the day to spiral out of control

Tuesday morning was initially very smooth, but after that, there were some speed bumps that made it the black mark on my week.

By the time I normally wake up (7:30), I had put Sunday's laundry away, washed Monday's tupperware, showered and dressed, packed for the gym, and organised all of my food for the day.

I was not feeling great on Monday, so I squeezed in a doctor's appointment Tuesday morning, and I ended up spending unexpected money. I also ended up making more work for myself — while I called my old retirement company to transfer 401K funds to my new provider, I made a mistake and would need to get a notarised letter to correct it.

Luckily I had Muay Thai after work — which is my week's saving grace because I get to socialise while exercising and actively working out any stress that bubbles up during the week.

After, I went to my boyfriend's to help him move the last few things from his old apartment to his new one. When I got there, he had a slice of pizza, garlic knots, and Diet Coke waiting for me — which was just about the greatest thing I could've hoped for that day, and I was not about to say no. That pizza was totally worth it (plus: free).

It was 11 p.m. by the time we moved things, and still raining. Since the trains have been pretty unreliable this summer, I considered Uber Pool was definitely worth the $5 (£3) cost.

However, when I pulled up to my apartment, I realised I had my gym bag but not my second bag, which contained my wallet — and keys. Needless to say, one cab ride turned into three.

I also realised — when getting cash for coffee — how silly it is to use an ATM with a fee. It's an extra $2.50 (£1.90)— which means the coffee that normally costs $1.75 (£1.30) sort of costs me $4.25 (£3.27). I will not be doing that again.

Time awake: 6:45 a.m.

Money spent: $61.34 (£46) (left in fun budget: $50.51 (£38) — not counting medical fees)

Made all meals: No

Exercise: 60 minutes (2/5 workouts)

Alcohol: None

Cabs: Yes

Sweets: Yes

To-do list completed: No — and dishes needed to be washed

Time asleep: 12:15 a.m.

Day 4, Wednesday: Could have started off poorly, but didn't — and I got back on track​

A view is a great way to start a morning (Hannah Shafer)

I planned on going to yoga, but when I woke up it dawned on me that because I got home late I hadn't packed anything for the day — no clothes, no food prep, no dishes washed. Yoga gets out at 8 a.m., so these things need to be in order for me to get home, shower, and get to work on time.

I sat there feeling bad about myself for a minute, wishing that I hadn't been so mindless to forget my bag at my boyfriend's, which in turn led to spending more money and getting to bed late — and if I hadn't gone to bed late, I would've been able to pack all of my clothes ahead of time to make it to yoga this morning.

But then I realised that unless I wanted the rest of my goals to spiral out of control, I had to do something. If I didn't exercise in the morning, I'd have to do it after work, and that would push cooking back to a later hour, which might risk me being tired or not doing it if anything else unexpected popped up. This couldn't — and shouldn't — set me back. I could still reclaim the day.

So I got up, threw on my sneakers, and somehow managed to get my half-asleep self out the door for a 2-mile run.

The nice thing about morning runs, when I get myself to do them, is the refreshing East River morning view I get. I also let myself buy a coffee from the fancy-looking cafe as a “you did it!” treat.

As for my other goals — I packed my lunch, cooked dinner when I got home, and saved leftovers for the next few days. I also remembered mid-way through the day (thanks to our Your Money Editor) that I needed to write my retirement account letter and get it notarised.

I wrote the letter. I did not get it notarised.

I chalked it up to 'balance' and decided to carve out time on Thursday to handle it.

Time awake: 6:45 a.m.

Money spent: $1.75 (left in fun budget: $48.76) (£36)

Made all meals: Yes

Exercise: 20 minutes (3/5 workouts)

Alcohol: None

Cabs: None

Sweets: No

To-do list completed: Partially

Time asleep: 12:15 a.m.

Day 5, Thursday: Not perfect, but I stopped letting little things get to me so I could focus on moving forward

I got up at 6:30 a.m., and having accomplished a few things by 7:30 a.m., found myself eating my yoghurt at my counter thinking how lovely it was to have a productive morning.

Thursday was a smooth, easy day. I found my stride. I packed my meals and I wasn't spending a lot of money, so little things — like leaving some dishes in the sink — didn't get me down.

It also dawned on me this day that these delicious pretzels I eat at work aren't particularly the healthiest decision I could make — they're like graham crackers or digestive cookies in pretzel form — and that I probably should've opted for an apple, instead. I ate them anyway.

There were other items on my plate that I needed to get done if I really wanted to feel accomplished — like exercise, and get my 401k issues resolved (which, I did get notarised and tried faxing at lunch).

When I got home after my Muay Thai class, I was hungry, but too tired/lazy to cook, so I ate some slices of mozzarella cheese as I stood over my counter. I didn't even care — at least it had calcium.

Time awake: 6:30 a.m.

Money spent:$1.75 (left in fun budget: $47.01) (£36)

Made all meals: Yes

Exercise: 60 minutes (4/5 workouts)

Alcohol: None

Cabs: None

Sweets: Sort of?

To-do list completed: Yes

Time asleep: 11:55 p.m.

Day 6, Friday: Far less restrictive than the other days, and felt normal​

I woke up thinking 6:30 a.m. was brutal, but I managed to get myself up and to a 7 a.m. yoga class (luckily I had prepped everything the night before), which was the perfect start to a morning. I really should force myself out of bed for it more often — it was by donation so I only paid $2, and it was the best start to a morning I'd had in a long time.

I spent the entire rest of the day looking forward to the food I was going to buy after work. This was my takeout night, and I could not wait. I was so bored from eating the same three things all week.

My to-do list didn't get smaller, though—it turned out the fax didn't go through, so I had to go to FedEx and pay to re-fax the letter to my retirement company.

After work I ran home, and decided I'd pick up Indian food — and root beer. All in all, the cost came out to about $34.

Friday was a fairly easy day, and I wrapped it up by sitting around a relaxing fire pit with my boyfriend and some friends. Before falling asleep at 2:30 a.m., I had the thought that hitting all of these goals in one week had actually been almost possible — there were only a few slip-ups, but all in all, I did most of what I needed to do. It was productive.

But I still resisted the idea holding myself to all of these goals for another week — I was so incredibly tired, and having such an easy day made me think I was missing something or doing something wrong.

Time awake: 6:30 a.m.

Money spent: $41.54 (£30) (left in fun budget: $5.47) (£4)

Made all meals: No

Exercise: 60 minutes (5/5 workouts)

Alcohol: none

Cabs: None

Sweets: Yes

To-do list completed: Yes

Time asleep: 2:30 a.m.

Day 7, Saturday: Went over budget, and did not care​

Salted caramel pretzel ice cream (Hannah Shafer)

I was able to achieve (most of) my goals on Saturday — I made a list of my Saturday to-do's, and I did most of them, I found cheap or free ways to entertain myself, but there were a few sore spots.

First, I went to Rite Aid and spent $20 on things I needed, which I hadn't really accounted for earlier in the week — but then it dawned on me that my attitude was totally wrong, again. I'd just buy them tomorrow, or later next week, and ultimately, I'm still spending that money on things I actually needed. And unforeseen costs are always going to pop up — I shouldn't allow them to affect my mood because (here's the kicker) there's never going to be a perfect week.

In the evening, I met up with a friend to ride the Staten Island Ferry (free!) and check out Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream to see what the hype is all about. It was the perfect end to the week — although the ice cream itself ran me upwards of $7 for two scoops. It was also raining, and since the trains weren't running in my neighbourhood, I took an Uber.

Time awake: 9:45 a.m.

Money spent: ~$39 (£30) (left in fun budget: approx. -$14) (£-10)

Made all meals: No

Alcohol: None

Cabs: Yes

Sweets: Yes

To-do list completed: Almost but no

Time asleep: After 11:30 p.m.

Takeaways: There's never going to be a perfect week.

Trying to do accomplish everything was completely draining, and a ridiculous expectation.

My energy depleted quickly, and while I was incredibly productive, I still did not accomplish everything perfectly. As disciplined and dedicated as I was, there were forces outside of my control that derailed the week. Then there were things I intentionally let slide.

But it helped me better understand that I've been setting my goals all wrong.

1. Prioritisation is everything.

When I did mess up on one of my goals, it was for a reason. I didn't HAVE to take cabs back and forth on Tuesday night — I could've walked to and from the train in the rain, but I deemed that ridiculous and a waste of my time. I prioritised time over money and took Uber.

I could've stopped eating the cookie-pretzels when I realised they were cookies (not like pretzels would be that much better anyway), but my lunches bored me, and cookie-pretzels definitely don't bore me. I prioritised eating a few of those over spending money on expensive lunches — and I'm OK with that.

Letting some of my initial goals slide allowed me to thrive in other areas.

This was really important lesson for me to digest because “success” is relative. I know people who meal prep every week or live frugally to save money. I see people live in the gym, and parents who manage more than I have ever thought possible. But their path to success is different than mine, and they have different priorities.

If I were seriously unhappy with any of my slip-ups, I'd have to consciously change my priorities — and understand that there might be something else I'd need to de-prioritize in order to achieve what I wanted.

2. It's all about attitude.

While this week was not perfect, it was still a success.

Why? Because I choose to view it as one. I did a pretty good job.

I could say my slip-ups led to a week of failed goals — however, that would negate all of the things that I did well, even if they weren't done 100% perfectly.

On Tuesday, when I spent three times as much on cabs as I intended to for the week, got home late, and didn't prepare for the next morning, I didn't let it affect my Wednesday morning plan even though it easily could've. I got out of bed and found a plan B.

I could've taken Uber every day, but I didn't. I exercised five days in a row, made all of my lunches (and ate them), and only went over my budget by about $14 (£10). I also ate more sugar than I wanted — I mean, I barely committed to that goal. I ate chocolate on day one!

Even when I didn't accomplish something, I turned my focus into the areas I was doing well and where I continue to succeed. I just kept trying and prioritised things that were more important.

Achieving goals is a work in progress — and when the baton falls you pick it up and keep running.

3. That being said, you should probably avoid setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.

High expectations can be good — you want to strive for something — but they should also be realistic.

Having this many goals for one week and expecting myself to do them all perfectly just set me up for failing on a few. It makes a lot more sense to aim for one or two things and work on making them habit before adding in anything else.

And if there was anything in this week that I would incorporate into my week and prioritise going forward, it's exercising daily and waking up early. Those two things gave me the tools to feel productive and positive, even when other things slide.

If I can do that most of the time, I'll call it a success.