Let's revisit one of my goals I set for the semester: not overpacking my days. Hmm. What's my typical daily schedule?
4:30 AM- Alarm clock rings.
4:35 AM- Alarm clock rings again (I hit the snooze).
4:40 AM: Alarm clock rings yet again. This time I get up.
5:40 AM: Head out the door to teach early morning seminary.
6:05 AM: One student (sometimes two) is present for the start of class.
6:55 AM: Seminary ends and everyone rushes out the door. Someone generally gets left behind, so I end up joining the high school car pool line.
7:30 AM: Finally get home and change into running clothes.
8:30 AM: Done with running. Time to get ready for work.
10 AM: Suddenly very hungry while sitting in office. Why? Oh yeah-- I've already been up for almost six hours.
12 PM: Wonder where the morning went. How could a meeting with no point to it eat so much time? Realize I have a conference presentation to write, a stack of papers to grade, and a mid-tenure portfolio to compile.
2:30 PM: Hungry again. Who has chocolate? Time to wander the building and see.
4 PM: The minute I intend to get out the door to go home and rake leaves before it gets dark, three students stop by with emergency situations. Happens every time.
4 PM on Wednesday: I'm teaching until 7. Hungry again by 5:30 PM.
6 PM: Hopefully eating dinner.
7 PM: Working on tomorrow's seminary lesson. Also catching up on e-mails and whatever phone calls need to be made.
9:30 PM: Whoa! Where'd my evening go? Time for a shower and getting ready for bed.
10:30 PM (hopefully): Bedtime!
This actually doesn't look all that busy, but it seriously feels like the minute I wake up four hours have suddenly vanished. Don't get me wrong: I love teaching seminary. I'm wondering, though, how I did it and grad. school at the same time. I thought this semester's pace would be slower. Boy, was I wrong!
I think ultimately what matters is that my priorities stay in the right place. I'm coming to terms (well, sort of) with the fact that I will never, ever get everything done that I want to do. What matters is that I pace myself and do first things first.
Good night!
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3 comments:
My daughter's violin teacher sometimes talks about when she would get her children up early so they could practice their instruments before school. It was an unflagging routine. Whenever the topic arises, she inevitably says, "It was a little bit like being in prison." Very encouraging.
At least her kids practiced. I went through all my years of piano lessons realizing an hour before my lesson that I had a lesson that day and hadn't practiced more than, oh, an hour and a half the entire week.
First of all, I'm impressed you only hit the snooze button twice. For a while I would get up at 5, but now I just hit snooze (about 30 times?) until it's 6:00. I know that's some serious sleeping in compared to you!
Secondly, I hope you are raking in all the blessings for your sacrifices and service! Do you teach every day, every week? Wow.
Lastly, I love your conclusion: pace yourself and do first things first. I, too, will NEVER get everything done that I want to, so it's good to remember this!
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