As someone who struggles with anxiety, as many college students do, I find myself a 'chronic scheduler'. "What does this mean?” you ask. For me personally, I don't handle unexpected situations very well due to my anxiety. I thrive on structure. However, making a schedule both helps and hinders me. Before I explain this, let me show a typical Wednesday schedule.

7:00 - Wake up

7:30 - Go run

8:40 - Go get breakfast for yourself and Ashley (because she isn't going to be ready until 2 minutes before class)

9:00 - Go to class and remember everything the professor talks about

10:00 - Write 15 page paper

12:00 - Make encouragement cards for 40 people

12:30 - Go to the student center and mail letters

1:00 - Read 4 chapters and write reports

2:00 - Go to class and remember everything professor #2 talks about

3:30 - Go to meeting with the Dean

4:30 - Study

5:30 - Prepare for meetings with Odyssey

6:30 - Meeting with Odyssey staff

7:30 - Study

8:30 - Small Group Meeting

10:00 - Study

11:00 - Get ready for bed

12:00 - Sleep

I don't know about you, but I am exhausted from just reading this schedule--and that is a big part of the problem.

The former schedule is not realistic. Life happens and this is how it usually goes:

7:00 - Hit snooze

7:30 - Hit snooze

8:00 - Crawl out of bed and attempt to put a presentable outfit together

8:40 - Go get breakfast for yourself and Ashley (because she isn't going to be ready until 2 minutes before class)

9:00 - Go to class and attempt to listen--Oh look, a bird.

10:00 - Come back and sit down at desk. Try to write a coherent paragraph through the tears.

12:00 - Must. Take. Nap.

12:30 - Snore.

1:30 - Attempt to fix your face--the tears smeared all the eyeliner.

2:00 - Take notes. Write on public relations in the--a cheese burger would be really good right about now.

3:30 - Go to meeting with the Dean. (I don't miss these)

4:30 - Study. Studney. Stenlikx. Netslicks. Netflix.

6:10 - The meeting is in 20 minutes!

6:30 - Meeting with Odyssey staff.

7:30 - Netflix. My brain doesn't work anymore.

8:30 - Small group meeting.

10:00 - Small talk.

12:00 - Arrive at dorm.

12:01 - Crash on to the bed.

Repeat in the morning.

The harsh reality is that schedules are not exact. Life happens. Frankly, it makes me feel unproductive.

So, I decided to conduct an experiment. For one week, I would not make a schedule. I decided that each morning, I would make a list of realistic goals.

-Make bed

-Read a chapter

-Write one page

-Spend time in my Bible

-Work for Odyssey

-Homework

-Breathe

You see, instead of making an hour by hour schedule, I create a to-do list with feasible and realistic goals. By the end of this experiment, not only did I feel productive, I was in fact becoming more productive. I was reaching my goals for the day and exceeding them tenfold. Chores such as laundry or cleaning became a fun aspect of the day. It was a joy to simply make my bed.

When we constantly schedule life, we forget to simply live. Our moments are consumed with timeliness and even breathing becomes a challenge. Take a break. Breathe once again. Enjoy the sunshine. Take in the fresh air. Let yourself relax and stop scheduling.