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.
