Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Routine Is Key



I have a schedule like I haven't had in a long time. Like since college.  Since January of 2012 my routine has been a little something like this:

School Year Monday-Friday
5:30-7:00 -- wake up, get ready, go to work
7:30-4:00 -- teach
4:00-6:00 -- during season coach
6:00-9:00 -- relax, grade, plan

School Year Weekends/Summer
Whatever I damn well please whenever I damn well please

However now, at nearly 28, I have the same type of schedule I had when I was 18-22.  One that I both love & hate.  I love that I technically have more time to get stuff done, but I hate that there is no real structure.  I need a real routine.  Why?  Because right now I'm kind of living a "whatever I damn well please whenever I damn well please" life until it's time to head to work/class.  I was in a wedding this past weekend which meant I was out of town Thur-Sun.  I then recovered & worked on Monday.  It wasn't until Tuesday morning when I sat down to write my reaction for class that night, that I realized I had missed a chunk of stuff for a different class due to the fact that a)I was out of town for 4 days busy with wedding stuff & b)I have no real structure in my life right now.

I miss routine.  I miss knowing that this must be done at this time.  I have a pretty consistent schedule right now:

Tuesday: class 5-7
Wednesday: work 5p-?
Thursday: work 5p-?
Friday: free
Saturday: work 6p-?
Sunday: free
Monday: work 5p-?

Granted the second I start subbing some of my days go away, & when I start a new serving job my schedule there will change.  But I have so much free time.  You know that saying?  Idle hands are the devil's workshop?  Yeah that's true. I am normally a VERY organized, routine driven person.  However, when given mostly free time I will waste it because I am also a procrastinator to the core.

I know what needs to happen:

8 am: wake up, like actually get up.  Not just my alarm goes off & I lay in bed for awhile
8-830: make coffee/breakfast
8:30-9:30: read blogs
9:30-10: shower/get ready
10-12: work on school stuff for the day whatever that may be
12-12:30: lunch

After lunch will vary.  If I work/have class at 5 I usually try to leave my place between 4-4:15 so that gives me 3.5 hours to do whatever I want still.  Read, binge TV, clean, whatever.  If I have the day off I can continue to do whatever I want.

Actually getting myself into that routine & sticking with it is a whole other story...

How do you get in to a routine/make yourself stick to a routine when there is no one/nothing telling you that something needs to be done at a certain time?

6 comments:

  1. Are you a planner person? I know what you mean; my routine keeps me sane and helps me keep my mental health in check! haha. Having everything I need to accomplish written down helps a lot as well.

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  2. I so need routine in my life or I feel an absolute mess. Lists, lists, I make lists about my lists!! Lol. Sending you YOU CAN DO IT VIBES!!!

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    1. Thank you! I need to sit down & write out all of these lists in my planner.

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  3. oh man, i wish i could help. for like 2-3 weeks in.... 2013 i think? i was unemployed, waiting on my permanent residency after my visa ended and i couldn't work. guess what i did for the entire 2-3 weeks? absolutely nothing, with a side of playing the sims. the less i do, the less i do. the more i do, the more i do. i find it very hard to give myself routine when i am not forced to, if that makes sense. is there anything you can add to your morning that will force you to get up? like when i used to work nights (when i was like 18-22) i would get up and go to the gym and meet my personal trainer (who i'd paid for) because otherwise, i'd sleep the day away. because i paid for it (the PT was extra! rude) it 'forced' me to get up.

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  4. It is so hard not to have a routine! I had that problem when I started working from home! Do you like planners or making lists? That's what helped me! :)

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  5. I definitely need a routine to feel like I'm getting stuff done - my planner helps a lot!! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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