I'm just like my mom; I love to people-watch. It is so intriguing to see how different people live their lives and what makes them who they are. There are a few prime times to people-watch. The first is in class. It doesn't take long to figure out who is who in each of your classes. There is the girl who always raises her hand, the guy who never comments because he's reading the newspaper, the girl who comes late to class each day, etc.
The second great way to people-watch is through blogging. I know that probably would not be completely classified as "people-watching," but I think it works perfectly. I love looking at people's blogs. Taking the risk that I may be considered slightly creepy, I'll admit that there are many people who I have barely met but I have found their blogs and seem to know them. However, I still read their blogs because they are SO interesting to me.
So where is this going? I often observe the people who seem to just succeed in life. They seem to have it all down, flowing from one task to the next with ease. I, on the other hand, struggle awkwardly in a seemingly endless cycle of working hard for a few days and then taking too long of a break which makes me crammed for the next stressful set of days. I look at people around me and wonder, "what are they doing that I am not?" Now, I do realize that not all of them are that much different from me. All successful college students will spend late nights studying, a few mornings sleeping in longer than they should have, and a few tests crammed for. Imperfection is just a fact of life. However, I have spotted one trait that they have that I do not. Many of the successful people, who seem to get it all done and still be happy in the end, are to-doers: list-makers.
I've been trying really hard to learn how to plan my life a little better. I realize that I need a dash more balance, and so I have decided that planning is my ticket to success and balance. I've always used a planner, but it seems that the minute I complete a big task, my planner gets put in my backpack and forgotten for the rest of the day. So, I realized that I need a little more. I've talked to a few people I've labeled as good planners, and I have decided that from now on, I'm going to make an attempt at being a list-maker. It may take some practice, but I've gotten some pointers and I am going to make a solid effort at trying it. Balance is something that we all have to work at in most periods of our lives. I know I will never find the perfect balance, and if I do, I should just expect a new task to quickly present itself in my life, but for now, I am trying to find the best balance I can. I know that that will be enough! :)
p.s. Tonight, Clayton took me to Yozone again! Hallelujah!! I love Yozone!
7 comments:
Great post Em! Your brother Ryan is a very skilled list-maker, and I mean that in a very positive way. He could probably give you some good tips.
I have used a number of different style planners, but what seems to work the best for me is using like a moleskine planner. You can get ones that are blank, lined, dated, whatever you prefer. Something that I have found most useful, is to be able to just have that spot to write something down - whether it is something that i thought was really interesting, or I need to remember to do something it comes in handy.
It is a real complement to you that you are such a self-reflective person. There aren't many people that are as thoughtful as you!
Thanks Heather!! :) That is very sweet of you!
Emily,
Well written and thoughtful! The Lord expects us to manage our resources and our lives--not sure how we do that without some regular and thoughtful planning. So, good ideas! I am sure your planning will allow you to keep your eye on your priorities, get them done, and sleep better at night! Let us know how it goes! Love, Dad
might i suggest you get a pdf phone...i know that you are never without your phone and if you had a pdf you could enter in events into your calendar and then it would actually beep when you set it to go off for a certain task. I've been doing this with my phone and it has really been quite amazing.
or maybe you could come up with a contraption that zaps you with a small electric shock every time you are off-task!
great post, em. good luck with this!
still waiting for the goat clipper to chime in...
thanks for the suggestions guys!
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