This week I've actually been having a lot of commitment issues, which is not good considering I choose commitment as my focus area from the wheel of excellence. I am supposed to be tracking my progress in a journal, but this week I've really not been keeping up with it. I have been very busy this week, and I think that because of that, my focus diminished quite a bit. Commitment also requires time, which I've been short on. As a result, I haven't been taking the time to record my progress at the end of the day like I have for the last few weeks. I was carrying it around with me before. It took me less time to record things as they happened than it does to do them all at the end of the day. The smaller time requirements make it easier to commit and accurately keep track of my progress. So I think I'm just going to start carrying it with me everywhere I go again.
This week I have been continuing to reduce my stress. Yesterday I was able to have the entire day free from work and school. I took advantage of every minute of this, I got all my homework, studying, cleaning, organizing etc done. I actually enjoyed doing all of this because I knew I had the time to get everything done that I needed/wanted to. Last night, I was able to sleep without waking up, and I think it had to do with feeling good that everything was done before I went to bed. Now if I could somehow figure out a way to get everything done every day…
My jaw is doing better. It is still popping but it doesn’t ache nearly as much as it use to. One bad habit I’ve noticed is I bite my nail and chew on it (gross I know) when I am stressed. I learned from my physical therapist that this is horrible for someone with TMJ to do. My goal this week is to try and not bite my nails. I might look into putting acrylic nails on so I will not be able to bite my nails off. I am going to try and be aware when I start doing this and remind myself to stop. The hard part is I usually don’t notice I am chewing on my nail until my jaw starts to hurt. Other than that I am going to continue doing the activities that have helped me in the past few weeks. Last week I said I was going to try and stretch before going to bed to see if that helped me unwind. I didn’t find that worked very well so I am going to delete that from my “anti stress list”.
This past week has been another installment for my progression toward faster and more consistent hand eye coordination. I have started to incorporate the bola into my tai chi routine as well as continued the spinning and juggling practice. Other than being able to stop or avoid flying objects I have noticed an improvement in my ability to perform a one handed juggle of 2 juggle balls. The improvement was so substantial that I have started to incorporate a third juggle ball and have experienced some success so far. The meditation is differently helping my focus and concentration, while the tai chi is definitely helping me with my flexibility as well. Overall a good progress report.
During this week, my writing has been sporadic. I’m struggling with the idea that I chose too difficult a topic for my optimal performance task. I feel that I need to change my expectations of writing every single day for an hour to half that or an hour every other day. Additionally, I need a very set scheduled time of the day to do my writing or it won’t happen in the way it needs to. I feel that I have to build a level of momentum… I don’t have one now. I think the best way I can regroup is to come back to feeling or imagining joy in the process of writing. I also realize that I need to take time on Phychinfo database to find scientific studies relating to touch and proprioception. This will help motivate me as I love researching and finding new avenues of perspective and intersection of were my ideas connect with new concepts.
I definitely feel frustrated, but I believe that if I focus on the creative aspects of writing and being in the moment and enjoying, I will enjoy it more and I’ll be more focused. I guess I’m feeling that I need to focus more.
My commitment was challenged this past week by a string of setbacks beyond my control. While frustrating, I know that obstacles are part of the performance process and that I have the opportunity to make the best of them. I've realized that whether I was doing this challenge or not, these things would have come up as problems in my life and I would have to deal with them. Because of the skills and focus I've mustered up from studying optimal performance, I am now better equipped to deal with shit when it arises--as it has. I will keep working on the next actionable step in front of me.
A friend has recently recommended an iPhone app, entitled "Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock" that is directly geared toward making waking up easier. The app analyzes sleep phases by the degree of movement it records, and uses this information to signal when the person sleeping is in the lightest sleep. It is critical to wake up in a particular phase of sleep in order to feel less tired upon waking up. Sleep cycles are important aspects of sleep quality; therefore, although I am not totally convinced by this technology, I am willing to give it a try. I have yet to use this app as an alarm clock, but will have it during this upcoming week to aid in my progress.
It appears as though my alarm continuously goes off when I am in a deep cycle of sleep, so I look forward to using this sleep cycle regulator. Since I set my alarm for precisely eight hours from the time I go to bed, it does not seem probable that I am, in fact, in a deep sleep cycle. It must just be the difficulty of waking up that is affecting how I feel.
In terms of challenges and gains this past week, I have experienced both. I have been going to sleep around the same time each night, as suggested by both group members and professionals. Also, I have not had to wake up at markedly different times in the mornings. Therefore, my schedule has made my ultimate objective somewhat easier.
This past week, I have utilized both the "mind over matter" notion and positive reinforcement when I am feeling too tired to rise out of bed. It is frustrating when I do not accomplish the simple act of getting out of bed the first time my alarm rings. Primarily, my mental preparedness is what is holding me back. It is beneficial for me to recognize this weakness and work harder toward changing it this week.
I have had a good week working toward my goal. By addressing physical ailments with my doctors I have had to really tune into my body. By doing this, I have tuned in to the experience of running more than I normally find myself doing. This has brought new focus to my own ability. I have had to be very honest with myself, it has in turn shed some light on past shortcomings with regards to running. Going forward with this present goal, I can put to rest what I had been doing wrong, specifically bringing in outside distractions and forgetting why I was chosing these goals in the first place. My runs have been enjoyable, even though they are harder, longer, faster. I am actually enjoying the process and each individual success. Even if its one mile that just felt better than the one before it. Its incredibly freeing and I feel very strong. I am thinking less about a time goal and more of a feeling goal. Be in the moment and take each mile as it comes, before I know it, many miles have passed and I'm ready for more. Till next week.
I am having issues maintaining my focus on my goal. My commitment to doing the exercises that I set out for myself seem to be my main issue. Once I start doing one of the exercises I have set out I will finish it, it is just a matter of getting myself to start. Also, I feel like I am too tired in the mornings to exercise, but by the end of the night I feel too drained to exercise. So finding a time or a way to motivate myself earlier is an issue. However, I decided that there are some simple sustainable changes that I can make that will help in small ways. Like always taking the stairs, and walking to wherever I need to go as much as possible. While these won’t get me all of the way to where I want to be, I think it is something that I can easily change right now.
I had myself a pretty decent week in some aspects, but not so much in others. I started it off with being pretty unimpressed with my progress thus far, Having been almost completely unable to keep my smoking under 5 cigarettes a day. Also, as I stated last week, I realized that my smoking wasn't necessarily the only vice that I needed to get under control. I was worried that my drinking had become a problem as well. After last week's class though, I entered my work week (friday-monday for me) intent on testing myself to see if this was true. I exceeded my expectations and made it all the way through to monday night only tasting as much as was necessary to get the job done. This was quite encouraging. What was not so encouraging, however, was that on monday, my self-designated "back off the wagon" day, I hit the sauce pretty hard. I seem to have no palate for moderation. My struggle with booze, as with cigarettes, seems to be that I really truly enjoy them both. During my three sober days this week, (I know that may not seem like much) it was not so much that I craved a glass of wine or a beer like an addict, but more as though I was missing an old friend. Booze and cigarettes are simply part of my daily routine. I create and pour liquid art professionally, and I love it immensely. I also love smoking. It calms me, it allows me to be social in the smoking circle out back of the restaurant, it is the perfect after dinner mint, it goes perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning, and it gives a chance to take a break and relax at literally any time of the day. I know I need to quit. I know the long term risks. How can I make them outweigh the immediate reward? Do I simply not have enough discipline? I don't know... I want to do it, but I don't know if I can...
I think it's been a good week for me... compared to most. I was considering my physical activity for the week and how often I chose physical activity over the lazier option, and I'm confident that I'm on the right track. Excellent? Hells to the no... But I'm going to cling to the smallest amount of success to help regain my confidence that being active and healthy is something that have the capacity to maintain.
I spent a good two hours actively helping my friend move... after a long day at work, I did have the option to nap, but I chose to carry large boxes up flights of stairs instead. Another friend lives a mile or so away from me, this week I walked to her house instead of driving the few times we hung out.
The rain has made it difficult, and has washed out my frisbee plans for the week, but I already have some new frisbee dates set up before the weather makes it a complete impossibility.
Diet? Well... I drank significantly more water this week than usual, opting for that instead of some sugary deliciousness, I started retaking my multivitamins (rumor has it, they help), and I find that I've been doing significantly less mid-day snacking. Granted, my best friend and I baking mini-apple pies of pure deliciousness weren't very helpful.
I've only had one D&D coffee this week... that's kind of a sad perk.
I don't find myself constantly focusing on my goal, life is a major distraction obviously, but I have noticed that I've been better able to refocus when the time comes. I find myself able to assess situations based on my goal, like saying, "Now, which of these options will best help me towards excellence?" Usually, I act for the better. Sometimes, I say, "to Hell with it," and eat a cookie...
Well, after reading other peoples' posts I feel like my post is going to sound kind of dull. I am trying to learn to write using the proper hold on my pen, and although I feel that this is going to be helpful for me if I can make this a natural thing for me to do, I don't think the results are going to be life altering, as some of my classmate's results may be for them. This week I have been pretty much doing the same things I did las week. I am still writing in my journal (although not as much as I probably should). I am finding it hard to make time for anything extra (like journal writing) on top of my school stuff. I guess making time is really a commitment issue. I have been trying to use the pencil hold thing that is supposed to make it easier to hold the pencil properly, but this just feels awkward, so I sort of gave it up. I can say that it is becoming easier for me to write the proper way. I feel like my hand is getting stronger and the writing is neater.
This has been another very productive week. I’m satisfied with the rate at which I’m achieving excellence. I‘ve been reading more literature on the mindfulness and I’ve been following my same routine of meditating and using my audio CD. Something interesting did happen this week. An old friend of mine contacted me and wanted to see me. She is now a Clinical Psychologist, and she uses mindfulness -based cognitive therapy. She explained to me how this therapy is used and how it has a high success rate for treatment of anxiety and depression. When we met, I told her about how I’ve begun practicing mindfulness. I think she is an awesome resource to have. She gave me the titles of some books that I could read. I’m going to order them soon. She also conducts group sessions for practicing mindfulness. If I can fit that into my work and school schedule I’d gladly enroll. There is not much else to cover right now. I’m looking forward to this coming week.
Well for starters, I have officially incorporated writing a backup draft of these blogs before posting, and that wee, insignificant skill alone is enough to make me smile right now :) That said, I am beginning to see some results on the mental wellness side of my project. My mood has substantially improved, not only in how I seem to feel day to day, but Ii've also received positive feedback from those closest around me. I also got an A on an extremely terrifying exam (yeah, the one from the car breakdown day) so I would say my mind has been clearer, allowing me to focus and retain material. Indeed, procrastination has even shown areas of improvement and I'm finding some of my old bite-the-bullet attitude with a bit more grinning and a tad less grunting. Smoking has nearly ceased, and as I have none at the moment *shudder* I look forward to tomorrow's class to reinvigorate/inspire the undertaking. I've been taking workouts in 10 minute stretches with the goal of adding on 5 minutes to each interval, then two intervals of 20 minutes with warm-up/cool-off exercises. I'll try to remember to take resting heart-rates in the morning, and monitor it during workouts.. though I have yet to feel some of the physical results I am striving to achieve, it would seem the commitment is also a driving force behind much of the favorable changes thus far. Sometimes I even notice a sort of healthy chain occur as a result of class, for instance: I'll be typing and remember not to clench my jaw, which reminds me about my posture, making me think about my breathing and I'll start working on diaphragmatic breaths... and so on. All in all, I'm feeling good and it seems like some of that initial hesitation felt in the first few weeks is finally beginning to fade.
This week made me realize that my progress is starting to smooth out around the edges. I have had a lot less stress this week, just by having the extra time to myself. I may not have used it as wisely as I could have, but having this bit of extra time is a new thing to me and will take a little while getting used to. I have been writing down lists of things I need to do, and crossing them off as I go. I also started to make a journal compiled of these lists, random thoughts on time management and stress relief (along with other little productive thoughts here and there) and notes to myself on how to do better, or what I didn't do that I should have done during the day. I know I can't be negative with myself, so I am trying to "positively" encourage myself to push through until I finally have a solid daily routine down. I have come to the conclussion that the key to time management is in fact routine ... finding the perfect pattern that fits your life and personality. One must design a daily routine of habituated events that are both productive and pleasureable, that way you are moving forward with your life, while also enjoying it along the way.
This week I actually had my first exam. We were allowed with a few notes so that made focusing on the task of studying the geometry of molecules much easier. In particular, I found it was reassuring to sit down and work on compiling the notes needed for the exam. At the same time, this allowed me to review the material and practice the concepts. I am quickly discovering that distraction control, or lack-thereof, is the most challenging. Specifically, I find it hard to devote all or most of my capacity for the task, knowing that there is many other things that need to be done. As before, I continue to keep myself on task and in time with everything by keeping a to-do list. Despite this, I find the amount of time available to very limited. For next week, I will be curious to see my progress in the class with respect to my proposed goal of 3-D visualization. I believe the grade I will receive will be better able to provide me with a sense of whether my approach is stable and appropriate.
This week was about the same as last. I am still able to maintain my posture pretty well when I am sitting down without having to adjust much or remind myself to keep it up. I have noticed that I have a harder time consciously keeping my good posture when I am standing or walking, and I have to make more of an effort when I am standing and walking. I will just have to think about my posture in those situations as I have when I am sitting down.
This week I've actually been having a lot of commitment issues, which is not good considering I choose commitment as my focus area from the wheel of excellence. I am supposed to be tracking my progress in a journal, but this week I've really not been keeping up with it. I have been very busy this week, and I think that because of that, my focus diminished quite a bit. Commitment also requires time, which I've been short on. As a result, I haven't been taking the time to record my progress at the end of the day like I have for the last few weeks. I was carrying it around with me before. It took me less time to record things as they happened than it does to do them all at the end of the day. The smaller time requirements make it easier to commit and accurately keep track of my progress. So I think I'm just going to start carrying it with me everywhere I go again.
ReplyDeleteThis week I have been continuing to reduce my stress. Yesterday I was able to have the entire day free from work and school. I took advantage of every minute of this, I got all my homework, studying, cleaning, organizing etc done. I actually enjoyed doing all of this because I knew I had the time to get everything done that I needed/wanted to. Last night, I was able to sleep without waking up, and I think it had to do with feeling good that everything was done before I went to bed. Now if I could somehow figure out a way to get everything done every day…
ReplyDeleteMy jaw is doing better. It is still popping but it doesn’t ache nearly as much as it use to. One bad habit I’ve noticed is I bite my nail and chew on it (gross I know) when I am stressed. I learned from my physical therapist that this is horrible for someone with TMJ to do. My goal this week is to try and not bite my nails. I might look into putting acrylic nails on so I will not be able to bite my nails off. I am going to try and be aware when I start doing this and remind myself to stop. The hard part is I usually don’t notice I am chewing on my nail until my jaw starts to hurt. Other than that I am going to continue doing the activities that have helped me in the past few weeks. Last week I said I was going to try and stretch before going to bed to see if that helped me unwind. I didn’t find that worked very well so I am going to delete that from my “anti stress list”.
This past week has been another installment for my progression toward faster and more consistent hand eye coordination. I have started to incorporate the bola into my tai chi routine as well as continued the spinning and juggling practice. Other than being able to stop or avoid flying objects I have noticed an improvement in my ability to perform a one handed juggle of 2 juggle balls. The improvement was so substantial that I have started to incorporate a third juggle ball and have experienced some success so far. The meditation is differently helping my focus and concentration, while the tai chi is definitely helping me with my flexibility as well. Overall a good progress report.
ReplyDeleteDuring this week, my writing has been sporadic. I’m struggling with the idea that I chose too difficult a topic for my optimal performance task. I feel that I need to change my expectations of writing every single day for an hour to half that or an hour every other day. Additionally, I need a very set scheduled time of the day to do my writing or it won’t happen in the way it needs to. I feel that I have to build a level of momentum… I don’t have one now. I think the best way I can regroup is to come back to feeling or imagining joy in the process of writing. I also realize that I need to take time on Phychinfo database to find scientific studies relating to touch and proprioception. This will help motivate me as I love researching and finding new avenues of perspective and intersection of were my ideas connect with new concepts.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel frustrated, but I believe that if I focus on the creative aspects of writing and being in the moment and enjoying, I will enjoy it more and I’ll be more focused. I guess I’m feeling that I need to focus more.
My commitment was challenged this past week by a string of setbacks beyond my control. While frustrating, I know that obstacles are part of the performance process and that I have the opportunity to make the best of them. I've realized that whether I was doing this challenge or not, these things would have come up as problems in my life and I would have to deal with them. Because of the skills and focus I've mustered up from studying optimal performance, I am now better equipped to deal with shit when it arises--as it has. I will keep working on the next actionable step in front of me.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to having better news next week.
A friend has recently recommended an iPhone app, entitled "Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock" that is directly geared toward making waking up easier. The app analyzes sleep phases by the degree of movement it records, and uses this information to signal when the person sleeping is in the lightest sleep. It is critical to wake up in a particular phase of sleep in order to feel less tired upon waking up. Sleep cycles are important aspects of sleep quality; therefore, although I am not totally convinced by this technology, I am willing to give it a try. I have yet to use this app as an alarm clock, but will have it during this upcoming week to aid in my progress.
ReplyDeleteIt appears as though my alarm continuously goes off when I am in a deep cycle of sleep, so I look forward to using this sleep cycle regulator. Since I set my alarm for precisely eight hours from the time I go to bed, it does not seem probable that I am, in fact, in a deep sleep cycle. It must just be the difficulty of waking up that is affecting how I feel.
In terms of challenges and gains this past week, I have experienced both. I have been going to sleep around the same time each night, as suggested by both group members and professionals. Also, I have not had to wake up at markedly different times in the mornings. Therefore, my schedule has made my ultimate objective somewhat easier.
This past week, I have utilized both the "mind over matter" notion and positive reinforcement when I am feeling too tired to rise out of bed. It is frustrating when I do not accomplish the simple act of getting out of bed the first time my alarm rings. Primarily, my mental preparedness is what is holding me back. It is beneficial for me to recognize this weakness and work harder toward changing it this week.
I have had a good week working toward my goal. By addressing physical ailments with my doctors I have had to really tune into my body. By doing this, I have tuned in to the experience of running more than I normally find myself doing. This has brought new focus to my own ability. I have had to be very honest with myself, it has in turn shed some light on past shortcomings with regards to running. Going forward with this present goal, I can put to rest what I had been doing wrong, specifically bringing in outside distractions and forgetting why I was chosing these goals in the first place.
ReplyDeleteMy runs have been enjoyable, even though they are harder, longer, faster. I am actually enjoying the process and each individual success. Even if its one mile that just felt better than the one before it. Its incredibly freeing and I feel very strong. I am thinking less about a time goal and more of a feeling goal. Be in the moment and take each mile as it comes, before I know it, many miles have passed and I'm ready for more. Till next week.
I am having issues maintaining my focus on my goal. My commitment to doing the exercises that I set out for myself seem to be my main issue. Once I start doing one of the exercises I have set out I will finish it, it is just a matter of getting myself to start. Also, I feel like I am too tired in the mornings to exercise, but by the end of the night I feel too drained to exercise. So finding a time or a way to motivate myself earlier is an issue. However, I decided that there are some simple sustainable changes that I can make that will help in small ways. Like always taking the stairs, and walking to wherever I need to go as much as possible. While these won’t get me all of the way to where I want to be, I think it is something that I can easily change right now.
ReplyDeleteI had myself a pretty decent week in some aspects, but not so much in others. I started it off with being pretty unimpressed with my progress thus far, Having been almost completely unable to keep my smoking under 5 cigarettes a day. Also, as I stated last week, I realized that my smoking wasn't necessarily the only vice that I needed to get under control. I was worried that my drinking had become a problem as well. After last week's class though, I entered my work week (friday-monday for me) intent on testing myself to see if this was true. I exceeded my expectations and made it all the way through to monday night only tasting as much as was necessary to get the job done. This was quite encouraging. What was not so encouraging, however, was that on monday, my self-designated "back off the wagon" day, I hit the sauce pretty hard. I seem to have no palate for moderation. My struggle with booze, as with cigarettes, seems to be that I really truly enjoy them both. During my three sober days this week, (I know that may not seem like much) it was not so much that I craved a glass of wine or a beer like an addict, but more as though I was missing an old friend. Booze and cigarettes are simply part of my daily routine. I create and pour liquid art professionally, and I love it immensely. I also love smoking. It calms me, it allows me to be social in the smoking circle out back of the restaurant, it is the perfect after dinner mint, it goes perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning, and it gives a chance to take a break and relax at literally any time of the day. I know I need to quit. I know the long term risks. How can I make them outweigh the immediate reward? Do I simply not have enough discipline? I don't know... I want to do it, but I don't know if I can...
ReplyDeleteI think it's been a good week for me... compared to most. I was considering my physical activity for the week and how often I chose physical activity over the lazier option, and I'm confident that I'm on the right track. Excellent? Hells to the no... But I'm going to cling to the smallest amount of success to help regain my confidence that being active and healthy is something that have the capacity to maintain.
ReplyDeleteI spent a good two hours actively helping my friend move... after a long day at work, I did have the option to nap, but I chose to carry large boxes up flights of stairs instead. Another friend lives a mile or so away from me, this week I walked to her house instead of driving the few times we hung out.
The rain has made it difficult, and has washed out my frisbee plans for the week, but I already have some new frisbee dates set up before the weather makes it a complete impossibility.
Diet? Well... I drank significantly more water this week than usual, opting for that instead of some sugary deliciousness, I started retaking my multivitamins (rumor has it, they help), and I find that I've been doing significantly less mid-day snacking. Granted, my best friend and I baking mini-apple pies of pure deliciousness weren't very helpful.
I've only had one D&D coffee this week... that's kind of a sad perk.
I don't find myself constantly focusing on my goal, life is a major distraction obviously, but I have noticed that I've been better able to refocus when the time comes. I find myself able to assess situations based on my goal, like saying, "Now, which of these options will best help me towards excellence?" Usually, I act for the better. Sometimes, I say, "to Hell with it," and eat a cookie...
Well, after reading other peoples' posts I feel like my post is going to sound kind of dull. I am trying to learn to write using the proper hold on my pen, and although I feel that this is going to be helpful for me if I can make this a natural thing for me to do, I don't think the results are going to be life altering, as some of my classmate's results may be for them. This week I have been pretty much doing the same things I did las week. I am still writing in my journal (although not as much as I probably should). I am finding it hard to make time for anything extra (like journal writing) on top of my school stuff. I guess making time is really a commitment issue. I have been trying to use the pencil hold thing that is supposed to make it easier to hold the pencil properly, but this just feels awkward, so I sort of gave it up. I can say that it is becoming easier for me to write the proper way. I feel like my hand is getting stronger and the writing is neater.
ReplyDeleteThis has been another very productive week. I’m satisfied with the rate at which I’m achieving excellence. I‘ve been reading more literature on the mindfulness and I’ve been following my same routine of meditating and using my audio CD. Something interesting did happen this week. An old friend of mine contacted me and wanted to see me. She is now a Clinical Psychologist, and she uses mindfulness -based cognitive therapy. She explained to me how this therapy is used and how it has a high success rate for treatment of anxiety and depression. When we met, I told her about how I’ve begun practicing mindfulness. I think she is an awesome resource to have. She gave me the titles of some books that I could read. I’m going to order them soon. She also conducts group sessions for practicing mindfulness. If I can fit that into my work and school schedule I’d gladly enroll. There is not much else to cover right now. I’m looking forward to this coming week.
ReplyDeleteWell for starters, I have officially incorporated writing a backup draft of these blogs before posting, and that wee, insignificant skill alone is enough to make me smile right now :) That said, I am beginning to see some results on the mental wellness side of my project. My mood has substantially improved, not only in how I seem to feel day to day, but Ii've also received positive feedback from those closest around me. I also got an A on an extremely terrifying exam (yeah, the one from the car breakdown day) so I would say my mind has been clearer, allowing me to focus and retain material. Indeed, procrastination has even shown areas of improvement and I'm finding some of my old bite-the-bullet attitude with a bit more grinning and a tad less grunting. Smoking has nearly ceased, and as I have none at the moment *shudder* I look forward to tomorrow's class to reinvigorate/inspire the undertaking. I've been taking workouts in 10 minute stretches with the goal of adding on 5 minutes to each interval, then two intervals of 20 minutes with warm-up/cool-off exercises. I'll try to remember to take resting heart-rates in the morning, and monitor it during workouts.. though I have yet to feel some of the physical results I am striving to achieve, it would seem the commitment is also a driving force behind much of the favorable changes thus far. Sometimes I even notice a sort of healthy chain occur as a result of class, for instance: I'll be typing and remember not to clench my jaw, which reminds me about my posture, making me think about my breathing and I'll start working on diaphragmatic breaths... and so on. All in all, I'm feeling good and it seems like some of that initial hesitation felt in the first few weeks is finally beginning to fade.
ReplyDeleteThis week made me realize that my progress is starting to smooth out around the edges. I have had a lot less stress this week, just by having the extra time to myself. I may not have used it as wisely as I could have, but having this bit of extra time is a new thing to me and will take a little while getting used to. I have been writing down lists of things I need to do, and crossing them off as I go. I also started to make a journal compiled of these lists, random thoughts on time management and stress relief (along with other little productive thoughts here and there) and notes to myself on how to do better, or what I didn't do that I should have done during the day. I know I can't be negative with myself, so I am trying to "positively" encourage myself to push through until I finally have a solid daily routine down. I have come to the conclussion that the key to time management is in fact routine ... finding the perfect pattern that fits your life and personality. One must design a daily routine of habituated events that are both productive and pleasureable, that way you are moving forward with your life, while also enjoying it along the way.
ReplyDeleteThis week I actually had my first exam. We were allowed with a few notes so that made focusing on the task of studying the geometry of molecules much easier. In particular, I found it was reassuring to sit down and work on compiling the notes needed for the exam. At the same time, this allowed me to review the material and practice the concepts. I am quickly discovering that distraction control, or lack-thereof, is the most challenging. Specifically, I find it hard to devote all or most of my capacity for the task, knowing that there is many other things that need to be done. As before, I continue to keep myself on task and in time with everything by keeping a to-do list. Despite this, I find the amount of time available to very limited. For next week, I will be curious to see my progress in the class with respect to my proposed goal of 3-D visualization. I believe the grade I will receive will be better able to provide me with a sense of whether my approach is stable and appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThis week was about the same as last. I am still able to maintain my posture pretty well when I am sitting down without having to adjust much or remind myself to keep it up. I have noticed that I have a harder time consciously keeping my good posture when I am standing or walking, and I have to make more of an effort when I am standing and walking. I will just have to think about my posture in those situations as I have when I am sitting down.
ReplyDelete