168 hours That’s all there is. We can’t make more. They go by as they go by. We have only 168 hours per week to do everything that needs to get done. Like a cash only life, when there is nothing left, it’s gone - there’s no such thing as overdraft protection with our time. The other day I was feeling ragged, worn out and like I was burning the candle at both ends, That's when I realized I had NOT done my usual practice and planned out my semester like I usually do. I forgot to budget my time before adding in any extras. There are a few non-negotiable items in my life that include
However, going from working in PMOs to being a student included a HUGE pay-cut, and I still struggle with my value if I am not bringing home a regular paycheck that helps support my family. I am lucky enough to have a husband who fully supports my education and makes a decent wage but that feeling still nags at me. And, I absolutely loooooooove helping students each semester as a tutor, and may possibly be addicted to that feeling (recovering codependent here) of seeing the light come on when a student makes connections. When I have students come in for Tutor coaching, one of the first things we do is look at how they spend those 168 hours. Sleep, grooming, preparing eating and cleaning up after meals, commutes, work, and time in class. If there are family commitments, church, jobs, or other sports hobbies etc. we add those in too. The farther down the list we get, the more we realize that time is running out. The good news is that we have more control over that time than what we pretend to. I wish I could say that I made my own worksheets, but I did not. However, there are countless ways to track this time. Personally, I like to use this worksheet from University of Manitoba in Canada. If you are a student, it automatically figures out the idea amount of time to study based on the units for that semester, and for non-students, leaving the school areas blank allows for the same basic functionality and seeing concretely where we are taking out loans against relationships, interests, etc. If you want to look at how you are spending your week, click the box below to download the tracker I use. Xo,
Michelle
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I hear people talking all the time about how they wish they could go back and be young again. It is one thing that has NEVER sounded like an enticing idea to me - not even for one minute! You see, my childhood was pretty full of loss, sadness and feelings of loneliness. Those things take time to process and get healing from when you don't have the right kinds of support and early intervention. And the tripping and falling and bumps and bruises that come with the healing process can be just as painful. Take for instance the time I lived with my aunt and uncle in Michigan for 3 months at the age of 20. I had looked at the community college there and had hoped to start a new life full of promise away from my childhood. But, I had no tools to handle that moment when my aunt told me that I had disappointed her with my behavior. Coupled with the sticker shock of non-resident tuition and a retail job I dreaded having to go to, it just seemed easier to go back "home" to California. When I think of that moment - when I decided to "go home" - it had FEAR written all over it! As in my favorite acronym for the word, "f**k everything and RUN"!! The better choice may have been to "face everything and rise".. but I wasn't in a place of healing. Fast forward to this year, for my 39th birthday - landing in Detroit and seeing this same aunt and having so much joy in my heart. It was the first time we had been eyeball to eyeball since the day before I moved away from her house. We spent some really nice quality time together and I got to sit with her and tell her that I was broken and handled the situation poorly. A lot of the same situations have happened throughout the years. With life lived I have also gained wisdom. That wisdom translates into humility (not humiliation), new behaviors, goals, and amends being made. I like being the woman I am today. I like knowing that I have tools to do things and handle situations in new ways without throwing pity parties of one. I love being 39! And, I love that my soul is finally settling into a high quality existence that in some places would be defined as "fine" |
AuthorI'm Michelle, and I've got a full plate! As a full-time dietetics student, step-mom, wife, study coach, and tutor in my late 30's, some days I'm barely scraping by. But, no matter what is on my plate, it's always gluten free! Categories
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