When I told you I didn’t have time for exercise, I truly meant it. For me to exercise, work, have a hobby or two, and be involved in care giving, get at least 7.5 hours of sleep – it’s usually the first thing to get booted out. But what if it is scheduled first thing in the morning? Well, that means something else gets booted out right? Yeah.
I’ve been doing the “rob Peter to pay Paul” with time in a circle for some time now. And even with this schedule, I’m sure that will continue some as I “rotate” pockets of time that I find around a plate that is way too full. But when I am determined to do something, I will be resilient until it is done.
So I have sketched out my “model week”. Oh, don’t be fooled by the word “model”. It’s nothing to model. It’s very tiring. But it’s the only way I try to do what I’m trying to do, so “model” is relative, lol.
Sorry, I just noticed that the times are cut off to the left, but really it’s unimportant here for you to see that but you can see the items. And that is what is important on your end.
Must Haves in the Schedule
- Enough Sleep. I kicked the 8 hours out the window. Most of us sleep in 1.5 hour cycles. I do. And 8 only makes me grumpy waking up in the middle of a REM stage in my sleep. So it has to be either 7.5 or 9 and I’ll do 7.5 during the week and 9 on the weekends as a treat.
- Work must have 40+ hours each week, of course. I added the plus because I’m salary and we all know how that goes. One has to do her dues. There is no overtime and even though vacation is allotted of an extra week – we all know that we end up working over on other days to cover it. And we get our disability insurance for free. Least a company can do to cover you for all the stress illnesses, lol. Note: I’m being my humorous and sarcastic self here. But it seems others have thought this through. At some point I expect to see laws protecting salaried individuals from being worked to death. In my opinion there is a bell curve of salaried hours. The new ones who are learning and new on the front end and those climbing the ladder giving their life to the cause in the middle and those like me who are nearing retirement and needing to step back a bit.
- Quality Time for Family/Family needs
- Self-Care/Time for Self – Hobbies
- Adequate commute time of course
Where do You Pull the Extra Time From
Yes it is true we only have 24 hours a day and can’t add anymore to it. The clock goes round and round in a hurry. But in MY SCHEDULE, nearly everything is having to cough up some time for me to be able to exercise, self-care, and have some time to myself each day so that I can continue to live and even possibly thrive, and to be ABLE to continue to work and care-give and do all the things we need and are called to do. So where does the time come from really:
- Sleep – I’m quitting the 8 hour thing. I started this week going with 7.5 and it suits me well. The groggy feeling is over with me trying to wake up during a REM cycle. So the alarm goes off so that I get to sleep in 1.5 hour cycles.
- Work – I’m going to leave on time instead of giving more to the cause. It’s just that simple. This schedule won’t work during quarter end months. So four months of the year – maybe even five b/c Feb is pretty busy too, I will be living there while I check off quarter end boxes. So if I need to have a doc appt that gives me a shorter week during the other months, it’ll all work itself out in a QE month, so I’m going to QUIT trying to work it out in the week itself! I’m the only one that worries about it and I’m driving myself crazy worrying that someone doesn’t think I’m pulling my weight, but I will write my time to come and go on my planner in case anyone ever asks and I’m going to quit worrying about it.
- Afterwork – I will be more focused in the afterwork mode. I normally come in, get a glass of wine, read any mail, open any packages, check to see what I’ve missed as far as news, alerts, or messages, check on Mom, do housework leftover from the weekends, and sometimes watch a personal show, or work on video. So those other things will have to scoot out the window or to some other time slot. Often I already don’t open packages til the weekend. Might have to talk to Mom on the ride home, avoid the news until Alexa the next morning and so forth. I should have about an hour in the afternoon.
- Being more focused and efficient with my time. In other words when I get home get straight to the blog, video, or reading. Not being a feather in the wind.
Why Make These Changes?
- I currently weigh more than I have ever weighed in my life.
- I feel horrible.
- I am miserable and angry most of the time.
- I need to get some stress and weight off of my psyche and my body
- I want to live to see my Grandson grow up
- There’s a lot left I want to do with my life
- I’m driving me and everyone else crazy
- This is the BiGGEST gift I can give myself and it will help others too
- Having it scheduled leaves out the guesswork and makes it more real
The Downside to Maintaining a Schedule
- Life happens. It won’t be followed perfectly as things will come up to get in the way.
- There are doc appointments, nights where I do the cooking, grocery stops, someone screws up your payroll day schedule and you have to work over, hair cuts, nail days, dinner with friends, and Mom’s needs.
- Something will still go out the window each week. And that’ll have to be ok.
- Scheduling it is half the battle.
Bottom Line: The Impact
- The exercise is coming at the beginning of the day and won’t be put off. It will include some days of cardio, yoga, and stretching, and even dancing on the weekend.
- Apps and YouTube and my own den area will be available at that time.
- George may hear it before his alarm goes off but I’ve decided that is ok. I endure his loud TV at night when I go to bed. He can turn his noisemaker on more loudly like I do.
- Blogging/videoing/reading/puzzling (Hobby Time) will take its seat either in the early a.m. or afternoon and will be done at whatever tugs at my heart the most, and whatever time slot fits in the most.
- Blogging during the week could be shorter. Or there is this possibility of getting some of my blog entries done ahead so that you always have a regular post. This will help. No worries I’ll still have my “regular updates on life” content. (I thank you for being interested in reading about our lives here and sharing ideas on how to best live it).
- I should lose weight
- I should be happier
- I should be more focused
- Maybe I’ll quit fussing about time
- Everything “gets a spot” (ideally – but understood many spots will be replaced as real life happens).
I just chose not to include Mom time on there, or our doc appts, time with friends – these pop up at random times, other than church on Sunday and is hard to schedule. It’s been really tempting to pull back on going to church on Sundays and it’s not to say that I won’t sometimes when I’m at the bottom of a pit and need time to myself, but I’m trying not to let that impact a Sunday and push through for the most part.
Push through…we have DONE! We have gone almost 30 days I think without a full day at home. It’s back to the days of having a kid. Gone every day, and lately….gone all weekend. And my psyche needs down time to recharge and rejuvenate if I’m going to continue to be a person that is effective. So I’ve had to take tomorrow off as a PTO day. In looking at the days ahead with Colonoscopy on Friday and a trip out of town going to a graduation on Saturday, church on Sunday (we may actually choose this Sunday to do online church to be home so I can be ready for the work week and get strength back from colonoscopy and running for 30 days straight).
The liquids start tomorrow and I didn’t think I could deal with working all day and the prep starts at some point tomorrow anyway. I have not yet heard from the doc office but suppose they will call today to let me know what time prep starts (elimination pills). So I was going to have to leave work early anyway to be near the bathroom. I just took the day off tomorrow as I needed a day anyway. I feel like I’m at the end of a whiplash. Remember skating and how the person on the end of a whiplash is just battered and scattered and rushed around knocking into everyone and everything? That is me!
So tomorrow I have scheduled myself to do a lot of things that involve sitting and or light duty chores or fun: pet website, getting set up on Hulu Live, dropping Comcast cable, reading, puzzling, videoing, blogging. It will be a good day even though much of it will be liquid dieting and near the toilet by day’s end.
I’ll likely blog tomorrow since I’ll be here. But I think I’m making the right decision by doing the exercise first and then everything else will shake out by day’s end. It may end up that I work on videos each morning and blog in the afternoon. It’s easier to stop videoing than to stop blogging as I’m determined to get my ideas across in the mornings and then have to rush to get ready. So I’m thinking if I blog in the mornings, I have to get ready first. It’ll all shake out. Next week will be the trial run. Didn’t want to start til this colonoscopy is done. I am guessing I can do physical activity by next week. If not I’ll move it to stretches or something or just start the week after. We’ll see.
I’m curious what you think about my new plans/new schedule?
It makes my day when I hear from you…