However ,I want to take a few minutes and jot down some thoughts and get a few people's opinions.
I think it is a well established fact by now that I am in medical school and that I have no time to do anything. But, the only problem with that is that there are still things that I have to do, need to do, and want to do besides school. I was thinking about that this week when it was brought to my attention that I may be lacking in one or more of these areas.
While I think everyone understands, ultimately it is my responsibility to make sure that I do the things that are important. Not only for myself but for the people I love, and so that I can have a home in heaven someday.
So, that being said, here is my to do list, i.e., things I need to be working on, things I need to do:
1. Call Granny (and other family members) at least once every other day...she's not in good health and I want to spend as much time as possible with her before she goes home
2. Visit my dad's side of the family more often (it's not that I haven't wanted to, it's just a time and location issue)
3. Form closer bonds with Michael's family
4. Read the bible every day (I am trying to make it all the way through by May...So far I'm only on Exodus 12)...yeah, fail. I did read through psalms, proverbs, song of solomon and Ecclesiastes this summer though
5. Stay off of facebook.
6. Prayer...I do quite a bit of this on the go, but I need pure, undisturbed, just me and God time....to worship Him and put Him first.
7. Lose at least 50 more pounds by May. and hopefully have met my goal (90 pounds by next Fall), now it may or may not go like this...depending on how my body has decided to cooperate. I'll tell you, the first 20 pounds have been slower than I thought.
8. Stay in touch with new and old friends.
You see, all of these things should not be that difficult right? Well, when you barely have time to sleep AS IT IS...they are more of a burden than they should be.
So help me out....how do you guys stay focused on what you need to do and incorporate it into your schedules...
I don't want to let my life pass me by. School is not the most important thing...God is and people are....so how do I be all that I know I need to be? How do I...do it all?
Finding a way to balance things has always been a lot of trial and error for me. I write out a schedule, try it for a few days, and then tweak it here and there until I find something that works. Repeat as things change. (That's far too often with very little ones around, let me tell you. ;) )
ReplyDeleteUsing a timer for mundane stuff like chores and giving yourself permission to just do what works instead of trying to do everything "perfectly" helps too. Break things up. Study for half an hour, then grab a glass or water or a quick, healthy snack and do fifteen minutes of exercise or household chores before going back for another half hour of studying, be it homework or the Bible.
I've found alternating between studying and getting up and moving helps with focus and retention. If you sit there studying for too long, you'll go to sleep or loose focus.
Do you know your learning style? If you do, you can turn that to your advantage when it comes to studying. I cut my study time by 2/3rds without hampering my grades when I figured out how to work with my learning style.
Good luck.
This may not be the best advice, but it works for me...call your family when you're driving back and forth from school. If you live further away (I live on Lakeshore) there's usually enough traffic and time to get in a decent catch up conversation, especially if you do it often enough that you don't have TOO much to catch up on.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest, if you find something that works, YOU let ME know.
It's great that you're so goal-oriented, Lindsay. And that you have your priorities in order (God and people as most important).
ReplyDeleteHere's a tip to add to the other advice: keep the goals but change the timeline. For example, instead of trying to read the Bible in one year, make a goal to read it in two years. Instead of making phone calls every other day, commit to at least twice a week (but every other day is such a sweet & admirable goal that I hope works for you!). Instead of waiting until you can get a big chunk of undisturbed time with God, grab a 15 minute segment that you can keep consistently.
Just ideas. I know you'll figure it all out. Don't be too hard on yourself in the meantime; you're in a hectic time of life. Yet you still have your faith. You're a success already!
Love you,
Lisa
Thank you guys so much for your support and great advice! :)
ReplyDelete