Schedules don’t work unless I work them!

Well, so far the experiment is working, but not in the way that I thought it might.  Fortunately, I’m not sure that is a bad thing.  I found out….ta-da! …. that my schedule doesn’t work unless I work with it, I mean really make it mine – gee, I bet you think I’m a genius.  Ha, ha!

Planning for scheduling mania was successful for Monday and then fell apart on Tuesday.  I had too much free time and too few appointments to schedule around.  Who knew that free time would be a bad thing.

Tuesday afternoon I tried to revive my joy for planning.  Opening a private calendar because I didn’t think my entire workplace needed to see that I was planning mediation to start my day or when I planned to get dressed, I started scheduling events into time slots.  It looked pretty daunting, but I gave it a whirl anyway.

When I got to work on Wednesday, I noted that what was missing from my organizational attack was the tasks that I hoped to accomplish.  Hmmm.  I could write them on paper or place them into a task list.  But that added more places to look or another program and honestly, I need easy!  What I found that’s worked is to place them in the text box of my calendar appointment.  This way, I can find what time it is and pick a task to tackle.  I can also carry tasks over to the next day with a simple copy and paste.  The only negative that I found to the way I keep my tasks is that once I’ve completed them, I erase them from the list and when I get a new to-do, I add a new one to the list.  So I can never look back and pat myself on the back for how much I’ve done, or kick myself for not doing enough.  May be I’ll have to work on this but for right now if it’s working, I’m not going to mess with it.

So, yay! I’ve scheduled the heck out of my day, listed and completed many tasks, and I’ve felt much more productive.  But, something still feels not quite right.

My scheduling usually starts between 5 and 6 a.m.  I guess there is nothing wrong with that.  Many people get up that early.  But, my scheduling ends with my commute home.  By the time I get home, it is generally 7 p.m.  I then have dinner to cook and something that needs done around the apartment.  My evenings have almost been….wasted.  Oh NO!

I’m kind of type A / compulsive that when I start to do something, I DO it.  No time for fun.  I mean, who schedules fun?  Hmmm, may be that’s what’s missing.  Or may be its the feelings behind the actions.  Actually, that was one of my great a-ha’s.  The reason that I started the scheduling was to make sure that I addressed the things that I needed to, that I wanted to.  So far, I’ve been successful with the time devoted to the tasks, but need to find a way to schedule, set aside, or fit in, the time devoted to the engagement, the active engagement in those things that make me feel amazing.  Yes, like most people I get a sense of euphoria from erasing things from the list, but I think I’ll have much more long-term satisfaction if I plan and allow myself to have the depth of my life and not just the breath.

That said, I wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t dive in and test the waters.  I wouldn’t have known the pros and the cons.  I wouldn’t have realized what the schedule was adding, and excluding from my life.

All this said, I have a weekend ahead.  Scheduling the work days are easy.  Unfortunately, this Saturday is a work day.  But what about Sunday?  Do I plan for the time that I clean?  What about scheduling the Super Bowl?  Hmmm.  How do I want to feel and what can I do on Sunday to get me that feeling?  May be a nap will be the perfect thing I need.  I’m not sure, but I’m almost positive that it won’t be on the schedule!