House Arrest

I'm looking over my schedule and realized that I have 2 weeks to study for my exit exam and finish writing my thesis. Then I have 2 weeks until my thesis defense. Then I have two weeks to study for my last two Chinese Medicine board exams. Then I have two weeks until graduation. Then I have 4 weeks to study for 3 days worth of ND board exams. Wow. The next 8-12 weeks are going to be a doozy. I've got to keep my priorities in order.

So the plan is, effectively, house arrest. I'm not allowed to sign up for anymore social activities, especially those that are just huge parties where I'm not really going to feel connected to anyone. I can go bathing suit shopping, I can meet the hypnotherapist for coffee, I can celebrate my anniversary tonight, I can do those events that I've already signed up for and I can make time to spend with my partner's parents when they come later this month. That's actually a lot of things I can do, and only one significant can't do, but I think it will make all the difference.

My housemate and I also laid out a study schedule wherein she and I have 2 study dates a week with one another, no exceptions, for the next 6 weeks. Since I'm currently operating on zero study hours per week, the addition of these 6 hours should really help. I'm also going to endeavor to work out in the mornings since I hear this increases mental acuity throughout the day. If I throw in a little qigong everyday, maybe I'll manifest the "unstoppable force" that my friend suggested I would be.

When I Get Things Done

My housemate and I had a brief row this morning due to my "energetic" nature this morning. I went to bed last night about 10pm and fell straight to sleep. When my alarm started going off at 6, I was ready to get up. I started my day by mopping the entry where Plum and Chibo had a urine fight, making dog food, loading the dishwasher and cleaning my room. It was amazing feeling like I'd already gotten so many things done before I even left for work and reminds me that I'm really a morning person.

Now the question is how to use that information. Do I get up and go the gym? Do I just do my house chores? Do I sit down at the computer and work on my case paper or thesis? I think it will be the latter because this is definitely the only thing I can NOT do past about 10pm. It is getting harder than ever to stay up much past then let alone get anything useful done.

I also learned in the last several weeks that I can't do homework during class (unless it's for that class) - something about looking in books strikes me as far worse in terms of disrespect than doing something on my computer (which we all use in class, because our notes are all electronic) when the instructor doesn't know what I'm doing. This also applies in clinic when I don't have patients. I try reading or working on my thesis and it just doesn't work. So, at clinic and in class, I track my food (I record everything I eat), write my blogs, catch up on email and now I also read my acupuncture board review materials. It's helpful that they are in one easy-to-carry spiral bound book and it's actually not a bad reference when I need to look up some point.

Not the most interesting of blogs today, but practical. Like me.

See You Next Tuesday...

It's spring break. I finished all 7 outstanding homework assignments between Thursday night and Friday at 5pm, took my last residency interview and saw another new patient before calling it a wrap for my last winter term in school. It's strange thinking that this is the last...the last winter term, the last spring break, the last year of formal schooling. That's not to say that won't go back to school or ever study again - I was speaking to my own physician this week who graduated about 2 years ago and she's almost ready to return to school for a part time MPH program. I would consider getting another Masters or my Doctorate in Oriental Medicine at some point. Education has really become a habit and the time line really works for me - autumn means freshly sharpened pencils and new pads of paper, after all.

I'm not looking that far ahead though - for now, I'm really only take it one week at a time and this week is spring break week. I'm not heading to Acapulco, San Padre or even Lauderdale, but I am taking a brief hiatus from my daily life to stay at my boyfriend's house and oversee (that means just being home) the contractor he hired to install some new flooring. That's going to be Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - so I made a lot of appointments on Tuesday: trainer at 9, health appointment at 11:30, patient at 3:15, and 3 social engagements that evening that all start within an hour of one another. I keep sending emails saying "See you next Tuesday" and I'm very conscious of what that has become an acronym for.

I can only remember being physically punished by my parents twice in my life - once my dad gave me and my brothers all spankings when I was pretty young - I hated waiting in my room listening to my brothers holler as he spanked them, knowing it was coming. You can bet I never got up to whatever we did to deserve that again. The second time my mom slapped me as a teen for swearing at my brother and specifically for using the word "c_nt." Yes, my momma raised me better than that, too, and after that slapping, I never said that word in mixed company again, despite my love of a colorful swearing. I always considered it the height of profanity. Well, apparently mom has changed her view as she recently told me that so-and-so was just a "stupid c_nt." I was so shocked that I almost slapped my mom for it! I guess the same rules don't apply once you're over 30.

When I Write My Blog, that is, My Homework

Looking over the past several weeks, I notice my blogs are often written on Wednesday or Friday. These are the two days when I sit in 3 hour long lectures enjoying the free Wi-Fi available at my school instead of paying attention to my instructors. I try to pay attention, but 3 hours is just too long in my opinion. It is all I can do to even give the appearance of paying attention - at least our notes are online, so looking at my computer is not a complete show of disrespect.

Maybe I should use that time to work on my homework instead. Yes, I have homework - I always have homework. It's not just that I always have studying to do, but I actually always have some paper or case or project coming due in the next week. This week, being the last formal week of classes, with finals in the next two weeks, is not only no exception, but is actually even more intense. Imagine my surprise when my partner asked, "oh, do you have homework too?" after I explained that my housemate was missing the party to get homework done. I guess that explains a lot.

Accomplishment!

Somehow when one has procrastinated for hours-days-weeks-months, just getting started can turn everything around. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Last night I took a step - a tiny, itty-bitty, baby step towards the large amount of work that needs to be completed in the next four weeks, but a step that helps me see the possibility of getting through this tough period.

I was also able to get this step completed while taking care of my dog and my home, seeing my friend in from out of town and spending quality time with my beloved. Usually getting any homework done means locking myself away from everyone, even my sweet dependant little doggie and letting my house fall into a state of intense filth. As any other master-procrastinator knows, cleaning house is a great way to procrastinate. I suppose any non-deadline, but still essential task can be used as an excuse. I actually wrote "clean garage" and "spring cleaning" on my to-do list - that's how bad I didn't want to do my homework!

To set myself up for success and ride the wave of momentum, I plan on taking the next step tonight. I'm hoping to do some research and write two case papers this evening. Definitely a possibility. I read that people with debt find some level of accountability in blogging about their debt - maybe I'll find some accountability by blogging about my assignments...after graduation, when my student loans come due, then I'll have to start blogging about debt!