Day 291 – Sticking to schedules is the worst, er I mean the best!

Excited to get back on a schedule tomorrow – really – not really.

I stayed up really late last night. Then I got up fairly early this morning. No nap today which means it is 9:30 and I am ready for bed. Usually I get a second wind about now but that may have to do with a little cat nap in the afternoons.

One of the hardest things for me working for myself is the discipline of a schedule. If you have not figure it out by now, I HATE SCHEDULES! Of course they are 100% necessary. If one plans on accomplishing anything there has to be some sort of schedule.

Oh wait, having a schedule is not the hard part. Actually following a schedule is what I seem to hate. I am actually envious of people who can handle so much structure every day.  It seems as foreign to me as my cavalier risk it attitude may seem to others.

Regardless, of how I feel about having a schedule or following a schedule, it is my biggest problem area and one that I know I must master. Looks like I am back to alarms for everything.

For now, its bedtime!

Day 205 – Date Night ’cause Darren Hardy said so!

I blogged earlier this week about realizing that I not only need to have relaxation time but, that it needs to be scheduled.

There is that four letter word again . . . schedule.

The same day that I had that realization I carved out a Long overdue date night for Amy and me. I really had been looking forward to it since I put it on the calendar. I even put on the calendar See Lucy (the movie) because Darren Hardy says so.

Today was really great. I got up and out of the house right on time, and because I had Cort with me I actually got more accomplished and earlier than I had planned. We met up with my brother who is working on the in-laws remodel project on the house they just bought. Today was demo day! yeah give me a sawzall, a hammer, and a pry bar then you better get out of my way.

In just four hours we were able to wreck out the kitchen, like nothing, just another empty room with 220v wires coming out of the wall and floor and some water connections. Kitchen = GONE! We also did the same to the master bath. Judging by how hard it was to get the giant soaking tub from 1982 out of there, it was obvious that it was never meant to come out. We ripped out some carpet and took apart a big teak wall unit – also from 1982.

The whole time I am working today I was keeping an eye on the time because I knew our movie started at 530 and I still had to make it home, shower, and then make it to the theater. Proud to say I kept to my schedule and as soon as I got out of the shower I was on “scheduled” relax time.

I am going to try to explain the difference between relaxing and scheduled relaxing.

So after a hard or long day, at some point I get a chance to sit down. Maybe have a drink, kick off my shoes, and even catch a show with the kid. Whenever I do this, my mind is still working and I am really not “there”. I often have to get up to jot down a note, look something up or even shoot off a quick email. I am not truly relaxed.

We left to get to the theater with plenty of time and I started to really feel myself unwind. Because I had scheduled this time off, I was not worried about anything else but spending time with Amy. When we finished the movie I was feeling great. I was in such a different place that I actually saw what I normally look like in the others around me. Face in their phones, in a huge hurry, or just not paying attention to anyone around them.

We went to grab a bite to eat and again we were in no hurry at all. Scheduled relaxation is way better than any just putting your feet up moment that I may be able to take every once in a while. Scheduled relaxation is a game changer. I feel like a million bucks right now. I am gonna wake up tomorrow refreshed and ready to go!

Day 68 – Taking care to get enough rest

I am Typing this sitting up in my bed. It is 7:22pm and since some monster named Ben created daylight savings time back in 1784, it is actually only really 6:22.

I am exhausted and I am hoping that by going to bed this early I will not wake up at 11:00 wide awake. Of course that is what normally happens as I am such a night owl. I am making a conscious decision in an effort to assist in my scheduling challenge to try to become . . . a morning person.

I actually do not mind the mornings. It is the comfort of my bed that has a tight hold on me and does not wish to let me go.

Like I said this is something I need to do. getting to bed earlier and being on a more regular sleep schedule will do wonders for my health. Something we talked at great length about in church this weekend. Our series on wrecking yourself focused on wrecking  your body this week and my sleep patterns were  something that screamed out to me as something that I can get under control to make a positive impact on my life.

The health impacts alone are pretty obvious. We as Americans simply do not get enough rest as we are super busy. When we need more time we simply withdraw time out of our sleep schedule to place it somewhere else we deem needs more. We treat or sleep schedule the same way congress treats social security; as a personal bank. Whe we lack sleep we are unfocused and not as productive as we should be so we fall behind only to repeat the cycle all over. I am calling a stop to it!

The other impact for me is a relational one. Amy is a morning person and has been forever. Running an espresso stand for the last 17 years has forced her to permanently alter her schedule to accommodate very early bed time. By going to bed at the same time as her we will be able to spend more time doing things together and that is a very cool thing. Even if it is just being able to chat with her in the mornings it will just be more contact instead of each of us having 4+ hours opposite of each other.

The beauty of being my own boss is that I get to make my own schedule and make changes that make the most sense.

Lastly the impact of going to bed earlier will limit the time I am by myself at night. It is an accountability thing. Look I am a man and men can make some pretty stupid decisions when left alone unsupervised, so I am also making this decision to limit that time.

Now my schedule will not always allow me to be in bed by 7:30 but, I will be trying to arrange my schedule to do more things in the morning and be getting a much earlier start.

All of that being said . . . It is time for bed and I am beat! What a great finish to a busy and exhausting week. More importantly what a great start to what I hope is a better week even than this one!