The Highlander

"Slow down! Don't try to do so much!" How many times has someone said this to you? Probably almost as many times as you've been told, "This is really important. You need to be there!" As in, you need to be at some assembly. You need to be at a party. You need to do your homework. But, you also need to sleep. And let's face it, you need time to chill out (whether that means watching television, listening to music, or napping on the grass). Most of us realize that it's not healthy to fill every moment of our lives with obligations and activity. So how do you strike a balance between being lazy and being stressed out?

I keep a dry erase board above my desk. It's divided into six days (Monday through Saturday). Each day lists my class hours, my work times, when to do the layout for the Highlander, and when I'm on air at KRCX. It also lists the times that I need to do homework, and for which class. It's pretty detailed. And it's color-coded. Last week, my roommate laughed at me when he noticed the blue writing inside a red heart: Wednesday (6pm) €" Enjoy Evening! "You needed to schedule that?" he asked.

Actually, yes, I did need to schedule that. It's not that I am one of those people who sticks to a plan and never has any fun. I love being spontaneous. I've been known to miss the bus because I was playing with kitty cats encountered on my walk between home and campus, or I'll start chatting with a friend and suddenly realize that four hours have passed. My problem has generally been that I'm too disciplined. I know, most people would call my dry erase board "being disciplined." But, really, being overly disciplined has played a large role in my life, because I usually think I can get more done than I can. I rarely said no to anything €" from leading an activist group, to writing for publication. I would convince myself that if I created a task and a deadline €" or if I gave others my word that I'd get something done €" then I would. I'd find the time. But after years of driving myself to the point of exhaustion, I've learned that if I don't schedule some time that is off limits to my dual passions for social justice work and education, my spontaneous self will end up over committing to things and I won't have any time for vegging out in front of the TV or going to bed early or being relaxed and snuggling with my partner. So this year I included just a few hours €" out of those 144 €" that have the sole purpose of being "free time."

I also don't do anything on Sundays. Well, that's not exactly true. I do go to worship service. I also go grocery shopping. I cook dinner. I take my dog to the park. I watch Family Guy and American Dad. I hang out with my friends. But I don't do homework, work, copy edit for the newspaper, or come to campus. And that's the reason Sunday isn't listed on my dry erase board. I've made Sunday off limits to everyone but me and God. It's not easy to be so regimented. Sometimes I want to go somewhere on Saturday night. And so, sometimes I do. But then I need to crack the books on Sunday, and I don't have time to play with my dog or watch TV. But it was a conscious decision to trade a dinner party on Saturday for less unstructured time on Sunday, and it forced me to consider which was more important.

Overall, my five-color dry erase board divided into six days and many obligations gives me a freedom to get things done as well as live a balanced life. I don't force myself to write papers if I really want to party. But I do have a visual reminder that there are only so many hours in the week, and saying "yes" to one thing means saying "no" to something else. My 4 x 6 foot planner gives me the freedom to choose which time will be free time. Stipulating that I have free time planned into my life is the only way I know how to be spontaneous and balanced.

If you would like to write an opinion piece for possible publication in The Highlander, please email it to elle thomas at hldrsubs@regis.edu.

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