So I do really well when I get up early, commute to work or school, and then ensure I study scriptures first.
I’ve tried prioritizing working out first (gym workout, not commute workout) the last few days and noticed my days are tougher and take more effort to stay focused throughout.
This has been in some sort of effort to out more work into the commute, and then make sure I’m showered before I really start my day.
But if I’m going to shower, I only want to do it once. Which means I need to workout before I shower. Which means I need to push the shower back and hour. And I don’t want to study scriptures when I’m dirty or when I’m dressed for a workout, so that gets pushed back.
To the point where I’m pushing back my scripture study—my thing I know should be done first—into the timeframe it fits. I.E. Not first.
So, knowing I’m going to have 8 and 9 am classes in the fall, how do I adjust?
1. Go to bed earlier the night before. I rarely accomplish anything useful after 9 pm. So I might as well prepare for the next day (thereby sneaking in a significant amount of usefulness) and go to bed early.
2. Start earlier in the day. If I’m riding the bus after running or rucking to the stop, catch a slightly earlier bus. Arrive on campus earlier and study first. Then shower.
3. Dissociate the desire/need to shower only once. If it need to happen twice, let it happen twice. But chances are, I don’t actually need to shower after only getting to the bus stop or cycling to school. I can start my day as normal.
4. Study first, do other necessary things (class), then workout, then follow up with work and research.
Part of why I’m going back to school is to rebuild discipline. Part is to have set requirements in my schedule to develop practices around.
I have the best of intentions for my plans. But I do need to adjust and ensure I’m still putting first things first and move forward with that.