And the saga begins!

Well, now that football is over I find myself in the beginning of a new stage of life. I have been applying for a job these past couple of days and have found the job aspect of life not quite as exciting as I had hoped it would be. The deal was, as long as I was in school and playing sports my parents were not going to require me to get a job. That utopia has finally come to a end.

A friend of mine offered me a job working for the city. It pays $10.55 an hour and I am basically in charge of my own schedule! Not a bad deal....at least working won't be. It has been this application process that has been the most frustrating. The lady who takes my transcript has been anything but helpful....however, after 3 trips to her office I think I have finally got it all in order. All that remains is getting fingerprinted (just in case I decide to break the law...then they can track me down!) and then a trip to the doctors office and I should be good to go!

Through this process I am beginning to see a need for time management (not one of my strengths!). Time management has been one of my biggest enemies...just within the past year or two. Whenever I am told I must be more efficient with my time an ugly sinking feeling begins to build in my stomach. Not because it is bad but because maybe my perception of it is bad. During these past couple of weekly meetings at my house, we have been discussing time management and what it means to save time. My definition of time management has slowly been changed and is still changing.

My original disdainful feeling towards such efficiency was the fact that it does not allow one to live life. It is as if one writes their life for one day on a piece of paper eager to get as much done as they can. Only to use what ever "saved time" they have left to sit in front of the t.v. and "veg". People miss out on life because of their burning desire to hold off on living and finish what is "required" of them. Instead of looking at one's job as apart of their life, people look at their job as an unfriendly obstacle that they must endure in order to start living. Often I hear on retirement commercials, "now that you are retired why not start living?...(insert advertisement here)". How SAD!! You mean to say that people aren't actually living until their old and retired??? Is this what time management is about? Nonsense I say! I will have none of that! Why hold off on spending time? Why not experience the work force...instead of trying merely to appease it by getting done what is required. Besides, how does one save what one already has?

I have found it is nearly impossible to save time. Why? Because I already have it. It is mine for the spending...not saving. Through my discourse with others, time management is becoming more of a surveillance of what I am doing already and what I wish to do more of. By writing down what I have done at the end of the day, I then begin to evaluate what I wish to do more of. There is of course always the requirements (such as school, work, and chores) but ultimately I am finding that those requirements are what I want to do. This process has revealed to me that I have very bad ideas of what is good for me and what I ought to do. While working through this alternative way of time management, I am finding that through the act of actually experiencing those obligations, such as school and work, they are more pleasurable. And now I question why I would even wish to fulfill those obligations faster for the sake of "saving time", if with that "extra" time I am going to waste it by watching t.v. or playing video games?

Now after giving my self a little pep-talk, I shall attempt at becoming more organized with my time! (pray for me!!! :~)