First day at school...again

Today was my first official day as a student at North Seattle Community College. I am taking an English class this summer, just one class at first to get me back into the whole studying life but a class none-the-less. I am taking the class online to fit into my schedule so I think some of the fear factor is eliminated because I don't have to see anyone face to face - I will face that whole deal in the fall when I take more classes on campus!

So first thing this morning I went online and figured out what I was supposed to do. Then I logged on and completed my first assignment. It was very simple but good to feel like I have taken the first step. I also have to write a 2 paragraph introduction to the rest of my online class. This has been proving to be more tricky than I had envisioned. What do I include? what do I leave out? should I make that joke? yikes. It got me thinking some more about what is really important in my life, where are my priorities at the moment? How would I want to describe myself, and how does that match up with my life today?

Earlier, I was listening to a woman (Laura Vanderkam) talking about a book she has written called 168 hours. She looks at how we say, "I don't have time" and then the hours in our week. How even if we work 40 or 50 hours a week and get 8 hours sleep a night, there is still so much time to do the things we want to - so how come we still end up frustrated and not doing those things. She commented that we should reply, "it's not a priority for me" when we are asked to do something to really help us consider what we are doing with our time. If kids ask us to read them a book it is a slap in the face to tell them it is not a priority and gives us an opportunity to examine where all our time is going. I know I can be a slave to the Internet and to the television and yet, I would never consider either one to be a priority.

How many times have I let a call go to voicemail when I am watching to end of a TV show, and then feel frustrated that I 'don't have time' to call friends and catch up? Yuck, that reveals something unpleasant.

I found a sewing machine for a great deal at a yard sale and still 'haven't had time' to learn how to use it.

The sewing machine sits in a room in our house along with a stack of photos and paper waiting to be turned into a scrapbook, that I 'never have time' to work on.

Suddenly these fun projects can be a burden and I hate to get to that place. As I start school today, I know that other things will have to give to make time for me to study. I hope I have the self discipline to make carve this time out of the wasted time I now spend in front of the box or checking Facebook.

I think that it can be easy for me not to really see where all my time is spent, so I might take the advice on Laura Vanderkam's website and keep a time log for a week. I am sure it would be an eye opener, and possibly a big motivator to making better choices.

So the Introduction assignment sits in my 'to do' pile. When I figure it out, I'll post it!

I am off to do some more painting, because it is a priority to complete some house projects, and because one of Jeremy's love languages, it is a way to love him today! I will also be working on some scrap booking, and doing some work in the garden before the sun gets scared away! Then I will make dinner, because cooking and eating healthy is another priority. I guess, its the small choices that will change us, moment by moment, until the good choices fulfill you enough to make it second nature to choose well.