Sometimes schoolwork is so daunting that fun must become a scheduled activity, but having time set aside for oneself is important to being satisfied with life.
I paid my bills today and it sucked. As I was sitting at the computer watching my hard earned pay rapidly dwindle I was reminded of a sad fact. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in preparing for tomorrow or next week or next month that I often forget today. I am so worried about paying the bills and getting everything done that today is an unimportant shadow over my shoulder.
We have all heard people talk about possibilities, opportunities, getting a job and so on. I heard those things discussed when I was in high school, when I got my BA in English, and I am hearing them again as I am nearing the end of my master’s program. Looking back at all of those stepping-stones I have accomplished I am proud of them. But I also wish I had enjoyed them more. I wish I had taken the time to go out with friends instead of reading through a paper for the seventh time before I turned it in, or that I had gone bowling instead of studying three more hours for that test I just knew was going to be brutal.
It’s important to be excited about the possibilities of the life that is ahead of you. But it’s also important to remember the life we have now. I am not saying this from a soapbox, but from my own personal experience. Lately, I have been so caught up in the hamster wheel of getting everything done for my future that I have forgotten to take care of me now. I have had to schedule myself down time or time out with friends and let’s face it, that’s a bit ridiculous.
What is the point of life if you don’t live it? I’m not saying throw your studies to the wind and turn into an irresponsible party animal. I am saying take two hours a day or one day a week and make it yours. No homework, no job, no ‘to do’ list, just a ‘take care of me’ day. If all you do is drink hot chocolate while wrapped in a blanket and watch the Harry Potter series, that’s fine, or if you’re ambitious and go ice-skating for the afternoon, that’s fine too. Just do something for yourself even if you have to schedule it into to your calendar like I did last night to make myself go to sushi with friends.
For those of you experiencing that overwhelming urge to only focus on tomorrow, let me give you a word of advice for today: live.
