Potential schedules. Part 3. A look at the current (and my second) semester.

As I think about this upcoming semester, I hope that I have a more realistic expectation of what it takes to be a successful full time seminarian. However, I think that I still am figuring that out as each section of courses requires slightly different work. One thing I really want to keep with school work in mind, is the habit of a block of time devoted to studies each day. This will help things from getting out of hand and school work from slipping down the slippery slope of procrastination.

Also, three of the things I really want to do this semester are 1)keep a set of daily disciplines for my health and life goals, 2)keep a few blocks of time weekly open for working on larger projects, and 3)travel more. I’m not sure if those things are all possible to do at the same time, but I really hope they are. Making it difficult is the ever present list of means for supplementary growth. It is still true that  a lot of the things I would doing to supplement my education, while good and useful, are not as aligned with my current life goals. Furthermore, they do not account for the work obligations I have at the church. One of the first conversations I hope to have in the New Year is with the Pastor in which I articulate my role in the church so as to acquire a description of my responsibilities.

With all of that in mind, I need to give my core values first priority, church work second priority and then my school work third priority. Fourth priority should be my life goals, fifth should be my list of means for supplementary growth. Somehow, while honoring my priorities, I will craft a schedule that allows for the three things I really want to do listed above.

It will have to have local obligations excluded from at least 2-3 days of the week so I can travel. It will have to have a short list of disciplines so as not to get bogged down the way my first attempt was. It will also have to leave large blocks for larger projects on my local days. It will have to be intentional and planned in advance to prevent double-booking and allow for coordinating with Hayley.

Here’s what I’m expecting at this point:

Each day is split into ‘morning’, ‘day’, ‘afternoon’, and ‘evening’. Each ‘morning’ is filled with “Disciplines” except for Sunday which has “Church activities”. Each ‘day’ is filled mostly by “School work” (on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday), but has “Church activities” on Sunday “BX/Practice with Hayley/CBI” on Wednesday and nothing on Saturday. ‘Afternoon’ is filled on Monday and Friday  by “Church Work”; Monday and Tuesday allow for not weekly meetings with Ron and Mike by Skype and in person respectively; Tuesday and Thursday allow for “larger projects”; Wednesday is devoted to “PoC/School work”; and Saturday and Sunday are empty. Each ‘evening’ is empty except for Wednesday which has “Church Activities”.

That allows for potential travel Sunday afternoon to Tuesday and Thursday morning to Saturday. Also, it’s been given the Hayley stamp of approval. So, it’s what we’ll use to start. Also, here’s a chart to help visualize: