Thursday, May 3, 2007

Good Day, Bad Day

The difference between a good day and a bad day is really the level to which I stick to my ideal routine. If I stick pretty close to it, then I count that as a good day. If my inner sloth takes over, well then, not such a good day. Here's a typical workday:

GD: Wake up somewhere between 7AM and 8AM - This is flexible because I usually allow myself to wake up whenever I'm ready. (I assume that there'll be a point in my life where this won't be an option ... so I'm taking advantage of it now).
BD: Wake up anywhere after 8:30 AM, causing me to be really ridiculously late.

GD: Make lunch. Eat breakfast (or pack it to take along).
BD: Don't do either

GD: Walk to the Metro to catch my bus. Bonus points if there's a copy of The Express Mag in my lobby. Even more bonus points if I catch my bus right away.
BD: Too lazy/late to walk, and end up driving to work and paying for parking.

GD: Plenty to do at work keeps me busy and engaged all day.
BD: Not too much to do at work makes the highlight of my day my daily Diet Coke. (to be fair, that's a highlight even on a busy work day.)

GD: After getting home from work, doing something productive with my evening. This can include going out with friends, going to the gym, a church activity, going to the library or grocery store, etc. Bonus points for doing housework such as making dinner or cleaning one or more things in my house.
BD: Taking a nap or watching TV. Reading all evening is marginally acceptable - but I still feel like a half a slacker.

GD: Getting to bed before 11PM. Getting to sleep before midnight.
BD: Reading into the wee hours of the morning.

You see, it really isn't so hard to have a good day. It's basically the difference between behaving like a responsible adult and a lazy teenager. But you'd be surprised at how easy it is to slip into BD behavior. So the question is ... what can keep me motivated? Anyone bottled a cure for laziness?

3 comments:

erinmalia said...

gosh. i wish i knew. it's weird that some days i just feel like doign things, but then others, well, it's so much harder. if only i had the bottled juice that would make the lazy days be more productive, well, i'd certainly sell you some. ooh, but the one piece of advice i have, is that when i get home, if i sit down, well, then i'm done. i won't want to move at all. so if i know i have a lot to do, i make it a point to just do it. the sooner it's all done, the sooner i can sit.

Julie said...

No I haven't found the cure yet, but if you find it first - send it my way - it's getting hot out here, and extreme heat and lack of sleep are a bad combo for me as far as the "L-word" goes.

Thad and Julie said...

I think that people have tried to "bottle the cure for laziness" and that is why the market is inundated with products like Red Bull, Rockstar and all the other knock-offs. But from what I've seen, these only give you racing thoughts while still maintaining the "inner sloth." Oh well!