Damn that thought process is me in a nutshell for the last 4 or 5 months. It got much better though.
This constant fight of trying to push more and cutting back is really exhausting. I think one of the most important things for me was to recognize, that i have to find a schedule, that is sustainable for me right now. When i felt like i got a new routine down, i would try to implement a new one. If it would be too hard, i would try to still do it, but a little less.
For example:
i would try to define what is the most important thing for me right now. It is for example studying for the subject x. Okay. How much would i like to study for that? Maybe two hours. Okay. I try it out a few days. Its easy. Whats next? Sports. 5 times a week. Okay no, its not sustainable, maybe 3 times. Its good, but i could maybe put one more time of running in there. Okay that feels good. Next up: a new topic of studying. after some time: okay i have to figure out when to do chores. After that: okay i have to find a better compromise for subject x from the beginning. Time showed, that i am able to do more now for that. And so on...
Thats how i went about it. Maybe that all sounds obvious to you, but i wrote it down like this to make clear, that at least for me it was a very long-going process to figure out a compromise, each and every time to feel good, to keep the outer world functional, but at the same time not to overrun myself. And thats something i feel like i had to learn just from scratch without pmo. But now it also became like a skill and i got a pretty good intuition on what i can demand from myself and whats just to much out of experience. And its just never a completed process i feel like. I had to learn to become adaptable and how to react on new situations (as quarantine f.e.)
A few weeks ago university started again and i had to change my whole schedule and its still very much in progress, like i described. But it became much easier and i have a pretty solid framework right now, where i just try to add new things or try to change things here and there. The good news is also: the longer you stay in a certain routine, the more you get used to it, the more energy you will start to get for new stuff. It sometimes honestly feels like working out, i notice how i become more resistent and get more energy with time.
What really helped me there, was to make a priority list of life areas.
It includes things like financial independence, sports/health, friends, studying and stuff like that. It helped me to not only know where to start, but also to make clear to myself which things should take up the most time of my day.
I hope this can be a little bit of a help. When you feel like you have to change things up, change it up. You will come to a baseline where you can start from and continue to add new stuff.
Edit: its also often very much about finding creative solutions: f.e. i have to practice three instruments for becoming a music teacher, but i cant fit three instruments in my schedule every single day. My energy level doesnt allow it.. So i switch it up every day: day one: instrument a and b, day two: b and c, day three: c and a and so on... When there is a day, where i just dont have enough time for two instruments, i just continue the rotation, but just with one instrument per day.
It doent have to be a daily habit for me necessarily or totally strict, but some form of routine, so it becomes binding, but sustainable.
So, i hope that helps.
This constant fight of trying to push more and cutting back is really exhausting. I think one of the most important things for me was to recognize, that i have to find a schedule, that is sustainable for me right now. When i felt like i got a new routine down, i would try to implement a new one. If it would be too hard, i would try to still do it, but a little less.
For example:
i would try to define what is the most important thing for me right now. It is for example studying for the subject x. Okay. How much would i like to study for that? Maybe two hours. Okay. I try it out a few days. Its easy. Whats next? Sports. 5 times a week. Okay no, its not sustainable, maybe 3 times. Its good, but i could maybe put one more time of running in there. Okay that feels good. Next up: a new topic of studying. after some time: okay i have to figure out when to do chores. After that: okay i have to find a better compromise for subject x from the beginning. Time showed, that i am able to do more now for that. And so on...
Thats how i went about it. Maybe that all sounds obvious to you, but i wrote it down like this to make clear, that at least for me it was a very long-going process to figure out a compromise, each and every time to feel good, to keep the outer world functional, but at the same time not to overrun myself. And thats something i feel like i had to learn just from scratch without pmo. But now it also became like a skill and i got a pretty good intuition on what i can demand from myself and whats just to much out of experience. And its just never a completed process i feel like. I had to learn to become adaptable and how to react on new situations (as quarantine f.e.)
A few weeks ago university started again and i had to change my whole schedule and its still very much in progress, like i described. But it became much easier and i have a pretty solid framework right now, where i just try to add new things or try to change things here and there. The good news is also: the longer you stay in a certain routine, the more you get used to it, the more energy you will start to get for new stuff. It sometimes honestly feels like working out, i notice how i become more resistent and get more energy with time.
What really helped me there, was to make a priority list of life areas.
It includes things like financial independence, sports/health, friends, studying and stuff like that. It helped me to not only know where to start, but also to make clear to myself which things should take up the most time of my day.
I hope this can be a little bit of a help. When you feel like you have to change things up, change it up. You will come to a baseline where you can start from and continue to add new stuff.
Edit: its also often very much about finding creative solutions: f.e. i have to practice three instruments for becoming a music teacher, but i cant fit three instruments in my schedule every single day. My energy level doesnt allow it.. So i switch it up every day: day one: instrument a and b, day two: b and c, day three: c and a and so on... When there is a day, where i just dont have enough time for two instruments, i just continue the rotation, but just with one instrument per day.
It doent have to be a daily habit for me necessarily or totally strict, but some form of routine, so it becomes binding, but sustainable.
So, i hope that helps.
