Yes and no. As we all know, summer and fall do not have the most consistent transition between them, and often we see cold nights in September and hot days all the way into October. Even during the day, when it is sunny, a long walk during the fall turns to fatigue and the search for the nearest 7-Eleven for a bottle of water. Fall generally leads to richer foods and beer (including one of my all-time favorites, pumpkin ale), but we also take into account that massive dinners and heavy beers are better enjoyed in November instead of September. It's smarter to eat lighter while the weather is still hot.
They did it. They found footage of my trek home from the gym on Wednesday... clever trolls.
I thought about the always awkward transition from summer to fall here in Pittsburgh while outside today; and although I enjoyed the cool yet sunny day (keep 'em coming), I thought about all of the things I needed to do, in case the weather got hot again. Working out remains a must, no matter what the weather is; simple yet frequent meals are still on the menu for the time being, with plenty of bananas and oranges. It's not that I'm voluntarily torturing myself by putting off roasts, potatoes or Italian cuisine in general: it's just that I know I will enjoy them more later. I thought about leisure time in the same way. It's the beginning of the semester, and most people take the first two weeks to decide what classes they want to make and re-unite with friends who they haven't seen all summer. Work generally gets put off until it's actually due.
With my current course load, putting off work is not an option. Two out of four of my classes require either a book per week or 100 pages of textbook reading, and the other classes have little assignments that have to be done every week. Putting it together with work and a few side projects, every morning produces a little checklist that I've got to attend or finish for that day. Nonetheless, it seems that late afternoon/early evening Friday is my time to relax, along with whatever hours on Sunday I don't have to work. All those time management seminars I attended or conducted throughout undergrad have had their chance to shine both this semester and the one previous.
Sometimes you just need an hour to unplug...
As the weekend arrives, here's some inspiration in regards to the breezes in our lives: Enjoy them, without letting them make you lazy. Embrace life's cool breezes first by enjoying them, then getting a step ahead before the heat returns. Find the times during the week where you can sit back and relax, and unplug yourself from the world, if even for just a couple short hours. However, think of the time as also an opportunity to reload your catapult or productivity. I loved using this metaphor in my fraternity, and I continue with it today: in times of relaxation, store up energy and ideas to the point that you can release them in full force when it's time to work, once again. Work the arm back when the heat isn't on you, and release when you need to produce. Read a book during a long weekend relevant to your studies, even if it's just 10-20 pages, a couple times per day. Talk about it in class the next week. Say an extra prayer in church for someone if you have an extra minute afterwards, keeping them in focus for when you see them again. Drink an extra glass of water if you're near a water fountain for thirty seconds, helping your body stay happy. If we can take advantages of the breezes in our lives,
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