Monday, March 15 2021 Staying Minimally Flexible

I’m taking a free online class through Hillsdale College called “An Introduction to C.S. Lewis: Writings and Significance.” There are nine lectures total, each one about 45 minutes long. I started in January and figured I’d do one class per week, easy peasy. I just finished the fourth lecture today. I’m wondering why it’s not been as easy as I thought to discipline myself to watch the lecture and take notes for one class per week. After all, when I was in college, I was taking four classes at a time with lectures delivered 2 or 3 times per week for each class. Is it the fact that it’s free? Is it the lack of peer pressure? Is it because I’m at home surrounded by other distractions? Would I keep up with it better if a friend (or two) were taking it along with me? I definitely have the time to do this and I really am interested in the material – I think C.S. Lewis is the absolute BOMB.

It makes me think about how we manage our time. Each of us has the same amount of time in the bank every day. Do we use our time intentionally, or are we passive and let things happen around us that determine how that time passes? Sometimes it’s hard for me to break out the gravitational orbit of the couch. Sometimes I make myself do a “hard thing,” and reward myself with an easy thing. I have a Day-Timer on which I keep a list of things to do daily. Last Tuesday I made the notation: “Lewis class.” It has an open circle next to it, which means it did not happen (as opposed to the beautiful check mark – I LOVE being able to check things off). Another recipient of the dreaded open circle is the notation “Ab strengthening exercises” on the same day. I had the idea that I would do a YouTube search for good ab strengthening exercises for someone of my age and weakness, make a list of them and start doing them. Hah! Still, that might happen. I should transfer that notation to this week. Just a minute…

Done! But it won’t count until I can put that beautiful check mark next to it. And then, all I’ll have is a list. Does it really even matter until I start doing the exercises? Probably not, but making the list is definitely a good start. That reminds me of a little sketch I did for my Instagram account a few years ago:

Well, I went from C.S. Lewis to a discussion about exercising and stretching – that’s why I call my blog “Lynniebeemuseoday.” Musings are not the same as well-reasoned and well-structured thoughts of a deep nature. You’re getting exactly what you paid for when you signed up, right?

I’ll probably delete this in the morning unless something distracts me, like the Spider Solitaire Daily Challenge.