Becoming Disciplined
I keep telling myself that i’m not in America to work. I work in China and i relax in America. Those are the rules, right? Wrong. I can’t deny that i have some responsibilities to fulfill while i’m in the states. I have design responsibilities with Encounter Media Group, i have school work responsibilities for graduate school and i have China responsibilities before returning. Working is just part of it. Lucky for me, i love what i do. As a designer i more-or-less work for myself, as a grad student i get to work at my own pace, and the China stuff i can squeeze in whenever i want. So the rules are rather simple, just get the work done. The problem is that i am king procrastinator. I play, i drink coffee, i talk to people, i read a million things on the internet and neglect the pile of books i should be reading.
I tell you all of that just so that i can say that i will soon be working on a new plan to become more self-disciplined. I’ll let you know how that works out. In the meantime, let me tell you two things that have been bothering me:
Number 1:
Whenever i sit down with a friend for coffee or lunch i always hear this, “I’m sorry, you must be so sick of talking about China. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to because i know you answer the same questions all the time.” For the record: The answer is yes, i do tell the same stories over and over again. But that’s what i’m here for. I’ll tell the same stories a billion times if it will open up just one person’s eyes to the grandness of what’s happening in our world and how we get to have a part in that.
Number 2:
Whenever i ask people why i haven’t seen them i typically get this answer, “Well, i know you are so busy and have so many people to see so i didn’t want to bother you.” My response: Are you kidding me? Yes, it’s true, i do have A LOT of people i want to see while i’m in the states, but is that really a legit reason for you not to try to contact me? I want to sit down with as many people as possible and catch up, so let’s make it happen. But let me give you a hint: e-mail me, don’t call.
Ok… so let’s recap: I’m going to become more disciplined with the responsibilities that are in front of me, i don’t mind saying the same thing about China over and over again, and finally, let’s hang out.
Rita said
am August 6 2008 @ 3:23 am
You said we can e-mail you . I did . But you didn’t replay.
b/ said
am August 6 2008 @ 5:28 am
Rita busted you.
So, what’s your plan for becoming more self-disciplined. I’ve been going down that road myself recently.
biscuet said
am August 6 2008 @ 9:31 am
Yep, i guess i got busted. Sorry about that, Rita. I just wrote you an email. Thanks for the comment.
biscuet said
am August 6 2008 @ 9:33 am
@b/ I guess i don’t really have a “plan” yet. I’m still working on that. I think it will have something to do with establishing a very firm line between work and play. I will have to make certain hours of my day only work hours and then other hours will be only play. I can’t combine the two.
b/ said
am August 6 2008 @ 9:37 am
well, don’t procrastinate on the plan. One thing I have worked on is just using my Blackberry and Entourage for what they were intended for. At the beginning of the week this week, I actually made a calendar of events. Just for this week mind you. And I have missed much of it, but I’m getting better as the week goes by. But, I did put in there things like, “Go Home.” “Dream Ahead.” But I like to block schedule things like dream ahead or play so that I have plenty of time to do it, but if I need it to work, I’m not losing to much. But its still in there for me to do.
Rachel said
am August 6 2008 @ 1:07 pm
Word.
I am sifting through the discipline thing right now, actually. A word of advice: hashing out your vision and purpose for things like work (and play…and networking…) will really help when it comes to setting your own guidelines. I have been finding that establishing the “why” makes the “what”, “how” and “how much” so much easier. It’s good to step back periodically and take inventory in our lives, especially in a season where you can rest.
[That's Matthew 6:33 in effect right there.]
Lana said
am August 6 2008 @ 6:14 pm
and for the record…
if you want to hang out with people, don’t put it all on them for being the reason you haven’t seen them. maybe instead of asking someone why they haven’t seen you, ask yourself why you haven’t contacted them. it takes effort on both accounts.
congrats on being more disciplined. i’m working on that as well.
Rita said
am August 6 2008 @ 7:29 pm
Hey Jonathan ! I guess you didn’t check your e-mail box. Maybe you didn’t know there was an e-mail from me in your e-mail box.
Forget it.
I’v been at home since the holiday began.
Seems you have a full life now.
Have a good day!
Yan said
am August 7 2008 @ 7:25 am
“A very firm line between work and play?” We will see the result!
mom said
am August 7 2008 @ 9:47 pm
To be disciplined you must be intentional about what you wish to accomplish whether in a month, week, day, or just the next few hours. Making your own schedule does throw another dimension into it, and makes being intentional that much more important. As a nurse manager, I have goals that must be accomplished and how I do that is up to me. And to complicate matters, I get pulled from one thing to another many times throughout the day, so making a list of my priorities for the day/week helps me stay focused on my goals and then scratching them off as they are done helps me see progress. (I’m also a little on the ADD side, so I have to have a plan) Trying to keep everything in my head just creates undue stress. Pick one thing to be intentional about each day and go from there. Loving what you do whether it be work or play is certainly in your favor, but also makes setting priorities essential. Let me know what works for you. Love always, Mom