The Plan Is Set 🔥

It's day 332 of Documenting 2025.

33 days to 2026!

Today being Friday is probably one of the days when I miss being back home, without all this student life.

And yes...I felt overwhelmed.

I finally admitted it to myself and that just put me into a cycle of stuffing my face and watching WhatsApp statuses.

Then I decided to actually watch something that would give me a different perspective:

A YouTube video of Myron Golden, a preacher who actually helped me understand God's Word ok a deeper level, as well as how it applies to modern life.

However, I fell asleep....which was what I probably needed.

After the long nap, I went to fetch water and actually freshen up and by then, it was almost nightfall.

I had to charge my phone and of course, there was no light.

By the time I got to the charging area in the recreation room, all the spaces were almost taken.

I was lucky to get a spot to charge my phone, which was 29% or so.

It actually took a long while for my phone to get to 70%...like a very long time, compared to other chargers.

Well that's by the way....

Things also happened during the charging period.

First, I was able to complete my notes (not all of them tho...) and then afterwards, decided to have a difficult conversation with a friend.

My friend and I didn't actually talk immediately.

I was actually nervous to talk to her because it seemed hard for me to say.

So I took a long walk, talked to Jesus about my problems, and felt better on my way back.

I met my friend and then talked to her, especially about her tendency to go out at night....especially on walks with people she doesn't know well.

After talking, she thanked me and we discussed another topic.

I gave her more advice and that was it!

I even told her that I won't be available to go out with her as frequently as before, that I want to focus on my books.

(Me that gets distracted 😄)

Alright, alright...

Let's see the highlights for today, and then a few more thoughts and we end up this post. Let's see how it goes.

365 Days With Self-discipline

📌 On a Lack of Variety

"Routine releases us from the work and willpower required for choice."

Quote by Mark Sisson

When you ask several people for their first thought about what “a lack of variety” means, you’ll probably get answers with negative connotations. 

To them, a lack of variety means boredom or being stuck in a rut. While routine can

indeed be bad for you and your goals, it can also be a good thing.

For example, in dieting, eating the same meals over and over again (but changing them every several weeks or so when you get bored of them) simplifies the entire process.

You no longer have to carefully calculate every macronutrientnof a different food because you always eat the same things and can easily eyeball their caloric content.

In fitness, dedicating yourself to one sport or type of physical activity makes it easier to establish a habit of regular exercise. 

You don’t have to be watchful about how much you move every given week because you have workouts scheduled on the same days, lasting the same amount of time, each probably with the same intensity.

In managing your productivity, waking up and going to sleep at the same time ensures that the structure of your day is always the same, which allows you to maximize your productivity and reduce the amount of time spent figuring out when to attend to each task.

There can be more freedom in a lack of variety than in living your life without such a restriction. 

For a period of time (say, a week), test this approach by limiting your choices and letting your routine make your decisions for you.

Hmm 🤔

This is a good approach.

One worthy of testing, I assure you.

Good thing I already have a timetable ruled out...just for me to set the relevant alarms and adhere to them.

For me, adhering is the hardest part. It's almost the start of a new week and new month...so I'm really going to try my best.

So far, using my timetable has been effective...coupled with a checklist for each day.

Some tasks are repetitive of course, for the sake of consistency.

But some will vary based on the task needed to be done.

I drew it out few days ago and I'm just doing a test run of how it will be this coming week.

I just want to keep up with this habit, so that I can manage my time well.

Honestly, a checklist saves me the trouble of remembering what next to do.

And the joy of ticking a task completed...second to none! 😁

By Monday, it will be official.

Another thing I've done is to eliminate possible distractions...that is, my friend calling me to go somewhere.

The thing is, I'm a softie.

(Sometimes...a disadvantage 😒)

As a result, I sometimes find it hard to say no to friends.

I mostly feel bad afterwards.

But I'm learning tho...

In fact, I think I'm getting better at standing my ground when I'm not comfortable with giving someone my stuff or helping them with something.

Then, there's my friend from the hostel. Let's call her M.

M is a social butterfly 🦋

She's always going out and helping people out.

She's wonderful ☺️

But a part of me is conflicted in the area of her lifestyle.

She's not wayward, but has that potential...and is not a church-kinda-girl.

Sometimes, she asks me to accompany her somewhere or help her with something.

The softie me can't say no.

But I came up with a way to make things easier. I talked to her about it.

About what?

About my plans to start studying for exams coming up in March.

Seems like a long time away, but I want to start early.

I also talked to her about the way she goes out, which sometimes is a waste of time.

Then I told her that from next week, I won't be as available anymore.

I might not go out with her on walks....or come to her room when she asks me to.

I want to utilize that time for studies.

Guess what? 

She understood perfectly.

Most especially my advice to her...to devote more time to her books and sometimes saying 'no' to unnecessary outings.

See? It's easier for me now.

When I tell her no, I won't feel bad, because she already knows why.

Wisdom 😌

Anyways, I think that would be all for today's documentation.

Thanks for reading 🎀

Just a few more days left!

And in the blink of an eye, we'll be screaming, "Happy New Year!"

(Blink of a what? 🤨)

See you in the next post 💜