A Good Day

Tuesday, January 19th, 2021

Today was honestly really motivating. I work up early ... around 7 am, after prioritizing my sleep last night when I made the decision to go to bed at 11 so that I could get a full night sleep and I'd be able to be productive for class today. I made sure to get to class early so that I could set up and be ready to go, well prepared for class. It was the first day of the new semester and I wanted to do even better than I did last semester. There is always room for improvement, and I am all about trial and error - learning from my mistakes so they dont happen again.

I did something I was too timid and scared to do last semester. I volunteered in class. I made sure to raise my hand and participate. The kicker is that I LOVE Constitutional Law. I have Kristina Pechulis to thank for that. My advisor and professor at my undergrad. She taught a constitutional law class and I took it senior year. It was my favorite class, and it got me even more inspired and fired up about law school.

Want to know a secret. I participated more in todays constitutional law class, than I did all of the fall 2020 semester combined. I was on a roll, as one of my classmates pointed out, telling me I was "bouncing" in my seat! I was hooked, and I was proud of myself for the time and energy I put into being prepared for the class. I mean after all I wanted to make an even better first impression since the professor is one of the deans of the law school!

Between classes I made sure to be productive today, I wanted to make sure I was capitalizing on the fact that we had such a long break between classes and there was no excuse not to use this time to my advantage and get reading and printing done for other classes. I am really trying to be on top of things this semester, and review before class. While I will continue to get the reading for the week done "ahead of time" I am going to spend more Time reviewing the material, printing everything out especially since some professors have a no laptops policy, and I plan to outline earlier. Even use the resources provided on the online textbook - whether it is watch review / study videos or doing practice quizzes on the topics and material.

2021 is a mind body and soul transformation and what I do I want to translate into everything I do. After class today I ran to get my parking sticker that I had been putting off doing for almost a week. Than I went to the gym because fitness and activity is important. With the amount of sitting I do - I needed to make sure I got moving, plus I needed the mental clarity to make sure I could process new information when I got home. But, not to mention my energy after class was lagging, and I always find after I workout, I get a new wave of energy to work off of.

So, I came home after being at the gym till they closed, which is annoying the gym is usually open till 9 but because the undergrads aren't back, the gym isn't "fully staffed" at the moment so it is working with limited hours, and limited capacity since there is limited availability I need to be flexible. While I'd rather workout 7-9 and then shower and go to bed working out 5-7 isn't bad. I'd rather be able to work on homework after class for a bit longer but I'm not going to complain because I have more than enough time to workout, study, and do some self getting to bed at a decent time!

Something I love that I want to continue is the fact that my "screen time" as drastically gone down on my phone since I started 1) working out and prioritizing making healthier smarter choices 2) since I stopped using snapchat, I'll occasionally check it to answer a message but I've only taken 4 snaps since the new year and even then ... I didn't feel obligated to take them and I didn't feel obligated to send something in return which is huge for me I used to think I had to respond if someone sent me something and 3) with classes I am off my phone and not allowing myself to be distracted with apps, or watching videos. I usually only use it to answer text messages, to listen to music, or to play a pod cast!

It's finding a balance and what works. It was only day one in the semester and I am still trying to piece everything together and make it work. It isn't easy, but it is worth it. For me studying is huge I love to learn - but I also love this new found priority in "taking care of myself" in allowing myself the freedom to say no to other things because I dont want to sacrifice what brings me joy and what is important to me - being able to workout is something I am grateful for - some people dont have that luxury whether there gym access is closed because of covid or they aren't able to have access to one financially, I am thankful I am in a position where I can use one. I'd be lost without the gym -- I was lost when I couldn't go when covid first got back March 2020-June 2020. I mentally recognize how important the gym is to me and how much it has changed my life.

The gym saved me, and so did law school. I am someone who needs to have a purpose, someone who has something to work on and work toward. For me I need a project to keep me busy and I love to learn so there is nothing better than doing something that will se the up for success, better my life, and give me opportunities to make a difference. I am truly blessed to be where I am today, and I am blessed to have the people that I have in my life around me surrounding me along the way!

What is something you are grateful for? What is something you wish you had access to but dont at the moment? What is something you'd do if you weren't letting yourself get in your own way and hold you back?