Training Blog 3: Staying Motivated with a Busy Schedule [80] ramblings of a deductionist

[none of the pictures on my blog are mine unless stated otherwise]

Topics of Discussion:

Introduction

Working Around a Busy Schedule

════════════════════════

Introduction

Hello Readers!

I wanted to write a short introduction to say that ironically, this blog is going to be shorter than normal because of my busy schedule.

I also want to say that I hope this new series is helping you as much as it is helping me to become more consistent in training and improving.

════════════════════════

Working Around a Busy Schedule

This blog is less about staying motivated and more about making time to train a little bit each day. I have done blogs on how to stay motivated before and I recommend you check those out if that is more what you are looking for.

This semester at my university I am taking 21 hours of classes. If you know anything about how the American university class hour system works, you will understand how much that is. The maximum is usually 18 hours but I got special permission to take more than that. Basically, the figuring out how to work around a busy schedule is something I am currently struggling with and I’m sure a lot of you are as well.

Figuring out when to train when you have no free time as it is is difficult. This situation can often make you feel like training shouldn’t be a priority or allow you to just fall behind without realizing that you are falling behind. This is what has been happening to me over this past semester and I am determined to not let it happen this semester.

So, combined with my weekly training guide from a few weeks back, I am working on setting aside time in my schedule to train and I want to share with you what I will be doing which also might help some of you work around your schedules.

Personally, my schedule has some holes in it. On Monday/Wednesday/Friday I get done with classes quite early which gives me time to do most of my classwork in the afternoon. Once I’m done with that, my next goal is training physically and mentally on those days. I will be following the schedule from my previous blog as well as adding a physical workout routine which will follow the deduction/situational awareness/memory training because a healthy body helps foster a healthy mind. However, on the other days of the week I have a schedule similar to a work day, meaning I don’t leave campus until around 18:00 (6 pm). These will be days where I have to set aside specific time just for my weekly training schedule and may only have five minutes a day to train. That is okay though because making time is a part of working around a busy schedule.

This is what I will be doing for the next four months with my class schedule and training. Hopefully I will not have too much class work throughout the semester so I will be able to complete these plans!

I am aware that most of my readers are likely not also students so I do want to make some suggestions for those who work 9–5 jobs as well!

If you are at work for a regular workday, train situational awareness while you are there. If you are in a situationally aware mindset then you can pick something to train for that day and it shouldn’t disrupt your work. If this training does disrupt your work then you aren’t doing it correctly and you are likely entering into “terminator mode” which I explained a few blog entries ago. This is also what I will be doing during my class day in order to work on training every minute that it is possible. All you have to do is be in the right mindset and have a goal to train your situational awareness.

If you are looking to train memory and deduction I recommend playing games similar to those presented on memoryleague in-between tasks, or just after work if you have that time. Try creating a memory palace route from your route to work! Once you feel situationally aware enough you can also start to make passing deductions from the people around you at work. This is something I will personally be working on as well because it is something I set to the side a bit to work on situational awareness and I need to get back into the mindset of asking questions about the people and things around me in order to make deductions not just from images I am sent but from in-person events. This is a great way to train that also shouldn’t take making time for because you can do it while you are at work as well!

I hope this helps you, it certainly has helped me vocalize what I intend to accomplish! Maybe it will help you realize that you can train anywhere and that you can always make time for it as well!

════════════════════════

Next Blog: Training Blog 4/Let’s Play Deductions

════════════════════════

Disclaimer:

I teach people inductive/deductive reasoning and related topics. Most of the information on my blog comes from my own experiences and observations but some of it will also come from various different sources and is just information I use. I don’t claim ownership of information from other sources.

I have been studying these mindsets religiously for a while now and have been practicing memory techniques since I was in the sixth grade. However, I too am still learning. So if you have any suggestions or comments that are helpful to others that I neglect to mention please do so in the comments. I do not claim to know everything there is to know about these techniques. This blog is for educational purposes for me and the readers.

════════════════════════

There are several books on the topics which I cover in my blogs. I can send you my working book list if you would like to read them. If you are interested message me.

Also, if you want a source for daily deduction practice material message me.