Prolonging days leads to wasting time - Jack London

Prolonging days leads to wasting time - Jack London - I hate being right

The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

from: Jack London

Today, I prolonged my day.

I have a story to structure and a teaching book to write. I have a blog to update and a lesson to plan. I have a body to exercise and a home to organize. Yet, I played an inconsequential computer game first thing in the morning.

How does wasting time help? Everyone needs to relax, so if playing computer games is a "need," then why to I feel guilty. Universities recommend it. It is unhealthy as stress increases cortisol levels which may result in symptoms of weight gain, heart issues, lower immune function, etc. Even the Pomodoro Method includes five minutes of rest after every 25 minutes of studying.

I tell students to plan their relaxation time. I suggest to parents that their children should be in outside, non-academic activities. And yet, when I am not operating effectively I waste time on stupid, idiotic, moronic games.

Time to pull the cord. Delete the game. Drop it like the bad habit it is.

But then, what is the alternative? If random, non-energizing time-wasting is a bad habit, then it is only replaceable with another habit. I was walking first thing in the morning - that is a great habit. I write this blog in the morning - I think it is a great habit.

Oh Christmas. It is time to do what I tell my students? Plan your day the night before. Work your plan. Include breaks. Argh. I give such established, proven, crappy advice. I hate being right.

Gratitudes: Extension cords, woks, and comfortable beds.

Comments

Don't trust a skinny cook - Vinne Vrotny - Teacher Hypocrisy

Adults want comfort, but expect students to go into [the] discomfort zone. Are we hypocrites? from Vinnie Vrotny - Blog post Multi-faceted Refractions I live with the thought that I am a hypocrite. I am a teacher almost every day I implore, cajole, push, and pull students to learn more about the immediate subject and themselves. And yet I feel guilty when I don't do the same thing. To find today's quote, I Googled "quotes teacher hypocrisy" and got no love. I got quotes from Don King, Malcom X, Alan Dershowitz (black pot) and others. But no listed, no famous quotes about teachers and hypocrisy. Then I Googled "teacher hypocrisy" and oh boy, were there hits!. Grass roots education ; Condor Voice ; I, Hypocrite Teache r; and today's quote were just a start. I realized that I am not alone. I must admit I also hate lazy teachers. They are robbing students' time. Teaching is a hard job, both emotionally and phy

Anger and Work - Toni Morrison - Tired of being angry

I get angry at things, then go on and work. from: Toni Morrison Author and Teacher Disclosure: I know little about Toni Morrison. Yes, I should read her writings. But I have my own writings to get out of my head. I found this quote because I have become tired of being angry. Maybe I should just scream myself into a coma, but I think I would still wake up anger. Screw the Serenity Prayer. Stuff admonitions of how anger is caused by fear. Stifle thoughts of turning the other cheek. Suffocate ideas of rising above. Smother the idea that this is not productive. But then, a sliver of sanity and the simplicity of Morrison's quote. As I have written before, I like to find the origin of quotes I use, and this one I found (unless this is photoshopped ) So, my two options are to keep my hand in the fire or to move into action. Since I am writing this, I have chosen movement. This entry can be considered the equivalent of picking myself up and brushing myself off.

Constant Growth - Jack Kornfield - Shedding Old Skin

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again. from: Buddha’s Little Instruction Book I got this one from Good Reads website: And again I doubled search the source and found out that even though it is attributed to Gautama Buddha, it is really from Jack Kornfield. Hats off to Fake Buddha Quotes “I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha!" website. I was pulled to this quote because what I am trying to do is start a new phase in my life. I have done this before, as we all have. Sometimes with more success than others. But when I am getting discouraged, I think "How many rabbits can I pull out of my hat." The past for me, at this point, is to get rid of bad habits and substitute in better ones. Unlike the snake, which has only one skin to shed, we have many "skins." Laziness, Ennui, Memories, Weight, Sedentary days and nights, Wasting time, TV, Facebook, Instagram, Video games, Youtube, "What if's"

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