I am a planner. Those who know my family would say I get this quality from dear old popsicle (my dad). I need to have a plan for everything. For instance, I need to know exactly what I will be doing the next day. Every night, I pick out an outfit for the next day, pack my breakfast and lunch, and decided what I will be having for dinner. I make sure I have an agenda. I constantly make “To-Do” lists and update my planner like it is my job.
I wouldn’t say I am crazy organized, but I really like routine and structure in my life. For example, I will let my room turn into a total pig-sty, but there’s no way I will miss a meeting! I do organize my email into categories…one of my crazy quirks. I break them down into personal, school, miscellaneous, etc. I can’t stand having emails back up in my inbox!
So what happens when a plan falls through? What if I planned the night before that the next day I would go for a bike ride instead of going to the gym, and it ends up raining all day? What if I schedule to meet up with someone, and they back out at the last minute?
My initial reaction: frustration. I get worked up easily, and until I take a step back, it is hard for me to look past the failed plan. As a grad student in special education, I know that need for routine is a common characteristic of individuals with autism. Breaking the routine can result in temper tantrums and they can even become violent. Recognizing that the routine is not a determinant of daily success is something that helps those with autism. Sometimes, I feel as though what I learn in my classes can help me with my own life. Just because something didn’t go according to plan, I do not have to become broken down over it.
How do I look past these routines, though? I know that having a general daily plan is something I need to do in order to feel prepared to enter into the coming day. But what can I do to help myself look past the need for exact structure throughout my life? Not everything can go exactly according to plan. Recognizing this, I feel, is a good step toward trying hard to stay positive through changes to the routine.
Are you a big planner? Do you need structure in your daily routine?
What do you do when something in your life doesn’t go according to plan?
My workout for today:
Another interval workout…seems to be the theme of the week for me! 
- Warm-up: 3 minutes walking
- Set 1: (33 minutes total)
- 2 minute jog
- 2 minute run
- 1 minute walk
- 3 minute jog
- 3 minute run
- 1 minute walk
- 4 minute jog
- 4 minute run
- 1 minute walk
- 5 minute jog
- 5 minute run
- 2 minute walk
- Set 2: (14 minutes total)
- 1 minute jog
- 1 minute run
- Repeat 6 more times
- 5 minute jog
- Cool-down: 5 minute walk
- Total: 1 hour
I did my walk at 4 mph; jog at 6 mph; and run between 7.5 and 8 mph. It ended up being 6.1 miles!
