There is nothing worse than returning to a project half finished after an extended absence. I knew this going into the program and resolved to always be on task no matter what so I could blaze through the program. Of course, this produced nothing but anxiety and frustration when life got in the way. When I made the resolution, I didn’t realize that my determination to be there for my family would mean that I would suddenly lack internet for extended periods of time (which doesn’t work well when it comes to an online course).
At first it seemed fine, I could crush a handful of labs in a few hours whenever I had internet then return to dealing with everything else. But then the labs started taking longer and I stubbornly didn’t want to start a section then get called away, which ended up meaning that I didn’t start for a while. There is just something about the “readings then labs” that made sense. To do each section at a time where a lab wouldn’t be confronted until the introductory material was perused. When I tried breaking that up to rely on my memory, I always ended up having to refresh it as I worked.
When things began to calm down, I regained confidence that I could return to my initial resolution and spend at least a few hours on the program a day. However, at that time, my sleep schedule was already completely thrown off, and I would awaken tired and unable to focus, and with more chores. Everything piling up into a nice little tower of anxiety. I have my check in person to thank because she made me realize that it is important to sometimes take a step back to collect yourself before you renew your efforts. Though it is something I am still struggling with, I am grateful for her advice every time I make any forward strides.