Time Management

College has taught me a lot.  I’ve learned a great deal academically about organic mechanisms, and I’ve probably learned more than I’ve ever cared to learn about the cell membrane.  But more than anything I’ve learned what truly is important to me and how important it is to manage my time to accommodate for them. I made the mistake of choosing to opt out of taking any AP tests before college. Trying to graduate on time with a major from the College of Biological Sciences without any previous credits is quite truthfully turning out to be quite a challenge. Between all the labs, lectures, discussions, meetings, tests, and homework,  I find myself running a pretty tight schedule.  Each day only has so many hours and the bigquestion is:  "Where do I find time  to train?" Like nearly everyone else,  I don’t just have two hours to set aside each day for my training.  In order for me to have time to train, something else must be sacrificed.  Unfortunately, in the later months, I have chosen to cut time out of my social schedule.  Cutting time out of my social life is neither easy nor favorable, I catch a lot of crap for it and I miss out on a lot of fun opportunities.  But when it comes down to it, I need to do what is important to me.  I have yet to miss a week of my training schedule and I do not plan on skipping workouts now just because my schedule got tougher. I owe it to my friends to go out with them more often, but I also owe it to myself to not give up on my dreams.  With each passing week, I am getting better about balancing my schedule, and the only way I have been able to manage my schedule thus far is by use of a calendar.  My daily calendar is filled with nearly everything imaginable from when each of my six meals are, to when I need to catch a bus.  My friends will label me with OCD but truthfully I see no other way.  I have nearly every hour of every day accounted for.  Don’t get me wrong, I am flexible and am able to change my day around if needed, but the only way I’m able to tackle my daily schedule is to plan ahead. I think a lot of people like to blame their lack of training on their schedule and although this may be true for a select few, I believe, especially for the students, that it comes down to a lack of organization and desire.  Tracking your schedule and determining what is important and what isn’t can make all the difference.  Anyone can tell you what you should be doing but ultimately it comes down to whether or not you are willing to sacrifice and accommodate for your desires.  At the end of the day you need to decide what it is you want.  Maybe that episode of your favorite show isn’t as important as you think.  “If it is important to you, you will find a way.  If not, you will find an excuse.”  If training is truly that important to you, I promise that you can find a way to make it happen.   Jack Burdick is majoring in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota and along with his weightlifting workouts, he competes in marathons and ultra-marathons (50 mile races) and is looking to earn a Cross-Fit title or to be recognized with The World’s Fittest Man title which is reserved for an ultra endurance power athlete.