Balancing Penn Foster Studies with Work, Family, and other Activities and Responsibilities.

Going on and on is the motto I strive on everyday. I wake up to pick up my duties as a single father. The challenge may be hard but I try to maneuver my ways the right to ensure that everything is accomplished to its flawless end. The idea of divorce is still fresh in my mind. Even if I try to let it go it still comes back all the time. May it could be the presence of my dearly loved son. When I see him, I think of my divorced wife, whom I loved so much. I only wish there was another way out of it other than divorce. It’s painful, but what do I do? Life must move. I mean, I must ensure that life goes on and on with less or no destruction at all. My son is turning five this December and as a kid he needs a lot of attention especially in the evening hours when he is back from school. He is first priority. My studies is a challenge too. It’s my final year in Masters in English Literature and the work load is not like any other I have ever experienced. The challenge further comes in when I have to undertake my online evening classes which end at eight while my boy gets back home from school at five when I should be catching up with the online classes. I don’t need to forget that my job is another concern that I have to get done though not on a daily basis but four days a week on a four hours shift a day.

The routine morning gym session is another commitment I wish not think of skipping not even for a single morning. This is because of late I have a trend of increasing weight which I must tame as early as I can. Being obese is the last and least of anything I want think of. This clash between my studies and the daily table tennis practice is another aspect of my life that gives me headache. I’ m not thinking of compromising any though, I want schedule or a table tennis practicing time that wouldn’t inconvenience my online class time. Everything looks mixed up but a formula to get through all these is not an option but an obligation. This would call for a life sacrifice and tight operational time table that further needs a disciplined personality that I must learn to be even if I was not. Change is now the inevitable constant. Moreover, I run a foundation dubbed “The Junior Green Environmentalists.” The organization is another responsibility that I dearly have passion in.

I pay a lot of attention to everything to do with my environment and this group I co-founded gives life skills and create environmental awareness to young kids of ages 8 to 18. As the programs coordinator, we meet once a week to assess the group’s progress and calendar if there is any activity coming in few days.Even that once a week have proved challenging to keep due to having a week full of activities.I have to make tough choices everyday. For Example to follow my schedule strictly with no deviations in order to accomplish what I had planned. On the other hand I have to seek help whenever necessary especially for the sake of my son. You wake me up any other day, I will tell you that keeping a balance of all these tasks; studies, my family, my organization, my physical fitness and my job is a big challenge. Though, if I plan properly, achieving the balance would not such a milestone. Time management is incredibly essential. I strongly feel that balancing my studies, my family and my job is a process but not a mere static achievement. Therefore, it is important that I make prompt and precise decisions in selecting the time and responsibilities which will give me an opportunity to balance.

The process of managing this kind of balance and ensure a modest way of organizing my studies, family, work, organization and physical fitness I had to buy a daily planner. I have to set up specific times for particular tasks in a daily planner and undertake a discussion with my friends and other parties on the issues of such specific times in order to help me keep the balance. I highly consider that it is important to seek such ideas on the best methods to carry out the activities I have scheduled successfully. I use my daily planner to help me jot down the assignments that I need to handle within a certain time. It makes me also remember the tasks and meetings at work which ought to meet specific time frame besides helping me to remember my friends and family engagements, gatherings and birthdays.

I have been thinking of getting a nanny for the sake of my son. I want him to get home and find somebody to keep him engaged. I decided to take my online studies at 5.00pm to 8.00pm. This choice was strategic to enable meengage in my studies when the busiest part of the day are done with. For me to manage my time wisely, I stick to my developed time frame. This would mean that I make time for everything I do. It starts with writing down the days of the week and focusing on the things I want get done for that particular week. I then narrow down my list of what to do for that week in terms of what to I should get done each and every day of the that particular week. This organization is very critical for me to ensure that am staying on top of my work. Focus is my main concern. Exercising an explicit, disciplined and strict time management helps me keep up with my schedule. I stick to my study plan. I start and end my studies as scheduled everyday so that I don’t clash activities or spend too much doing one thing in the expense of the other. I hold it dearly to follow the plan I have set so that I achieve a perfect balance of my work, son, organization and physical fitness at a go without settling for less in any of the tasks.

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