I was right.

Yesterday was, indeed, the 

Longest 
              Day     
                         Ever.

But it ended, thankfully. And I survived my first two sessions of the semester. I didn't really survive my Voice lecture, though. Much of the content was over my head, which may have more to do with my fatigue than anything else. I need to read through the lectures again to find out what is confusing me.

Another challenge this week: my car needs a new battery and currently will not start without a jump. 

Is it April yet? 

Day by Day

I spent a wonderful weekend in Toledo celebrating my birthday with family and friends, but now, it's back to life. Back to reality.

I'm seeing both of my clients tomorrow for the first time, and I want to feel as prepared as possible. I still have to prepare some materials and practice the standardized test I will be giving, as well as doing some visualizing strategies to plan my session and figure out how to take data as clearly and succinctly as possible. 

Tomorrow has the potential to be chaotic, and it will definitely be long (2 assessment sessions, 2 assessment SOAPs, clinic class, planning for Thursday, and my Tuesday night class). I literally have to live day by day this semester because I have no other choice. Chin up! 

The Madness Begins

Clinic 2 has begun. It's only been a week, and I already know that it's not going to be any easier than Clinic 1. Time is going by so fast and there is so much to do! It's funny because I'll probably look back one day and laugh because I only have two clients.

Winter Break Goal Breakdown

I made it through Clinical 1! I'm so grateful. I also finished the semester with [mostly] the grades I had hoped for. Now I'm trying to enjoy my winter break between semesters before the clinic madness begins again. I tend to use this season as a time to re-evaluate and reflect, and then come up with some goals for myself in the coming year. Here are some goals I have for the coming semester:

Career/Academic Goals:

• Pass my classes.  I know this goes without saying, but it's high on the priority list, so it's worth mentioning.
• Continue to improve time management skills. I've gotten a lot better at time management. I don't get so overwhelmed by all the responsibilities of life anymore. But I still see some room for improvement, especially in the following:
• Estimating and planning for an appropriate amount of time to finish tasks.
• Eliminating/resisting distractions and focusing on "work time". (Specifically internet and television).
• Staying a couple days ahead of schedule, whenever possible.
• Allowing time for other activities in my week that are important to me, such as exercise, cleaning my apartment, or catching up with close family and friends.
• Saying "no" without feeling guilty or fearful ("What will people think?")
• Become a better therapist.  I want to take advantage of whatever type of communication disorder I'm presented with in clinic and learn the most that I can about it. I want to push myself to use the best therapy techniques to the best of my ability and change things when necessary. I want to prioritize my client's needs and not let any of my own insecurities get in the way of the best intervention possible.

Health/Personal:

• Plan and commit to a regular fitness routine. Last year was a great year for me overall when it comes to fitness. I lost 20 lbs with the help of Weight Watchers online. But the last couple of months have been a slow and steady decline back into some of my old habits: making excuses for not exercising and mindlessly stuffing food into my face. I want to plan to exercise at least 5 days a week, in the evenings.
• Mindful eating. I'm about 15 lbs away from my goal weight, so I need to combine mindful, healthy eating with regular exercise in order to get there. I plan to count calories daily with the help of My FitnessPal, while leaving room for the occasional indulgence. 
• Meditation. I've been wanting to start meditating for a while now. My goal is to simply explore meditation and begin meditating 2-3 times a week.