Opportunity Clock

Tasha Edwards

I find myself waking up earlier and earlier to complete readings and assignments. I also find myself staying up later and later to complete papers and projects. This my friends is called burning the candles on both ends. Since missing my 8 am Biostatistics course is not option, I now have the need for two opportunity clocks.

(An opportunity clock looks, sounds, and acts like an alarm clock, but carries a different connotation. An alarm is rarely associated with something positive and pleasurable. There are fire alarms, tornado alarms, bugler alarms, etc. An opportunity alarm wakes you up to the dawn of a new day with fresh new OPPORTUNITIES. This is not my concept. I watch a lot of motivational clips on youtube in order to stay focused, heres the link.)

If I sleep through one, the other wakes me up. If I snooze them both, then they ring in an alternating pattern until I find myself playing some crazy game of guess which clock is going to ring next. At which point, I just get out of the bed. (I originally wrote this piece at 3:30 am and the following morning I lost the game. I missed my Biostatistics class and I’m seriously considering a third opportunity clock.)

On a good day, I try to wake up before the opportunity clock even has a chance to ring. Beating the clock has become one of my new goals for success. Changing bad behaviors to those that are conducive to your meeting your goals is the  first key to success. And you need many keys to be successful in the Health Management and Policy Program.

Tags: HMP, health management and policy, first year graduate student, success