Deadlines.

Also referred to as punchlines and nightmares--depending on the particular deadline's source. I write this post because as of today, I've missed yesterday's deadline of publishing a new post here at LSAT Meditations and am currently avoiding an impending deadline at work.

(Hm. Blogs are nothing if not a tactile evasion.)

The LSAT student has an option of four major deadlines in any given year: February, June, October, and December. Before each of these major deadlines, there are various sub-deadlines: 4 hours of study done by Friday; Logic Game time down to 8 minutes within four weeks; etc. Deadlines, official and self-imposed, are a large part of LSAT-prep hives and bedwetting. 

Enter the silent half-lotus. 

It's hard to believe that the best way to meet a deadline on time is to stop working on the project and sit quietly and do nothing. But when LSAT study or work on a project amounts to no more than an exaggerated exercise in futility, stopping work is really the only reasonable option (stick with me). For example, I could sit here for hours reviewing the Parallel Reasoning questions for the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT. But I know that my current state of mind is one that is preoccupied with an impending work deadline and the importance of learning Parallel Reasoning. Thinking about learning Parallel Reasoning does not help me learn Parallel Reasoning. Thinking about work certainly doesn't help me learn Parallel Reasoning. 

But sitting quietly counting my breaths does (keep sticking with me).

Let's say you took five minutes of your deadline-driven "working" or "study" time to do nothing but breathe and let go of your thoughts. Five minutes; that's all. This is a minute-by-minute breakdown of what would happen:

Minute 1: Unadulterated Panic.

Mintue 2: Mild Panic.

Minute 3: A Welcoming of that Breathing Feeling.

Minute 4: Mild Panic.

Minute 5: Moderate Relaxation coupled with Clear-Headed Optimism for the Task at Hand.

With Moderate Relaxation and Optimism, the Task at Hand is so much more manageable. This is not a seriously contestable point.

Now let's imagine that instead of breathing and letting go of your thoughts, you continued "working" or "studying." You know what would happen? The same panicky feeling that pervaded the five minutes before and will continue to pervade each subsequent minute.

So let's all do our Selves, bosses, loved-ones, and test scores a favor and sit quietly, eyes half-open, and use the remainder of the five minutes you spent reading this post to breathe. 

However, shit. Breathing is something I don't have time for today, because I really have to get to work.