Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-18
A PLAN FOR SELF-STUDY
BY H. Addington Bruce


VIOU are troubled over the way things
have been going with you. Results
you expected to obtain in your work
and through your work are not being obtain
ed. You wonder what is wrong, and, most
of ALL if the trouble is with yourself.
Vaguely you feel that you are not making
the most of yoCr opportunities. But you can
not put your finger on specific shortcomings.
If you really are in earnest about studying
yourself, here is a plan / believe will help
you:
Go to the nearest stationery shop and buy
a good-slZed notebook that you can use as a
diary. Every evening, for week, make in
it detailed record of your d"ily doings.
Be thorough, conscientious, and candid in
this record. Go back ir memory over the en-
tire day, beginning with the moment you
awakened.
Set down the time you awakened and
whether you slept we'll or poorly the previous
night. Note what time elapsed between
your awakening and getting out of bed tC
dress.
Make a record Of the time it took you to
dress, how long you spent at your breakfast,
and what you ate for breakfast. Record
how long it took you to get to work, whether
you walked or rode, and try to recall what
you talked about if you went to work in COM
pany with a friend.
Now estimate as closely as you can your
Deduct all rest interN ais, or intervals spent
in chatting with felloWworkers or with call
ers. If you did have forenoon chats, note
what they were about.
Deduct also whatever other working time
in the forenoon you spent thinking about
things not connected with the task in hand.
Make a record of what these other things
Were so far as you can remember them.
Record the time taken for your lunch
mean the actual eating time Record what
you ate at lunch. Also how you occupied
yourself after lunch, before returning to
work.
Scrutinize your afternoon working time as
you scrutinize. your forenoon working time.
Estimate the tine spent, not simply in work
ing, but in truly thinking about your work.
Deduct and record, as before, intervali of
rest, chatting, and desLItory thinking.
Continue by recording your afterWork
doings. Follow as accurately as you can your
ideas, companions, recreations, from the
moment work was done until bedtime. AS
in the case of Breakfast and lunch, record
what you at. for dinner
Keep a record of this sort for one week.
Then begin to study the record a doctor
would study the history of patient whose
symptoms puzzled linn Study it with refer
ence particularly to questions such as these:
Are my living habits-my habits of sleep
ing eating, exercising. playing, etc.-in &C
cord with the principles of personal hygiene?
Do sleep too title or too much? Do L
eat too little or too much, and the right kind
of food? Do [ exercise enough? Are my
recreations a drain on my energy, or recu-
perative as they ought to be?
Is my mind inert active? Am [ really
interested in my work? In point of actual
-orking effort am l honest with my employ
er and m~self? Outside of my work Go
give enough thought to worth while things?
Many questions akin to these will suggest
themselves to you. Your weeks record, if
sufficiently detailed and candid, will enable
you to answer them with approximate cor
rectness
The answers may surprise, even startle
you But they should give you that definite
acknowledge necessary as starting point
for effective self-development.
Copyright, 1919, by the Associated News
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