On the Inside
Well-Known Member
We hear all about how Aspies often have a rigid adherence to routines, repetitive behaviors and maybe have difficulty with spontaneity and surprises. I haven't heard much discussion about schedules.
While I am not the most spontaneous person, I am also not particularly rigid with routines. Though I prefer to not have too many disruptions and changes, I can accommodate and be flexible to a point. However, I strongly dislike trying to adhere to a strict schedule. I am a daydreamy type, and my mind often focuses on my own thoughts, or what I am engaged in, rather than what is going on around me at the time. Consequently, I tend to have challenges with timeliness, switching activities, responding to the needs and requests of others.
This morning, my partner and I spent an hour and a half developing yet another schedule for me to follow, in order to keep on track with my various projects, our personal needs, and my work. My partner is adamant about the effectiveness, and necessity, of following a fairly rigid schedule, often wanting to divide the day up into discrete blocks of time for everything from commuting times to sleep duration. In effect, my 24 hour schedule looks like a robotics program. This drives me crazy.
I admit to having drifted away from the effective use of time, and I have a lot to get to in the next few months, so I have no option but to agree to try and follow this schedule, at least for a few weeks. Then, like all the other times, I will gradually drift back to my own loose routine.
So, how do others feel about routines and schedules?
How dependent are you on following a schedule?
Is it reasonable to expect someone (an Aspie) to adhere to a strict schedule?
Am I being obstinate in defending control of my own routine?
While I am not the most spontaneous person, I am also not particularly rigid with routines. Though I prefer to not have too many disruptions and changes, I can accommodate and be flexible to a point. However, I strongly dislike trying to adhere to a strict schedule. I am a daydreamy type, and my mind often focuses on my own thoughts, or what I am engaged in, rather than what is going on around me at the time. Consequently, I tend to have challenges with timeliness, switching activities, responding to the needs and requests of others.
This morning, my partner and I spent an hour and a half developing yet another schedule for me to follow, in order to keep on track with my various projects, our personal needs, and my work. My partner is adamant about the effectiveness, and necessity, of following a fairly rigid schedule, often wanting to divide the day up into discrete blocks of time for everything from commuting times to sleep duration. In effect, my 24 hour schedule looks like a robotics program. This drives me crazy.
I admit to having drifted away from the effective use of time, and I have a lot to get to in the next few months, so I have no option but to agree to try and follow this schedule, at least for a few weeks. Then, like all the other times, I will gradually drift back to my own loose routine.
So, how do others feel about routines and schedules?
How dependent are you on following a schedule?
Is it reasonable to expect someone (an Aspie) to adhere to a strict schedule?
Am I being obstinate in defending control of my own routine?