HOW AUTISTIC NICK PLAN’S HIS WEEK

The working week is like a carefully constructed Dolly Parton song. Well, I tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen. Pour myself a cup of ambition. Yawn and stretch and try to come to life. Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping. Out on the street, the traffic starts jumping. With folks like me on the job from 9 to 5. Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living.

For me to start my working week, for one I drink tea if you can call that ambition!? I have to break down my week and my tasks into manageable bite size pieces.

MONDAY

I am currently working with a screen writing mentor. We have spilt our project into three manageable sections so that way it’s easier for me to work on and I won’t become overwhelmed by it all, like I have
when I’ve worked with past mentors. I certainly do not want to have another Autistic shut down. At the end of our Zoom meeting, I am set tasks. On the Tuesday I allocate 1-2 hours to go through the mentors notes for the homework that she sets. I have two weeks between sessions, so I am not in a rush and I won’t become overwhelmed by it all.

TUESDAY

Tuesday is like that annoying set reminder that they have on Netflix or when you suddenly remember that coffee date you arranged on Sunday night after a glass of wine or two and you realise that you cannot get out of it now at 2 minutes to 11. Sigh! Anyway, after a gym session I’m back
home and ready to tackle my homework. My support worker takes me to the gym and brings me back as I didn’t have the car that day and I didn’t want to miss thegym and workout in my garage as I know full well, I don’t push myself as I’m not paying for it in my garage but at the gym, I am so push myself to do a comprehensive workout. I foolishly check work emails and get caught up emailing
people about work related articles which eats into my mentoring time! When will I ever learn Nick when? Never is the answer!

WEDNESDAY

The middle of the week, or hump day as it’s widely known! I am working on possible introduction ideas for my mentoring project. This is more time consuming that I initially realised. Why is it so hard? Why am I putting this much pressure on myself for? But it’s part of my make- up it’s
something that I’ve always done! I try not to do it but it’s like something clicks in and I pile the pressure onto myself until I have to go “Nick, step back you have two weeks in which to do this, it’s not urgent.” And Nick is right. Oh, dear god now I’m talking in the third person! Also, this new Microsoft word update is very annoying. It literally reads every sentence and word and if it doesn’t like
it, it’ll let you know! I apparently missed out a comma in the sentence and it drew a blue line underneath it! Rude!

THURSDAY

This is a busy day for me! On the one hand I have to brave the Aldi shoppers and do the food shopping for the week. (I can hear my sister now correcting me by saying that I don’t have to go on Thursday I chose to go which is correct), but I am NEVER going on the weekend and Friday I am at
work! I then come back, check work emails, and then begin to pack my backpack
for tomorrow. I make sure that I have my notebook, my noise cancelling headphones, my work pass, my lunch, my phone charger, my word search book, pens, yes, I take two pens with me, look if one pen runs out then I have another one handy! I make sure that I am in bed by 10pm at the latest.

FRIDAY

Like being given the cold shoulder at work, Friday rolls around and says hey. I’m currently writing notes on a rattling train heading into Perth underground. My scribblings look like notes my doctor writes. Ok, I should say he uses a computer but back in the old days, when you would
visit the doctor, they hand wrote all of their patients notes. At work paranoia sets in re the cold shoulder, but I press on as I haven’t got time to deal with that right now. I have so many emails to write, people to ring and meetings to attend! Lucky for me I have a whiteboard that my friend Liz bought for me and so I begin to plan out how to tackle each section. I’m glad by 2.30pm I’ve finished
for the day and I can go home and rest.

ME AT WORK 

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

I usually take Saturday as my rest day. I like to do nothing and unwind and relax and process what’s happened on Friday at work. Sunday is the day when I usually write/come up with blog ideas! Thus, my week ends!

ME RELAXING

Carry on the Conversation

As always, I can be found on Twitter:@AutisticNickAU

Thank you for reading and I will see you next time for more thoughts from across the spectrum.