I have a watertight plan for the day.
What does that mean?
I know precisely what I am doing tomorrow, all day, from 6.15 a.m. (lights on) to 11.15 p.m. (lights out). Within that, there are contingencies ('if I am progressing fast with my work, I will do financial admin; if not, I will not') and some flexibility ('I will go for a run at some point between 11.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. depending on whether I am on a roll with work or losing steam'), but there is no gap. That does not mean there is no rest: there is merely no gap.
Why is this important?
Because, to live an excellent life, I must do only two things:
- Do the things I supposed to do (and keep the mind there)
- Not do the things I am not supposed to do (and keep the mind from there)
There are only two risks:
- A failure to schedule the things I am supposed to do
- Correctly scheduling but not following the schedule
To meet these risks:
- I schedule the day the night before so I can hit the ground running in the morning
- I make sure the schedule has no naughty little gaps
- I stick to the schedule
My days, as a result, are unfailingly excellent, for the most part, and, when they're not, it's because I failed very specifically in one of the above, which has opened up a gap for mischief.
MIND THE GAP!