My Ideal Schedule

I am in a unique time in my life. I am enjoying the rewards and blessings of years of structured work and have more schedule flexibility than I have ever experienced. I'm loving it, and I am committed to learning more about the most fulfilling ways to spend my time so I continue to savor this season.

A friend gave me a copy of Do Nothing, and one of the exercises suggested in the book is to write out your ideal schedule. Frankly, it seemed like a dumb thing to do. I was already enjoying my time, so why bother? But it seemed painless, and I gave it a try. 

I have two basic types of days: work days (where I'm basically at my counseling site from 9 am until 8 pm) and home days (where I may have a few things scheduled, but essentially have full control over my day.

I have been delightfully surprised by how much I enjoy sticking to this schedule! Let's be clear, the point isn't that each day will look like this. I have appointments and other scheduled activities just like everybody else. But understanding what my ideal day feels like has nudged me to preserve these daily patterns. Time outside in the morning is a highlight of my days. And knowing that I have 12-3 reserved for homework and other computer tasks helps me mentally let go of those tasks, knowing that there's still ample time to do them.

Here's your challenge - within the constraints of your "normal" life, what would an ideal day look like? The point isn't that you have the full power to sculpt every day this way, but you probably do have opportunities to nudge your days to look more like your idea.