My daily objective is to nurture all my life areas by doing something for each. This isn't a hard rule, but I assign each life area to a time block.

The important thing to remember is that my mornings should be used to strengthen my religious life, which includes my writing life. A successful morning for me is one when I felt I existed, read, wrote, and thought deeply, which should help me make progress on at least one specific subject.

Afternoons and evenings, on the other hand, are for tasks that require me to jump from one thing to another. Because of this, they are less structured than mornings.

This routine only applies on regular days when I'm free from work, travel, or other commitments. A work day will look entirely different, with research and writing taking up almost the entire day. Likewise, when I'm working on a time-bound project, I focus entirely on the tasks under that project and let go of this routine, except the core block.

Morning rules

To make the most out of my mornings, I bound them with some rules:

• No social media and email
• Alone at my desk
• No meetings
• No extended breaks (maintain momentum, not combat fatigue)

Pre-desk (~8:00–8:15 AM)

• Feed the cats.
• Wash face.
• Weigh in.
• Drink two glasses of water.

Core block (~8:15–9:00 AM)

The core block is non-negotiable. If a project requires more time, I could forgo of subsequent phases of my morning routine to accommodate it, except my core routine. My entire morning routine is also articulated in Leaves of Morning.

• Light a candle.
• Meditate.
• Read "My Principles of Living".
• Back up HD.
• Write daily review.
• Write 5MJ.

Uninterrupted morning block (~9:00 AM–12:00 PM)

This block is for two things only:

1. Working on a project
2. Studying

If I have a project and I need to prioritize it, I open Things and perform what to do from a set of preplanned actions prepared during the weekly review.

When there are no important projects to move, I focus on studying. I perform the following actions:

• Light a candle.
• Read Prayer Before Study.
• Review previous journal entry and add it into an index.
• Perform contemplative reading outlined in my reading process.

Lunch Break (12:30–2:00 PM)

I have lunch with Lea. We watch something together. Then, I wash the dishes.

Unstructured Time (~2:00–7:00 PM)

While the majority of my afternoons is unstructured time, I try to accomplish the following:

• Back up photos.
• Process yesterday’s photos in my phone (if any).
• Perform retrieval practice.
• Read one poem.
• Connect meaningfully with at least one contact, ideally part of my creative or spiritual communities.

After I accomplish the above, I use this block for any of the following:

• Projects, tasks, admin work, and meetings
• Siesta
• Merienda

Dinner (7:00–8:00 PM)

Walk (8:00–10:00 PM)

I go out for a walk and perform my jiyū shūkyō walking practice. When I don't work out with Lea, I go on for a full walk (7,500–10,000 steps). When I'm working out with her, I just take a quick walk (5,000 steps).

Wind Down (10:00–12:00)

When I go home from a walk (or after I work out), I rest. I try not to do any significant cognitive work, especially in front of the computer. Instead, I use the remaining hours of the day to spend time with Lea and rest. Before sleeping, I meditate for another 30 minutes then read a book.