An Extra Free Day, Every WeekMany years ago in The Art of Non-Conformity, I wrote about the model of thinking through an Ideal Day. The basic idea is that if you're not sure what you want to do with your life, it can help to imagine an ideal, perfect Day from start to finish. This includes everything from what time you get up in the morning to what you have for breakfast to how you spend each part of the day—lots of big and small details. But what I’ll show you here is a little different, because there are two big limitations to the Ideal Day model: first, there's a lot of pressure in it. Whoa, I have to decide what my perfect day is? That makes me anxious! We’re supposed to be decreasing that sense of pressure, not adding to it.Second, what you do on a single perfect day might be a lot different than what you'd do if you could repeat this day over and over. The solution to both limitations is: instead of thinking about this single, perfect day, think about an imaginary eighth day of the week. This day is just like it sounds—it's an extra day that comes along every week, maybe between the weekend and the following week, or maybe midweek. On this day, it's as though time actually stops. Not just time, but all of the external forces that usually occupy your time go on pause. No one’s expecting anything from you. Also, the day doesn’t have to be idyllic or perfect—it’s just that the day is yours, and it repeats. How would you choose to spend this day, not just once, but again and again—an extra 52 days a year? For example:
Those are just a couple of prompts that might get you thinking. Speaking of thinking, try not to overthink this process. Just go with what feels right at first. — The Eighth Day of the Week activity is different from other goal-setting exercises. Instead of imagining a single, perfect, idyllic day, think of an extra day that arrives every week for the foreseeable future. Try to identify at least five things that come to mind. Don’t censor yourself—if you have a longer list, you can always be more selective later. Keep in mind that this day repeats, so you can choose activities that build on themselves over time: learning a language or other skill, for example, or writing a book. Or something entirely different! One note: for the sake of ideating, you can’t use this day to “catch up” on all the things you’ve fallen behind on during the rest of the week. Also, assume that you’ll be well-rested, and that no one else will be depending on you for something during this day. See also:
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Wednesday, June 12, 2024
ACTIVITY: The Eighth Day of the Week
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