“I…am…in a world of shit”

Some see discipline as being the polar opposite of all things fun and creative, like a Dick Cheney Christmas party.  I disagree.  In our age of mass distractions, competing priorities and squeezed budgets a tightly formed and followed schedule may be our only chance of achieving our personal goals.  It is nearly impossible to handle the inanity of adulthood ad-hoc; treating life like an a la carte menu is akin to always being hungry and pursuing pleasure with every free moment makes you no different than the libertines in Salo[1].  As my Grandfather says, blame the French.

Framing Schedules

I am not trying to paint the picture that a schedule should become a militant, over-done force in our lives that ultimately turns us into Private Pyle.  I think it is important to leave room for family, fun and masturbation in a schedule; you can call me a humanist.  Ultimately, a schedule should be reflective of what we want to achieve in a given stretch of our lives.  They are individual in nature and public in scrutiny because they are reflective of your goals in life but are weighed against those competing for your time.  Should your wife or husband, girlfriend or sex slave complain that you aren’t pushing through the latest season of Sons of Anarchy fast enough as a result of you studying in the evenings; they are essentially asking you to adjust your schedule.  Be fair, but be firm.  No one will regret breaking your schedule but you.

My Current Schedule

My schedule is a reflection of what I want out of the next five to eight years: financial independence.  Financial Independence is talked about in the financial blogosphere more than baby-daddies at a social services office, so I won’t delve into the details of my plan here suffice to say it requires some balls and a very creative use of debt.  Perhaps another article once the ball is rolling a bit more.  Currently the plan is underway and the first large deal is complete, but I still consider myself to be in the “ramp-up / education” stage.  Given this, the majority of my schedule is currently geared around study and modest amounts of application.  I work a full time, intensive job and run this website, which is not a part of my plan but rather a hobby I don’t wish to give up.  So I include it in the schedule out of a personal need, but have not allowed myself to delay my plan as a result.  I value each and every one of my readers, but would toss this whole thing in the trash faster than a Paris Hilton album if it meant reaching financial independence faster.  No offense.

My schedule minus the detail, plus the hussle, son…

 A note on “snowboard training”: I am a nationally competitive and ranked Giant Slalom, Slalom, and Boardercross racer.  My weekends require obnoxiously early wake up calls, incredibly cold weather and intensive, frustrating training.  Snowboarding is my favorite activity (above even sex).  This is my “January-March” schedule.  Come the off-season,  weekend mornings will become more “financial plan” specific.

 Why I Post My Schedule

I post my schedule with the hope that it brings clarity to how I work towards achieving multiple priorities successfully, not just my financial plan (although it is clearly the first priority).  I find that the majority of sheeple talk big games but rarely walk to the stadium to compete.   A lot of Woulda Shoulda Couldas, not a lot of William Hung’s.  A schedule need not require you to wake before the sun rises, or spend your evenings studying.  You get to define it.  A schedule is required if you wish to achieve any of your life goals in a relatively quick time frame.  It builds discipline, and discipline is the foundation of success.  So throw out some of the a la carte aspects of your life and go pre-fixe.   I guarantee you won’t go hungry.

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