I would like to be more effective, which means I need to do more with my time. I wanted to systematise this goal. So I asked myself: what is the ***best schedule*** that maximises my output on a given day? *What is the perfect day?* I'm confident can muster up willpower to do pretty much any task. So the main problem is figuring out what to do. But spending time prioritising things take time. And actually doing things takes time. So I realised that the main things I needed to solve were - seeking the balance of *prioritising* vs *doing*, and - optimising the tasks for my given brain state at different times in the day. Here's my **current best schedule,** after around three years of experiment and reflection. It's not complete, but it's a mental scaffold to work with. I usually fail to stick to it, but a [bad system is probably better than no system](https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/on-time-management/). I also don't expect this to work for anyone but me, but I still wanted to share it (if only to get people thinking about how they might get some leverage out of their day). --- ### The Best Schedule - *7:30am: First order of the day*: I do a small task from my task list, no matter how small. - Doing a task in the morning gives me initial momentum to get the ball rolling. The point isn't to do anything big, or spend too long deciding what to do. Rather, I just want some [activation energy](https://www.paulgraham.com/greatwork.html) to get on with the rest of my day. - The task **needs to be a 'create' action**. Usually, it's editing a draft of a blog post, or fixing some code. I do this first thing to benefit from the [morning writing effect](https://gwern.net/morning-writing#:~:text=Many%20authors%20work%20later%20in,which%20enables%20their%20fiction%2Dwriting.) - I still think that I write best in the morning. - I do not read WhatsApp or do any emails. - *8:30am - 10am: Early morning:* I aggressively prioritise the most important things I need to do. - [Prioritising the best thing to do](https://blog.samaltman.com/productivity) is the main way I get [higher impact per hour](https://www.benkuhn.net/impact/). Right now, I am looking at [biosecurity projects](https://casualphysicsenjoyer.com/Essays+in+progress/Biosecurity/General/A+hundred+project+ideas+in+Biosecurity). - This involves thinking about neglected-ness, personal fit, and potential upside, and continually sorting a whole lotta lists. Over and over again. Just like, endless sorting. - Often I stare at the same tasks lists over and over again. I don't really get into flow state, [but I think this is fine](https://www.cold-takes.com/useful-vices-for-wicked-problems/) when dealing with hard-to-measure goals. - I use [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) and the Tasks plugin to do this. - To build a cognitive reward system, I tend to have coffee after doing this. I love coffee. - After this, I try to figure out what's the most important thing I could do **today**. - *Rest of the morning*: I **do** the most important thing, whatever it is. It should be a 'build' or 'do' action, which means either - **This is where I want to be in flow state.** - I try to do some writing, coding, building, or 'intentional meetings'. - This involves working on my Substack, youtube, or doing the hard science for my chemistry projects. Or building ways to have higher pressure rooms. - A large chunk of this is also just *incorporating feedback* from others, which I usually get the evening before. - How do I decide when to stop? Well, usually, it's just until one [quantum of improvement](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=542768) is accomplished when doing the task. Stopping means doing a github commit, finishing a paragraph, or logging a build. - Finally, I eat lunch. - *In the afternoon*: - My main goal is to try and get feedback on stuff I've built, engage with my communities, and try to speak to people. - I write and respond to emails, following up with people on what I've done. - It also involves going on my slack and discord and asking people what they've been up to. I try to be intentional about this, and set reminders to follow up. I try to give feedback to others if they ask for it. - I've recently started to use [Superhuman](https://superhuman.com/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11211278605&agid=110851738300&utm_term=superhuman&utm_term=superhuman&utm_campaign=%5BBrand%5D+Brand&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=3060134131&hsa_cam=11211278605&hsa_grp=110851738300&hsa_ad=746471218314&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=aud-1227212209857:kwd-300430030753&hsa_kw=superhuman&hsa_mt=p&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=11211278605&gbraid=0AAAAACNrZQJzXS2SEevFr8KqkKqc5kiqg&gclid=CjwKCAjw3_PCBhA2EiwAkH_j4moKrZfaSKduHsKu9RaWl2sh_m0sOb6ZceH8K-VK3iZnBdmF8J8g-xoCuoEQAvD_BwE) to do this, so thanks David for the suggestion if you're reading this. - At some point, I take a break to exercise. I usually go running, do calisthenics, or go on a long cycle. - *In the evening* - Have dinner. - Hang out with my girlfriend, friends and family. Do something new. Thank you to my girlfriend for having to witness this painful process for 3 years.