In Search of a Schedule

My lovely and long-suffering wife, Lisa, has heard me complain about this since about the time I started working in my business full time. The topic is having a schedule and, more to the point, my need to have one. This latter fact was brought home all too forcefully tonight when I had a private lesson with Professor Hafner down at the Karate School.

The Professor (so-titled for his 7th degree Black Belt status) put me through a short, 15-minute lesson. We worked on the basics and ran through some forms. I'm ashamed to say that by the ten minute mark I was gasping for air. The reason? Pretty obviously, I've allowed myself to get out of shape. To much eating over the holidays, almost no real exercise -- it all adds up. And now, I'm using my business as an excuse not to work out. "I've just got to get this done by tonight!"

Oh, sure, I say that I'll get back on the exercise wagon, "just as soon as I can make it fit into my schedule", but I haven't really put in the effort. As I often do to myself, I feel like I've got to have all of the information before I can come up with a plan (and, of course, I can't accept a plan made up by someone else!). You know what? It isn't working.

So, I'm going to kill two birds with one stone. First, I'm going to give up the paralysis of analysis to which I am susceptible. Lisa came up with a good first-attempt effort at a schedule for my mornings. Right now, I'm committing to follow that schedule for the next week. I get the feeling that I will learn more about a good schedule for me by trying out what she suggested, than all the thinking and planning I will do over the next several weeks (or months).

And, by following her suggestions, I will at least get in a workout or two!

So, do you have a set schedule which assures that the important things get done? How did you develop it? How do you deal when life doesn't cooperate?