[W]ith my rib mostly healed, I’m finally able to get back on the elliptical machine. So this week I’ve been trying out a new schedule that is based on “opportunity” more than anything else.  There are two things I want to try and do every day: my workout and some writing. It makes sense, therefore, to find the times when I have the most opportunity (fewest distractions) to do each. The schedule that I’ve tried this week has been to workout each morning at 5am. (I get up at 4:55 and wander two flights down stairs to the guest room where we have our elliptical machine.) This is a high-opportunity time because everyone else is still asleep. Between 5-6:15am, I workout, shower, and eat breakfast before I have to start waking up the kids and getting them dressed and ready for their school or daycare.

For writing, my best opportunity is at my lunchtime. For many years, I broke my lunch hour into 3 parts: 10 minutes eating, 20 minutes reading, and 30 minutes napping. This week, I’ve been eating my lunch as quickly as I can, and then writing for whatever time is left over.

So, how’d this schedule work out this week? I stuck to it about 50% of the time. This is not uncommon when I start out a new schedule so I’m not displeased. I think I’ll do better next week, and better the week after that. Usually, once I’ve worked with a new schedule for three weeks, it sticks and it’s not a problem thereafter. It helps that I’m able to “read” a book while I workout and have my breakfast in the morning.