15
The Schedule is the System
During a conversation about writing, my friend Sarah Peck looked at me and
said, “A lot of people never get around to writing because they are always
wondering when they are going to write next.”
You could say the same thing about working out, starting a business, creating
art, and building most habits. The schedule is the system that makes your goals
a reality. If you don’t set a schedule for yourself, then your only option is to rely
on motivation.
If your workout doesn’t have a time when it usually occurs, then each day you’ll
wake up thinking, “I hope I feel motivated to exercise today.”
If your business doesn’t have a system for marketing, then you’ll show up at
work crossing your fingers that you’ll find a way to get the word out (in addition
to everything else you have to do).
If you don’t have a time block to write every week, then you’ll find yourself
saying things like, “I just need to find the willpower to do it.”
Stop waiting for motivation or inspiration to strike you and set a schedule for
your habits.