I’m really busy these days. I have to run a restaurant with my wife, publish a daily post here, and paint walls in a house we’ll soon be moving into.

Our restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but I still have to spend the bulk of Mondays prepping ingredients. My wife and I have Sundays to take a break from work, but we’ve decided to self-paint our new house. Ta-da. Sundays are now reserved for applying putty and sanding walls.

There’s no time to waste. When I became obsessed with my daily routine, my time suddenly became way more precious.

Two years ago, when I quit my job as a marketing manager, I felt like I was drowning in too much free time. I could sleep as much as I wanted and learn whatever I enjoyed. However, I struggled to focus on a single task.

Although I had numerous ideas, like writing a blog and learning to bake, I couldn’t sustain a habit of working on them. I was constantly distracted because I had too many options. I wasted so many hours because nothing forced me to be busy.

It’s wonderful to be busy. I’m terrible at keeping track of to-do lists, but I’m capable of following a simple schedule filled with meaningful work.