Strategic Plan for Spending my Schole

Schole is an Hellenic term, most often translated as "leisure" but what it really means is that time in which you are not consumed with the necessary business of life.  It is the time outside of working; getting ready for work; coming home from work; cooking; cleaning, eating; taking care of children and elders; taking care of your body...which includes sleeping, exercising, and resting; shopping; errands; paying bills...all of the things that are necessary.

Aristotle said that how we spend our schole determines our character.  I believe he is exactly right.  Do we spend our schole in dedication to our polis and/or improving ourselves?  Is it meaningful?

I am currently going through a major audit of how I am spending my schole and making a plan to use it more effectively.

On an average work day, I have about 2.5 hours of schole, including 1/2 hour in the morning. I may be able to squeeze in 3 if I cut back on sleep or manage some efficiencies somewhere else.

So, here is my current game plan.

• 1 hour a day on something that feeds my soul.
• 1 hour a day of service to Apollon and Athena
• 1 hour a day doing something for the resistance

At the end of each day, I am going to write in a little book that I carry with me:

1.  What I did to feed my soul

2.  What I did to be of service to Apollon and Athena

3.  What I did for the resistance

I am going to keep an ongoing list of the things that I need to do so that I will have it to come back to.  I will ensure that every day there is something in each of those three categories.  And I will not beat myself up if it doesn't end up being a full hour each day...but I will be sure to have something in each of the three.  

And I will get far more ruthless about how I use my time.