If you underschedule you achieve time affluence, the ability (time) to master something you are not required to, and the freedom to expose yourself to ‘positive randomness’ (unexpected opportunities). Cal Newport then goes on to suggest simple but effective advice on how to make your (newfound) free time count (I paraphrase and generalise):
Once a week do each of the following:
- Listen to an educational or inspiring talk/speech (educational and inspiring are not necessarily mutually exclusive)
- Relax for at least an hour or two with a book
- Identify one person who has done something you admire and email them asking a concise and specific question about how they got started down that path.
Start a project
- Something big and ambitious that has no external deadlines or pressure (creating a blog, starting a business, etc.).
- The idea is not to finish this is one or two weeks… if you can, it’s neither big nor ambitious.
Plan ‘adventures’
- Anything you find fun: a cinema trip, dinner in or out, a photo walk, a drive to somewhere interesting.
- Do it with friends