In the book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (Audiobook), Currey explains that Franklin himself struggled to stick to his daily schedule,
“He was not naturally inclined to keep his papers and other possessions organized, and he found the effort so vexing that he almost quit in frustration. Moreover, the demands of his printing business meant that he couldn’t always follow the exacting daily timetable that he set for himself.”
What matters most isn’t perfectionism, it’s improvement. As Franklin emphasized, “I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish.”
Celebrate your small wins and avoid beating yourself up when you fall short of your plans, because at the end of the day, it’s the effort that really counts.
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule is a simple, highly effective template for improving your productivity.
Even though it was created over 300 years ago, it contains timeless principles that will help you to avoid the distractions of the modern world, and stay focused on your most important tasks.
Tweak and experiment with Franklin’s daily schedule to find what works best for you, but remember in the words of Benjamin Franklin, what matters most isn’t the contents of the plan, it’s the decision to make a plan in the first place: "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!"
Mayo Oshin writes at MayoOshin.com, where he shares practical ideas at the intersection of science, art, and philosophy, for better thinking and decision-making. You can join his free weekly newsletter here.