A good friend asked me how I sleep so well. He's been struggling lately himself. I told him a day "Well-Spent" ensures a quality sleep for me. We then discussed how subjective that term is, which naturally makes sense. So, I told him I'd write out my day as a guideline, and he could adjust his own desires in as he saw fit. I wrote this out for him, and now I share it with you.
Three different kinds of meat at a minimum.
Home-Cured Bacon is a must, and is generally accompanied by sausages, farm-fresh eggs and some homemade turkey patties I make and keep frozen. A breakfast with anything less than that really bums me out. Carbs, I don't enjoy at breakfast. No coffee to start, either. Not within the first four hours of my day. But orange juice? If I've run out of orange juice, my morning just isn't even worth having anymore. Toss that day in the trash.
I always like getting my brain working early. Generally, I pick up reading what I fell asleep reading as I enjoy my "Three Animal and OJ" spread. Usually it's something philosophical or psychological. A man always enjoys figuring out how the world around him turns, and in turn, how he can make it turn for him. Though, I did recently read a fascinating book on the Cuttlefish. That was good fun. I do also enjoy educating myself on my local fauna. I've a soft-spot for finding wild greens and fruit on my walks. Nothing like a free, healthy snack.
If it's a weekday, time to get to work. If it's a weekend, time to visit my friends at the gym. Work is a blank canvas of potential where I get to build systems, routines and expectations for the people around me. My freedom is boundless and valued. I do my best work in the absence of limitations. Once I feel enough has been accomplished for the day, I leave. Now it's time for the gym.
I'll be there an hour at a minimum, but never more than two. It never takes longer than that. I don't like taking more than a forty five second break between my sets and exercises, so a brisk pace is kept and I am well and truly exhausted in a moderately short amount of time. Once you can't pick the weight up anymore (or you think that continuing on the treadmill will end in you becoming a goofy viral video), you're done. Now you've earned the right to leave that temple.
If I've any errands to run that I prefer to handle myself, I'll do them now. If not, time to go home. My home is kept clean, always. Not obsessively, mind you. I don't put plastic wrap on the couch or wipe down all my plants leaves every day. But it's tidy, organized, and beautiful. And smells vaguely of citrus and musk, I'm told. Apparently, that's a compliment. Dinner will most certainly be ready for me, unless of course I've said that I'll be cooking tonight. The ladies make many lovely, delectable dishes. Truly, they understand the fuel my tank needs. But sometimes the joy of throwing together a perfect palate-pleaser for whoever is in my company (even if it's just me, myself and I) makes for the most satisfying cherry on top of an already lovely day.
Once dinner is settled (and only if I'm in the mood), I'll peruse my liquor cabinet for the perfect beverage to wash down my meal. Sometimes I like to get fancy, and have recently been practicing making cocktails. Ever had a "Pimm's Cup"? One of my favorites. Very refreshing. If not a cocktail, then a dram of scotch.
Now it's time to visit with my lady(s). But I'm sure you've no interest in that.
Once our deep theological, spiritual and intellectual communion has finished, I go "play" good and proper. Recently, I've taken up painting. I'm no good, mind you. But I'm told that being shitty at something is the first step towards being good at something. I appreciate that kind of optimism. I've also been teaching myself to play the piano. That's been going better than the painting. Or, at least, nobody has complained yet. But the hobbies are endless. My curiosity is unending, and my desire to learn and master shifts on a whim. Before painting, it was trading on the foreign exchange market. After that, it was foraging and homesteading. Before that, it was reading books on how boat engines work. This is the part of my day that evaporates the quickest, but I always have something to show for it when I'm done, and that makes me proud.
Finally, we near the end. As soon as I get tired, it's off to bed. Sometimes it's earlier, sometimes it's later. But I won't go to sleep until I'm truly ready for it. I like my room cold, and leave the window open well through the winter. The women hate it, but they're well-warned before they enter it. I also keep a surplus of warm, cozy evening wear for them. You'd be amazed at the amount of feminine concerns handled by a pair of warm, soft men's pajamas. Once I'm settled in to bed, I like to try and read (if I still have the energy) for a few minutes. It gives my dreams something exciting to contemplate. But more often than not, my head hits my pillow and I'm asleep in under two minutes.
There you have it. A full day of growth, adventure, fun and excitement. Add a splash of those things in and you'll sleep like a baby. Failing that, have you considered vodka? Best of luck.
