Keeping a schedule has been one of the biggest improvements in my life. It frees me from thinking about all the things I still have to do, and keeps me from putting things off I don't like to do but are important, e.g. cleaning and other chores.
+1. Knowing what you have to do is a start; prioritisting is even better. Going on to then scheduule those tasks actually frees you from having to keep all that state in your head. That decreases your anxiety and promotes your ability to do deep work.
It’s exactly the goal of the bullet journal for example.
Having a system like this where you lay down all the tasks in terms of deadline which helps to unload the mental charge of having to remember all things with deadlines at the same time.
Very true that it decreases anxiety and fight procrastination
Having a default structure to your day is the best way to free your mind from having to answer seemingly easy but cognitively draining question: what should I do next?
There's still a plenty of flexibility even if one strictly spends their day following a default structure. When it's time to read, one could still choose to read whatever they feel like.
Over the last few years I made the transition to this kind of schedule, to the point now that I no longer use a calendar.
If you can make it happen it’s one of the most productive and positive schedules I’ve ever gotten to work in. You feel free, you get more ideas, you can take the time to execute. One big todo tends to emerge by itself, which lets you focus throughout the day.
This is coming from someone who was super GTD too. [1]
[1] I still keep an inbox, and have a very asynchronous ~ projects list + someday / maybe.
The comment section shows one thing about these type of articles: you can't have a "one size fits all" solution for these types of things. Some people like it one way, some like it another way.
Just keep it moving until you find something that works.
2007 feels like "Maker Schedule" pmarca
2020 feels like "Manager Schedule" pmarca
http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html