Freedom exists in structure. It’s not chaos, randomness, or luck. When I find something works in my life, I make it automatic. For many people, diet and exercise seem horror shows, or mysteries, wondering what they should do, how often, how much, and so on.

When the most important bases of my life are automatic, I don’t have to think about them. I can focus on everything else. People might see the regularity of my exercise or diet plans as restrictive, but it creates mental freedom and the results I want. As far as I can tell, by choosing the most effective exercise and diet, I work the minimum to achieve my level of fitness. I would feel uncomfortable to be less fit.

Likewise with alleviating others’ suffering. What higher social goals do we have than treating others as we’d want to be treated and helping innocent people suffering? What makes us feel better? I automate those things by minimizing pollution, minimizing companies that promote it, and volunteering.

Below are things I’ve automated, creating the structure of my days and life, freeing me to focus on everything else. I wrote it for ease of my writing. If something doesn’t make sense and you want clarification, ask, but I figure you can get the gist.

Structure and Preferences

Morning

• 1 minute: wake up, make bed, cross room, turn off alarm
• 1 hour: before connecting to internet
• Morning 20-minute burpee-based calisthenics, synchronized with 6-day exercise/mindfulness cycle
• Monday and Thursday: shave
• Start shower in stream, not after it warms up
• Turn off shower when done washing, usually a couple minutes

Evening

• Evening 20-minute burpee-based calisthenics, synchronized with 6-day exercise/mindfulness cycle
• Clean countertop of all books, work, etc before sleep
• Put phone on airplane mode before sleep

Writing and Podcasting

• Post to blog or podcast daily

Diet

• Eat no animal products
• Avoid doof
• Avoid packaged food (some allowance for salvaged and defatted peanut flour)
• Screens off while eating
• Favor CSA, farmers markets, coop, salvaged
• Salvage when clean from farmers market scraps, compost, volunteering, found
• Avoid waste
• Compost scraps
• Avoid fiber-removed foods

6-Day Exercise/Mindfulness Cycle

• Days 1, 3, 5: meditate for 48 minutes
• Days 2, 4, 6: meditate for 12 minutes
• Day 2: Turkish Get-up, Kettlebell swings, Farmer’s walk
• Davy 4: Mop floor
• Day 4: 3 cycles: Kettlebell single-leg deadlifts, Single Arm Kettlebell Floor Press, Single-arm bent-over rows, Split-Squat, Arnold Press, Curl
• Day 6: Cardio, at least 300 calories rowing or meaningful effort plogging, biking, walking, or climbing stairs
• Day 6: Cold shower

Computer

• Avoid proprietary software, especially Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon
• Minimize apps on phone
• Remove pictures and other files after use
• Avoid buying equipment
• Avoid sites that update faster than daily
• Unsubscribe from most mailing lists
• Set videos at minimum resolution, prefer to download and watch outside browser
• Block ads and javascript as much as possible

Community

• Volunteer Monday, Tuesday, Thursday to bring food donations from stores to community center
• Pick up litter daily: at least 1 piece from anywhere plus 3 pieces from northwest corner of Washington Square Park
• Disconnect apartment from electric grid (can plug in phone and computer at NYU, though minimize)
• Avoid elevator at home
• Line dry clothes
• Don’t fly
• Favor public transit over cars
• Avoid buying clothes, favor used
• Minimize shower water flow
• Avoid buying or owning books, favor library
• Call or email to avoid unsolicited mail

Symmetry/simplicity

• Put wallet and keys where they belong on entering
• By odd-even days:
  • Half-lotus upper leg left-right
  • Put on clothes left-right leg-arm
• 31st or 29th day of month odd-even day by odd-even month

• ← Imperialism and Us
• If you would have done what Thomas Jefferson didn’t, do you act now? →