The key difference in my life after The Artist’s Way was that I had to buy a pocket calendar that I carry with me everywhere. This small change has made my life infinitely better and has made me feel happier. I can’t imagine my life without this small tool.
Why? Because I have to schedule my life around what I want to do. I do not keep track of anything in this calendar except my leisure activities. Work, responsibilities, requirements, chores, and anything else of the sort are not makred in my calendar. Every weekend (or Monday if I’m lazy) I go online and decide what activities I will try to do in the upcoming week.
Marking something in my calendar doesn’t mean I’ll definitely do that activity. I’m perfectly fine with crossing out an activity when the flow of life leads me to some other choice. The bottom line is that my activities have become so important to me and I have so many, that I would not be able to keep track of them without the calendar. No activity is too small or too unimportant to mark. Yes, my calendar contains a list of terrible reality tv shows on MTV or VH1 that I hope to watch. Since getting this calendar I have never fallen back on the excuses that I’m too busy or too poor to do what I really want to do. Instead, I just go out and do it.
When I pick a jury for a trial, the judge always asks each potential juror what his or her hobbies are. More often than not people say that they don’t have hobby or that their hobbies are work, their children, gambling, drinking alcohol, or fishing. I’m not sure why everyone says fishing. I think they’re just sheep in a herd who follow the leader. Anyway, these answers make me really sad. I always think that if I were called to jury duty, I’d have some good answers to that question. I highly recommend a pocket calendar to everyone, if for no other reason than to be more interesting at jury duty. 
Just as an example, here’s my calendar for this week:
Monday:
18:00 Nap
22:00 Ms. Rap Supreme on Vh1
23:00 The Hills on MTV
23:30 The Paper on MTV
Tuesday:
18:00 Go to the Library
19:00 Work on My Altered Book
20:00 Write My Novel
21:00 Go to the Gym
Wednesday:
19:15 Buddhist Wishfulfilling Jewel Puja
22:00 South Park on Comedy Central
Thursday:
19:30 Introductory Buddhist Meditation Class
22:00 Write My Novel
Friday:
17:30 Buddhist Heart Jewel Puja
19:30 Violin Concert
22:00 Go to a Club?
Saturday:
15:30 Create Artist Trading Cards
19:30 Buddhist Red Tara Practice
22:00 Fetish Party
Sunday:
10:00 Buddhist Meditation and Prayers
12:00 Go to the Beach
16:00 Nap
19:00 Work on My Altered Book
20:00 Write My Novel
21:00 Gym
22:00 Viva Hollywood on Vh1