Have you ever fantasized about your perfect day? Lots of sex, right? I knew it. But in all seriousness: have you ever actually thought about it?

About a year ago, while surfing the internet, I discovered the concept of the Perfect Day Exercise. Put simply, formally write down your unique concept of a Perfect Day in an extremely specific manner. Once written down, you have a tangible goal to strive for. You can begin transforming every day into your Perfect Day. This is important because if your Perfect Day is truly your Perfect Day, you should want every day to be as close to your Perfect Day as possible.

I’ve wanted to write my Perfect Day for a year now. I feel lost in life (quite an ordinary sensation), and I wanted to do something different. I wanted to experiment. I had nothing to lose, but I'm lazy; I never did write my Perfect Day. Today, that all changes. I’m using this article to motivate me, and I hope — if the concept of a Perfect Day interests you — that you'll go ahead and create a Perfect Day yourselves. If the Perfect Day exercise helps one person, including myself, it’ll be a success.

8:30 AM — Wake Up

This is the early morning foray for a college student, and as someone who got up at 2pm on weekends in High School, I know how nice it is to sleep in. However, I’ve learned the value of an early start; I become more productive. Plus, I’ve designed my Perfect Day to make sure that I don't miss out on any sleep. Yes, I get my nine hours!

I chose 8:30AM instead of 9AM because my brain is dumb. Seeing an '8' on the clock tricks me into believing that I’ve been awake for a extra hour. I feel more productive, and I find that perceived productiveness often translates into real life productiveness. Awesomeness.

8:30 - 8:35 — Rise from my Dreams

Remain still during the first minute of wakefulness. Try to capture all the little details of your dream in your mind. Then quickly record them in the dream journal next to your bed.

I’ve wanted to keep a dream journal for the past few years because I secretly believe that my dreams hold some deep truth to my life. However, since I’ve never had the discipline to keep a dream journal, I can't remember my dreams. But on my Perfect Day, I will record my dreams. (Plus, dream journals are the first step to lucid dreaming — and you know what that means!).

Next, check in with how my body. Does anything feel out of the ordinary?

Let the morning sunlight wash over me. It’s a new day. Anything’s possible. Get excited.

8:35 - 8:45 — Morning Rituals

Drink a ton of water. Water always makes me feel better. Then do all the bathroom stuff that’s necessary to be a functioning human being in society. But today, enjoy all the little tasks you have to do everyday. Wonder at how people protect their teeth from harm with simply a tube of paste and a brush. Marvel at the remarkableness of the human body, developing urination as a way to rid itself of waste. And be grateful for the miracle that is running water — a miracle I take for granted all too often.

8:45 - 8:55 — Meditation

I have never successfully been able to meditate. The peace scares me. The simplicity terrifies me. I must do and distract. Always. But on my perfect day, I’ve found the discipline to let go. At the start of my day, I’ll take these ten minutes to just be, breathe, and observe myself — my thoughts, my feelings, and my body —without judgment. There will be days when I want to quit, days when I think what I’m doing is stupid, and days when my thoughts are anywhere but here. That said, I’ll have the discipline to sit with these thoughts, acknowledge and allow their existence, and refuse to act upon them. Ten minutes isn’t a long time; it’s less than the walk from Davison House to Walker. It’s possible that these ten minutes may become my favorite ten minutes of the day. It’s also possible they won't. Regardless, these ten minutes will be solely for meditation on my Perfect Day.

8:55 - 9:00 — MITs

Take out my MITs (Most-Important-Tasks). MITs are three tasks to be completed today, so that if I do nothing else all day, I would be satisfied with my day. For myself, one MIT must be life-goal related to some project I’m working on — which could be myself. I need to ensure that I’m making some progress on my goals each day. One MIT needs to be a social or relationship goal; I have difficulty in social areas, and my social growth benefits from the special attention. Lastly, the final MIT can be anything that I deem important that day.

Review the three MITs that I wrote last night. Ask myself, “Are these still my MITs?"

• If yes, that’s awesome. Change nothing.
• If no, adjust the list to accurately reflect my current MITs.

Ask myself, “How will I achieve these goals today?”

• Make a plan to achieve my MITs and write the plan down.

If possible, I will complete my MITs immediately, because once I’ve finished my MITs, I don’t have to worry about them anymore.

9:00 - 10:30 — Exercise

I like to lift weights because picking heavy objets off the ground makes me feel strong. As Alexander Supertramp said, "I read somewhere how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong.” Internal strength supplies us with a confidence that radiates from our core, helping us in everything we do — I receive my feeling of strength from weightlifting. Plus, the exercise helps me look sexy, teaches me about my body in space, and lets me get away with eating a lot of food that I really should not eat. Not too shabby an activity, if I say so myself.

I’m lucky that I found a physical outlet that I enjoy, and on my Perfect Day, I will take full advantage of that opportunity. One hour and a half gives me full time to change, walk to the gym, workout, return to Davison, shower, change, and mentally prep myself for the day ahead.

10:30 - 10:45 — Reconnect with the World

This is my internet dump time, carefully structured to insure that I don’t mindless procrastinate online. I’ll check Facebook, my emails, and everything else that’s even slightly internety. I’ll respond to anything that I can immediately, allowing me peace of mind later in the day. Finally, after reviewing and updating my google calendar, I’ll log of the internet, freeing my mind from that constant distraction.

10:45 - 11:45 — Read

I didn’t read last year. I felt miserable. I lied — I barely noticed reading's absence from my life. But reflecting on my year this summer, I wasted an incredible potential for growth. I won’t make the same mistake on my Perfect Day.

Reading is a favorite activitity of mine. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The mind, once stretched by an idea, never returns to it’s original dimensions.” I agree with the man; reading tops the charts when it comes to activities that present the participant with new ideas. Reading is basically a cheat code to life. The more I read, the more I grow, and the more I grow, the better I become at life. Sweet.

Reading also provides rare alone time with myself. Unlike when I watch TV, solely an absorber, I actively participate when I read. I constantly question, and figure out how I relate to the material. I consistently learn more about myself when I read than at any other time in my life. I have to spend the rest of my life with myself; I may as well know who I am.

11:45 - 12:45 PM — Lunch

I head to the Deece where I meet my awesome friend group and girlfriend. We chill for an hour, laughing and talking, and I leave the Deece feeling refreshed and fulfilled.

12:45 - 1:30 — Review

I cut across campus to my first class of the day. I take my seat, the only one in the room, and get settled. The extra time to reflect provides me with confidence and control. By the time class begins, I’ll be in the learning zone. Unstoppable.

I spend the time before class starts reviewing the notes from the last class, and the homework, to mentally prepare myself. If I have an idea of what we’re going to study that day, I skim through that material as well, to familiarize myself with the new concepts. The extra familiarity, even without an understanding, helps me retain the information better. The phenomenon may have something to do with how our brains stores memory. Probably. Eh, maybe not. But the method works for me. So I’ll do it.

If I have extra time, I review the material for my 3:00 class. I want to be as prepared as possible.

1:30 - 2:45 — Interesting Course #1

This course has an amazing professor. She’s a genius. Beyond genius. And most importantly: she wants to share her gift with us. All the students love her, and she loves us. She manages to hold our attention the whole seminar, alternating her speaking with our questions and responses. All the students feel involved in the material and important to the class. When we finish, none of the students can believe that an hour and fifteen minutes passed by so quickly.

2:45 - 3:00 — Journey to Interesting Course #2

Smile. Drink in the air. Feel good.

3:00 - 4:15 — Interesting Course #2

This course has the sharpest students. Every day, a student will say something that blows my mind; the idea makes perfect sense, but I never would have come to the conclusion on my own. It’s a thrill going to this class, because I never know what to expect. Boredom ceases to exist here. I love this class.

4:15 - 4:45 - Rehearse

I head back to my room after class, picking up a snack from the Retreat on the way. Before I forget everything, I review my class notes from the day. I add all relevant material to an ongoing studying guide that I’m creating — that way, when it comes time to study for an exam, I already have a study guide made!

4:45 - 5:15 — Relax

Structured free time. This concept actually makes sense, trust me. I usually waste an incredible amount of time doing nothing, because I have no structure or plan to my day; but, knowing that this specific time is relaxation time allows me to unwind fully, and I get to be productive later in the day. I can chill with my roommate, play video games, watch TV, really whatever I want. It’s my time.

5:15 - 5:20 — MIT Review

Take out my MIT’s for the day. Ask myself, “How am I doing?” If I’m on track to complete my tasks, or have already completed them, awesome. No need to change anything. If not, ask myself, “What can I do to get myself back on track?” Plan the appropriate changes to the rest of my day to ensure that I complete my MIT’s.

5:20 - 6:15 — Write

It’s library time. I take my favorite seat in the swivel chair on the second floor. Maybe I’ll journal today. Perhaps I’ll create a poem. A short story could be cool. But I must write. I have to write.

My thoughts consume me. They swarm around, so numerous that I only comprehend half of them — at most. If I don’t take time out of my day to sit down, pause, and release those ideas onto the page, my thoughts take over my life; I lose all autonomy over myself. Compounding the problem, I would have no space to create new ideas, as I’d be stuck in an infinite thought-loop of irresolution. I don’t want that!

6:15 - 6:30 — Prepare for Dinner

Returning to Davi to drop off my laptop, I take three minutes to sit in my room, pause, and breathe. Deliberately doing nothing clears my head, and three minutes is the perfect amount of time, because by the time I get bored, I'm done. Afterwards, I head to the Deece, revitalized and ready to meet my friends.

6:30 - 7:30 — Dinner

I join my friends and my girlfriend for dinner. I have fun hour socializing, enjoying life, and being grateful for such wonderful friends. I leave the Deece with a big smile on my face.

7:30 - 9:30 — Time with my girlfriend

Truth time: I currently don’t have a girlfriend or a friend group that I consistently hang out with. But on my Perfect Day, I would, because the exist in the life of the Ben I want to be. Including them in my Perfect Day reminds me to keep putting myself out there; I habitually tend to isolate myself, a horrible habit for social growth, and I cannot continue living in such a manner. I must go out and mingle; and, the truth is, I enjoy meeting people. It’s just doing it that’s the problem. Sometimes, I need a little push. This is my little push.

Back to my fantasy: my girlfriend and I have a few options. We could go to an event, we could walk and talk, or we could head back to one of our rooms to chill. The third option happens the most. We’re lazy — what do I say?

In our rooms, we tend to end up spending the majority of our time watching Netflix together, intermingled with some interesting internet pages and music. We also spend a lot of time talking, using each other as ways to expand our knowledge of the world and also as ‘free-shrinks’. Friends are great therapists. If you can overcome your fear of honesty. But with my girlfriend, on my Perfect Day, I’ll have the courage to tell the truth.

9:00 - 10:30 — School Work

I spend this time tackling all work associated with my classes: essays, homework, and projects all fit into this category. If I finish my work with extra time, I use the remaining minutes to jump ahead in my readings, homework, etc.

10:30 - 10:45 — Prepare for tomorrow

I check-in with myself. I assess if I’ve completed my MITs. I ask myself three questions:

• “Was it easy, medium, or hard to complete my MITs today?"
• “What did I do well today that I should continue doing?"
• “What did I do poorly today, and what is one small change I can apply tomorrow in order to improve?"

Answer these three questions. Write down any important insights that come to mind. Reflecting on my past ensures that I’m always growing, and always improving. I don’t want to repeat the mistakes of yesterday.

Create my three MITs for tomorrow. Some may be continuations of the MITs from today, and others may be new ideas that popped into my head during the day.

Finally, I’ll give my room a quick cleaning, pack my bag, and prepare my clothes for the morning.

10:45 - 11:20 — Unwind with my Roommate

I dedicate the ending of my day to my roommate. It’s the most likely time for both of us to be in the room, and he’s a friend — it’s important to carve out time to be with friends; otherwise, it may never happen (laziness is a scourge).

My roommate and I talk about our days, lives, and goals. We offer listening ears, or if the other asks our input, advice. We chill. We play video games. This is our time.

11:20 - 11:30 — Prepare for Bed

I change into pajamas, take off my contacts, and brush my teeth. Also, I take one long pee. It’s no fun to wake up to pee. Knowing my prostate will one day become middle aged is a terrifying thought.

11:30 - 8:30 AM — Sleep

I told you I would get nine hours! Sleep is important. And I love to sleep. I’ve got my eye mask in case my roommate needs the light on, and sleep cycle alarm clock to gently wake me up in the morning.

Before I nod off, I’ll think of three things that I’m grateful for. I read somewhere that a habit of gratefulness before bed increases happiness, and I’m willing to try it. Now it’s time for sleep. It’s been wonderful day. Here’s to another great day tomorrow!

Phew – I’m done! And you’ve made it through the giant block of text...maybe. Either way, congrats!

On reflection, my Perfect Day is incredibly removed from my actual daily experience; looking over the work now, I’m met with emptiness. I can’t guarantee that my Perfect Day will actually make me happy; I have no frame of reference. I gave my best guess here, but I have to live out my Perfect Day to learn the truth. Once I do, I'll take note — what I like, and what I don't like. Then, I need to create a new Perfect Day. This process of creating Perfect Days, living them, and then creating new Perfect Days will be a continual learning process, teaching me something new about myself each time. I’m ready to experiment on my life. Are you?