This week, I again failed to exercise, began habitually cheating on my diet, got less sleep than is advisable, and poorly judged the amount of time needed to complete assignments.

However, my assignments did get completed (for full credit!) and I was able to spend considerable time with my family. So, my top priorities for the week remained intact. I am at least discarding the optional, not the essential.

I am writing this later in the week than I would like, due to being busy. My Online Great Books Euclid seminar has ended with great success. Though that was a wonderful experience. I am happy to get those two hours a week back.

I write this on a Friday. I have done well with eating sensibly today (expect for one moment of weakness–I bought a candy bar from a vending machine). It is near the end of the work day, and work week. I got a good night’s sleep last night. Today should be the start of a new season of healthy habits

Thus, this weekend, I would like to accomplish a few things:

-Friday night: Go home at 5:00 PM. Tidy the house and hose out the garage. Spend time with my son and daughter. Give my daughter a reading lesson. Have dinner with my family. Resist the urge to buy fast food. Spend no more money.

Tonight at 9:00 PM, both children should be in bed. I will go to the garage gym, turn on a podcast, and do a lighter weight barbell sequence of squats, overhead press, and deadlifts. This will be the first of an unbroken sequence of three times a week exercise that extends to our family trip in October. The goal of this and greater adherence to my diet is so that I may enjoy my time on vacation with my family, without being self-conscious of my appearance.

Upon finishing my exercise, I will have a protein shake and take a shower. Then, I will 1) discuss my daughter’s progress in Kindergarten with my wife, 2) read my assigned Plato text for Online Great Books, and 3) write two pages of my International Business Project. After that, bedtime.

-Saturday: Wake up at 7:30 AM. Eat a low-carb, high protein breakfast. Go to the Gideon’s meeting at 8:30 (if it is happening). Buy some protein shakes for the day. Return home at 10:00 AM. Play with my kids and do tasks around the house, and pull my kit together and shine my shoes (a long overdue chore). At 3:30, the Tigers play football, so I will take three hours to watch the game, spending time with my kids and wife as I do, and doing dumbbell exercises throughout.

After the Tiger’s game, I will give my daughter another reading lesson, have dinner, and help get the kids in bed. Afterwards, I will complete my reading and writing assignments for International Business class, and read the chapters for my Lean Enterprise Class. If there is time left, I will do more work in Plato and read more of my book on the Classical Style in prose. Bedtime by midnight, if I can get my rear in gear.

-Sunday: Wake and take the family to church. Worship till noon. Eat lunch at home. AVOID TURNING ON THE TV. Spend time with my family and give another reading lesson to my daughter. After bedtime, visit the gym again, read more of Plato, and work on my Lean Enterprise Assignments for the week. Prepare my presentation to the MCO students on Monday.

This is the standard for this weekend. If I can follow this schedule, the weekend will have been a success.