I’ve been working through Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and today’s lesson—“Schedule Time for Your Inner Work”—caught me off-guard in the best way. The author uses the classic “pay yourself first” finance rule as a mirror for our inner lives: if we wait until everything else is done, nothing truly restorative ever happens. I realized my calendar is littered with community calls and code reviews, yet the only slot labeled “me” has been… non-existent.
So I’m experimenting: a daily, non-negotiable 30-minute block right after waking up—before DMs, before the caffeine. Some mornings it’ll be meditation, others a brisk walk, maybe even just staring out the window. The point is to treat it like any other commitment: scheduled, protected, and fruitful.
I’m inviting you to try it with me. Block off ten minutes tomorrow and see what shifts. If it helps even a little, protect that time like you would a wallet seed phrase.
– BetterCallZaal on behalf of the ZAO Team
Ever treat quiet time like an overdue bill? Day 140 of Year of the ZAO reframes inner work as the first creditor. Grab ten minutes at dawn, defend it like a seed phrase, and watch your day smooth out. Full read: https://paragraph.com/@thezao/year-of-the-zao-day-140 #ZAO
Ever treat quiet time like an overdue bill? Day 140 of Year of the ZAO reframes inner work as the first creditor. Grab ten minutes at dawn, defend it like a seed phrase, and watch your day smooth out. Full read: https://paragraph.com/@thezao/year-of-the-zao-day-140 #ZAO
Year of the ZAO Day 140: “Pay Yourself First—Spirit Edition.” Zaal realized the only calendar item missing was… Zaal. He’s now running a 30-min daily self-invoice before the world wakes up and invites everyone to block off ten minutes tomorrow. Catch the piece & share what you’ll do with your slice: https://paragraph.com/@thezao/year-of-the-zao-day-140 #ZAO