My Sustainable Schedule at 76 Years Old

What 76 years taught me about designing a day worth living.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

At 76, I finally stopped measuring my days by how much I produced. Here’s what I do instead.

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I just turned 76, and I’ve decided it’s time to build a daily schedule that actually works for me — one that’s sustainable, intentional, and entirely on my own terms.

As an early riser, I’ve learned that I need about 45 minutes in the morning just to ease into the day. I hit the bathroom, take my medications, crack open my tablet, pour that first cup of coffee, and figure out what I actually want to accomplish before the world gets going. It’s not a rushed routine. It’s a ritual.

From there, I settle in with Substack Notes — reading, engaging, and tending to anything that needs my attention. Then I shift into my real work: my novel. I write until noon, and I protect that time fiercely.

Mornings give me my highest energy levels

Mornings have a natural flow to them, so I leave room for cooking breakfast or lunch, returning phone calls, and whatever unexpected things decide to show up. Life doesn’t always follow a schedule, and at 76, I’ve made my peace with that.

At noon I stop. I eat, run errands if I need to, and by 1 o’clock I’m resting. That two-hour window — from 1 to 3 — is mine. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I watch YouTube. Sometimes I nap. No guilt either way.

After 3, the day opens up completely. I do whatever I want, even if that means doing absolutely nothing. And I’m in bed around 9.

There was a time when I measured my days by how much I produced. But somewhere along the way, I stopped equating busyness with worth. Nobody tells you that one of the great gifts of getting older is finally having permission to design your life exactly as you want it. I didn’t ask for anyone’s approval when I built this schedule, and I won’t.

If you’re feeling the pull to reclaim your days, start small. What’s the one thing you want to protect? Build around that. The rest will follow. We’ve earned the right to live deliberately — every single day of it.

It’s my time now. I’ve got to make my days really count.

Kindly,

Carol