Ship by Friday Rule

A good rule does not argue with you. Ship by Friday Rule simply waits for you to break it, and then presents the bill.

At heart, this rule says: decide once, and stop re-deciding. Every fresh decision costs energy and invites excuses. A rule already decided is a friend who has packed your bag while you were arguing.

The idea is simple, and like most simple ideas it is easy to nod at and hard to use. The nod is free. The use costs attention, every day, in small change.

Every January, the gym fills; by March, the regulars have the place to themselves again. The calendar changed nothing. The people who stayed simply stopped asking the calendar for permission.

Time is the one currency the Reserve Bank does not print more of. That is all. A small tool, honestly kept, beats a large one admired.