how to live on twenty-four hours a day-第5章
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I will leave you all that to spend as you choose。 You may read your
newspapers then。
I meet you again as you emerge from your office。 You are pale and tired。
At any rate； your wife says you are pale； and you give her to understand
that you are tired。 During the journey home you have been gradually
working up the tired feeling。 The tired feeling hangs heavy over the
mighty suburbs of London like a virtuous and melancholy cloud；
particularly in winter。 You don't eat immediately on your arrival home。
But in about an hour or so you feel as if you could sit up and take a little
nourishment。 And you do。 Then you smoke； seriously； you see friends；
you potter； you play cards； you flirt with a book； you note that old age is
creeping on； you take a stroll； you caress the piano。。。。 By Jove！ a quarter
past eleven。 You then devote quite forty minutes to thinking about going
to bed； and it is conceivable that you are acquainted with a genuinely good
whisky。 At last you go to bed； exhausted by the day's work。 Six hours；
probably more； have gone since you left the officegone like a dream；
gone like magic； unaccountably gone！
That is a fair sample case。 But you say： 〃It's all very well for you to talk。
A man *is* tired。 A man must see his friends。 He can't always be on the
stretch。〃 Just so。 But when you arrange to go to the theatre （especially
with a pretty woman） what happens？ You rush to the suburbs； you spare
no toil to make yourself glorious in fine raiment； you rush back to town in
another train； you keep yourself on the stretch for four hours； if not five；
you take her home； you take yourself home。 You don't spend three…quarters
of an hour in 〃thinking about〃 going to bed。 You go。 Friends and fatigue
have equally been forgotten； and the evening has seemed so exquisitely
long （or perhaps too short）！ And do you remember that time when you
were persuaded to sing in the chorus of the amateur operatic society； and
slaved two hours every other night for three months？ Can you deny that
when you have something definite to look forward to at eventide； something
that is to employ all your energythe thought of that something gives a glow
and a more intense vitality to the whole day？
What I suggest is that at six o'clock you look facts in the face and admit that
you are not tired （because you are not； you know）； and that you arrange your
evening so that it is not cut in the middle by a meal。 By so doing you will
have a clear expanse of at least three hours。 I do not suggest that you should
employ three hours every night of your life in using up your mental energy。
But I do suggest that you might； for a commencement； employ an hour and a
half every other evening in some important and consecutive cultivation of the
mind。 You will still be left with three evenings for friends； bridge； tennis；
domestic scenes； odd reading； pipes； gardening； pottering； and prize
competitions。 You will still have the terrific wealth of forty…five hours
between 2 p。m。 Saturday and 10 a。m。 Monday。 If you persevere you will
soon want to pass four evenings； and perhaps five； in some sustained
endeavour to be genuinely alive。 And you will fall out of that habit of
muttering to yourself at 11。15 p。m。； 〃Time to be thinking about going to
bed。〃 The man who begins to go to bed forty minutes before he opens
his bedroom door is bored； that is to say； he is not living。
But remember； at the start； those ninety nocturnal minutes thrice a week
must be the most important minutes in the ten thousand and eighty。 They
must be sacred； quite as sacred as a dramatic rehearsal or a tennis match。
Instead of saying； 〃Sorry I can't see you； old chap； but I have to run off to
the tennis club；〃 you must say； 〃。。。but I have to work。〃 This； I admit； is
intensely difficult to say。 Tennis is so much more urgent than the immortal
soul。
VI
REMEMBER HUMAN NATURE
I have incidentally mentioned the vast expanse of forty…four hours between
leaving business at 2 p。m。 on Saturday and returning to business at 10 a。m。
on Monday。 And here I must touch on the point whether the week should
consist of six days or of seven。 For many yearsin fact； until I was approaching
fortymy own week consisted of seven days。 I was constantly being informed
by older and wiser people that more work； more genuine living； could be got
out of six days than out of seven。
And it is certainly true that now； with one day in seven in which I follow no
programme and make no effort save what the caprice of the moment dictates；
I appreciate intensely the moral value of a weekly rest。 Nevertheless； had I
my life to arrange over again； I would do again as I have done。 Only those
who have lived at the full stretch seven days a week for a long time can
appreciate the full beauty of a regular recurring idleness。 Moreover； I am
ageing。 And it is a question of age。 In cases of abounding youth and
exceptional energy and desire for effort I should say unhesitatingly： Keep
going； day in； day out。
But in the average case I should say： Confine your formal programme
（super…programme； I mean） to six days a week。 If you find yourself
wishing to extend it； extend it； but only in proportion to your wish； and
count the time extra as a windfall； not as regular income； so that you can
return to a six…day programme without the sensation of being poorer； of
being a backslider。
Let us now see where we stand。 So far we have marked for saving
out of the waste of days； half an hour at least on six mornings a
week； and one hour and a half on three evenings a week。 Total；
seven hours and a half a week。
I propose to be content with that seven hours and a half for the
present。 〃What？〃 you cry。 〃You pretend to show us how to live；
and you only deal with seven hours and a half out of a hundred
and sixty…eight！ Are you going to perform a miracle with your
seven hours and a half？〃 Well； not to mince the matter； I amif
you will kindly let me！ That is to say； I am going to ask you to
attempt an experience which； while perfectly natural and explicable；
has all the air of a miracle。 My contention is that the full use of those
seven…and…a…half hours will quicken the whole life of the week； add
zest to it； and increase the interest which you feel in even the most
banal occupations。 You practise physical exercises for a mere ten
minutes morning and evening； and yet you are not astonished when
your physical health and strength are beneficially affected every hour
of the day； and your whole physical outlook changed。 Why should
you be astonished that an average of over an hour a day given to the
mind should permanently and completely enliven the whole activity
of the mind？
More time might assuredly be given to the cultivation of one's self。
And in proportion as the time was longer the results would be greater。
But I prefer to begin with what looks like a trifling effort。
It is not really a trifling effort； as those will discover who have yet
to essay it。 To 〃clear〃 even seven hours and a half from the jungle is
passably difficult。 For some sacrifice has to be made。 One may have
spent one's time badly； but one did spend it； one did do something
with it； however ill…advised that something may have been。 To do
something else means a change of habits。
And habits are the very dickens to change！ Further； any change； even
a change for the better； is always accompanied by drawbacks and
discomforts。 If you imagine that you will be able to devote seven
hours and a half a week to serious； continuous effort； and still live
your old life； you are mistaken。 I repeat that some sacrifice； and an
immense deal of volition； will be necessary。 And it is because I know
the difficulty； it is because I know the almost disastrous effect of failure
in such an enterprise； that I earnestly advise a very humble beginning。
You must safeguard your self…respect。 Self…respect is at the root of all
purposefulness； and a failure in an enterpris
