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week。 It won't。 It will be colder。
But before you begin； let me murmur a few words of warning in your
private ear。
Let me principally warn you against your own ardour。 Ardour in
well…doing is a misleading and a treacherous thing。 It cries out loudly for
employment； you can't satisfy it at first； it wants more and more； it is
eager to move mountains and divert the course of rivers。 It isn't content till
it perspires。 And then； too often； when it feels the perspiration on its brow；
it wearies all of a sudden and dies； without even putting itself to the
trouble of saying； 〃I've had enough of this。〃
Beware of undertaking too much at the start。 Be content with quite a
little。 Allow for accidents。 Allow for human nature； especially your own。
A failure or so； in itself； would not matter； if it did not incur a loss of
self… esteem and of self…confidence。 But just as nothing succeeds like
success； so nothing fails like failure。 Most people who are ruined are
ruined by attempting too much。 Therefore； in setting out on the immense
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
enterprise of living fully and comfortably within the narrow limits of
twenty…four hours a day； let us avoid at any cost the risk of an early failure。
I will not agree that； in this business at any rate； a glorious failure is better
than a petty success。 I am all for the petty success。 A glorious failure leads
to nothing； a petty success may lead to a success that is not petty。
So let us begin to examine the budget of the day's time。 You say your
day is already full to overflowing。 How？ You actually spend in earning
your livelihoodhow much？ Seven hours； on the average？ And in actual
sleep； seven？ I will add two hours； and be generous。 And I will defy you to
account to me on the spur of the moment for the other eight hours。
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
IV THE CAUSE OF THE
TROUBLES
In order to come to grips at once with the question of time…expenditure
in all its actuality； I must choose an individual case for examination。 I can
only deal with one case； and that case cannot be the average case； because
there is no such case as the average case； just as there is no such man as
the average man。 Every man and every man's case is special。
But if I take the case of a Londoner who works in an office； whose
office hours are from ten to six； and who spends fifty minutes morning and
night in travelling between his house door and his office door； I shall have
got as near to the average as facts permit。 There are men who have to work
longer for a living； but there are others who do not have to work so long。
Fortunately the financial side of existence does not interest us here； for
our present purpose the clerk at a pound a week is exactly as well off as
the millionaire in Carlton House…terrace。
Now the great and profound mistake which my typical man makes in
regard to his day is a mistake of general attitude； a mistake which vitiates
and weakens two…thirds of his energies and interests。 In the majority of
instances he does not precisely feel a passion for his business； at best he
does not dislike it。 He begins his business functions with reluctance； as
late as he can； and he ends them with joy； as early as he can。 And his
engines while he is engaged in his business are seldom at their full 〃h。p。〃
（I know that I shall be accused by angry readers of traducing the city
worker； but I am pretty thoroughly acquainted with the City； and I stick to
what I say。）
Yet in spite of all this he persists in looking upon those hours from ten
to six as 〃the day；〃 to which the ten hours preceding them and the six
hours following them are nothing but a prologue and epilogue。 Such an
attitude；
unconscious though it be； of course kills his interest in the odd sixteen
hours； with the result that； even if he does not waste them； he does not
count them； he regards them simply as margin。
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
This general attitude is utterly illogical and unhealthy； since it formally
gives the central prominence to a patch of time and a bunch of activities
which the man's one idea is to 〃get through〃 and have 〃done with。〃 If a
man makes two…thirds of his existence subservient to one…third； for which
admittedly he has no absolutely feverish zest； how can he hope to live
fully and completely？ He cannot。
If my typical man wishes to live fully and completely he must； in his
mind； arrange a day within a day。 And this inner day； a Chinese box in a
larger Chinese box； must begin at 6 p。m。 and end at 10 a。m。 It is a day of
sixteen hours； and during all these sixteen hours he has nothing whatever
to do but cultivate his body and his soul and his fellow men。 During those
sixteen hours he is free； he is not a wage…earner； he is not preoccupied
with monetary cares； he is just as good as a man with a private income。
This must be his attitude。 And his attitude is all important。 His success in
life （much more important than the amount of estate upon what his
executors will have to pay estate duty） depends on it。
What？ You say that full energy given to those sixteen hours will lessen
the value of the business eight？ Not so。 On the contrary； it will assuredly
increase the value of the business eight。 One of the chief things which my
typical man has to learn is that the mental faculties are capable of a
continuous hard activity； they do not tire like an arm or a leg。 All they
want is changenot rest； except in sleep。
I shall now examine the typical man's current method of employing the
sixteen hours that are entirely his； beginning with his uprising。 I will
merely indicate things which he does and which I think he ought not to do；
postponing my suggestions for 〃planting〃 the times which I shall have
clearedas a settler clears spaces in a forest。
In justice to him I must say that he wastes very little time before he
leaves the house in the morning at 9。10。 In too many houses he gets up at
nine； breakfasts between 9。7 and 9。9 1/2； and then bolts。 But immediately
he bangs the front door his mental faculties； which are tireless； become
idle。 He walks to the station in a condition of mental coma。 Arrived there；
he usually has to wait for the train。 On hundreds of suburban stations
every morning you see men calmly strolling up and down platforms while
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
railway companies unblushingly rob them of time； which is more than
money。 Hundreds of thousands of hours are thus lost every day simply
because my typical man thinks so little of time that it has never occurred
to him to take quite easy precautions against the risk of its loss。
He has a solid coin of time to spend every daycall it a sovereign。 He
must get change for it； and in getting change he is content to lose heavily。
Supposing that in selling him a ticket the company said； 〃We will
change you a sovereign； but we shall charge you three halfpence for doing
so；〃 what would my typical man exclaim？ Yet that is the equivalent of
what the company does when it robs him of five minutes twice a day。
You say I am dealing with minutiae。 I am。 And later on I will justify
myself。
Now will you kindly buy your paper and step into the train？
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
V TENNIS AND THE
IMMORTAL SOUL
You get into the morning train with your newspaper； and you calmly
and majestically give yourself up to your newspaper。 You do not hurry。
You know you have at least half an hour of security in front of you。 As
your glance lingers i