When I look at my Daily Checklist, I say to myself, “This is my overall plan for the day. This is what I intend to do and experience tomorrow. But not necessarily in this exact order. Nothing is rigid.”

Make a list of what you’d do if you had twenty-four hours left to live. If you start crying while you’re writing your list, good. You’re on the right track. This exercise can rapidly clarify what really matters to you, and what you value most in life.

Nowadays, I carry a clipboard and pen with me whenever I go to the gym. I check things off my Workout Checklist as I’m going along. By the end of my workout session, I’m covered in sweat—and my list is covered in checkmarks! Victory!

A sohwakhaeng attitude towards life would be: “Life is all about feeling good. Experiencing joy, beauty, pleasure—that’s the point. I always make sure to incorporate sohwakhaeng moments into each day.”

progress has been made!

Overall, I feel it’s much better to put fewer items on your checklist, and then feel pleasantly surprised by how much you completed, rather than putting tons and tonnnnnnns of items on your checklist, and then feeling miserable that you didn’t finish everything.

This creates more free time for spontaneous experiences—like spontaneously texting a friend and saying, “I’m heading to the beach right now—want to meet me there?”

you can also get dopamine from experiences that are more nourishing—things that provide wonderful health benefits without a throbbing hangover the next morning.

Take a few moments to notice how you’re feeling. Then revise your checklist accordingly.