And　such　is；　indeed；　the　fact。　　The　wish　to　accomplish　something　outside
  their　formal　programme　is　common　to　all　men　who　in　the　course　of　evolution
  have　risen　past　a　certain　level。
  Until　an　effort　is　made　to　satisfy　that　wish；　the　sense　of　uneasy　waiting　for
  something　to　start　which　has　not　started　will　remain　to　disturb　the　peace　of
  the　soul。　That　wish　has　been　called　by　many　names。　　It　is　one　form　of　the
  universal　desire　for　knowledge。　　And　it　is　so　strong　that　men　whose　whole
  lives　have　been　given　to　the　systematic　acquirement　of　knowledge　have
  been　driven　by　it　to　overstep　the　limits　of　their　programme　in　search　of
  still　more　knowledge。　　Even　Herbert　Spencer；　in　my　opinion　the　greatest
  mind　that　ever　lived；　was　often　forced　by　it　into　agreeable　little　backwaters
  of　inquiry。
  I　imagine　that　in　the　majority　of　people　who　are　conscious　of　the　wish　to
  livethat　is　to　say；　people　who　have　intellectual　curiositythe　aspiration
  to　exceed　formal　programmes　takes　a　literary　shape。　　They　would　like　to
  embark　on　a　course　of　reading。　　Decidedly　the　British　people　are　becoming
  more　and　more　literary。　　But　I　would　point　out　that　literature　by　no　means
  comprises　the　whole　field　of　knowledge；　and　that　the　disturbing　thirst　to
  improve　one's　selfto　increase　one's　knowledgemay　well　be　slaked　quite
  apart　from　literature。　　With　the　various　ways　of　slaking　I　shall　deal　later。
  Here　I　merely　point　out　to　those　who　have　no　natural　sympathy　with
  literature　that　literature　is　not　the　only　well。
  III
  PRECAUTIONS　BEFORE　BEGINNING
  Now　that　I　have　succeeded　（if　succeeded　I　have）　in　persuading　you　to　admit
  to　yourself　that　you　are　constantly　haunted　by　a　suppressed　dissatisfaction
  with　your　own　arrangement　of　your　daily　life；　and　that　the　primal　cause　of
  that　inconvenient　dissatisfaction　is　the　feeling　that　you　are　every　day　leaving
  undone　something　which　you　would　like　to　do；　and　which；　indeed；　you　are
  always　hoping　to　do　when　you　have　〃more　time〃；　and　now　that　I　have　drawn
  your　attention　to　the　glaring；　dazzling　truth　that　you　never　will　have　〃more
  time；〃　since　you　already　have　all　the　time　there　isyou　expect　me　to　let　you
  into　some　wonderful　secret　by　which　you　may　at　any　rate　approach　the　ideal
  of　a　perfect　arrangement　of　the　day；　and　by　which；　therefore；　that　haunting；
  unpleasant；　daily　disappointment　of　things　left　undone　will　be　got　rid　of！
  I　have　found　no　such　wonderful　secret。　　Nor　do　I　expect　to　find　it；　nor　do　I
  expect　that　anyone　else　will　ever　find　it。　　It　is　undiscovered。　　When　you　first
  began　to　gather　my　drift；　perhaps　there　was　a　resurrection　of　hope　in　your
  breast。　　Perhaps　you　said　to　yourself；　〃This　man　will　show　me　an　easy；
  unfatiguing　way　of　doing　what　I　have　so　long　in　vain　wished　to　do。〃　　Alas；
  no！　　The　fact　is　that　there　is　no　easy　way；　no　royal　road。　　The　path　to　Mecca
  is　extremely　hard　and　stony；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that　you　never　quite　get
  there　after　all。
  The　most　important　preliminary　to　the　task　of　arranging　one's　life　so　that
  one　may　live　fully　and　comfortably　within　one's　daily　budget　of　twenty…
  four　hours　is　the　calm　realisation　of　the　extreme　difficulty　of　the　task；　of
  the　sacrifices　and　the　endless　effort　which　it　demands。　　I　cannot　too　strongly
  insist　on　this。
  If　you　imagine　that　you　will　be　able　to　achieve　your　ideal　by　ingeniously
  planning　out　a　time…table　with　a　pen　on　a　piece　of　paper；　you　had　better
  give　up　hope　at　once。　　If　you　are　not　prepared　for　discouragements　and
  disillusions；　if　you　will　not　be　content　with　a　small　result　for　a　big　effort；
  then　do　not　begin。　　Lie　down　again　and　resume　the　uneasy　doze　which
  you　call　your　existence。
  It　is　very　sad；　is　it　not；　very　depressing　and　sombre？　　And　yet　I　think　it
  is　rather　fine；　too；　this　necessity　for　the　tense　bracing　of　the　will　before
  anything　worth　doing　can　be　done。　　I　rather　like　it　myself。　　I　feel　it　to　be
  the　chief　thing　that　differentiates　me　from　the　cat　by　the　fire。
  〃Well；〃　you　say；　〃assume　that　I　am　braced　for　the　battle。　　Assume　that
  I　have　carefully　weighed　and　comprehended　your　ponderous　remarks；
  how　do　I　begin？〃　　Dear　sir；　you　simply　begin。　　There　is　no　magic　method
  of　beginning。　　If　a　man　standing　on　the　edge　of　a　swimming…bath　and
  wanting　to　jump　into　the　cold　water　should　ask　you；　〃How　do　I　begin　to
  jump？〃　you　would　merely　reply；　〃Just　jump。　　Take　hold　of　your　nerves；
  and　jump。〃
  As　I　have　previously　said；　the　chief　beauty　about　the　constant　supply　of
  time　is　that　you　cannot　waste　it　in　advance。　　The　next　year；　the　next　day；
  the　next　hour　are　lying　ready　for　you；　as　perfect；　as　unspoilt；　as　if　you
  had　never　wasted　or　misapplied　a　single　moment　in　all　your　career。　　Which
  fact　is　very　gratifying　and　reassuring。　　You　can　turn　over　a　new　leaf　every
  hour　if　you　choose。　　Therefore　no　object　is　served　in　waiting　till　next　week；
  or　even　until　to…morrow。　　You　may　fancy　that　the　water　will　be　warmer　next
  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　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。
  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。
  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