Now, a disclaimer. As an INTJ, I am scheduled. I get up at the same time everyday and I have regular habits of eating, praying, writing.
I do most of my work in the morning.
When I was in Ireland, living alone for months and months, I could pray four to six hours a day, as I was living in silence and solitude.
I love this.
But, even though it was just me, I was scheduled.
Daily Mass same time, prayers, writing, etc. only interrupted by parties at night in the flats next door, or personal illness.
Same in Malta, even though for most of the time I was sharing a flat with one other person. Daily morning Mass, prayers, breakfast, and so on....Dinner was always about the same time as well.
Recently, living with other people without schedules, people who are not INTJs but ESFPs or variations of unscheduled types, I am observing something which the ancient fathers understood. One good thing about living in community is that those who naturally gravitate towards schedules can help those who do not.
Those who are more easy-going can help with the obsession some may have with schedules.
It is much harder for those without schedules to become holy. Going from one activity to another as these present themselves to the mind does not allow for prayer or reflection. Merely reacting to things rather than planning or reacting to situations on impulse are methods of living which impair the way of holiness.
Holiness demands scheduling.
Why?
Prayers, the reading of Scripture, the reading of holy books, daily Mass, or Adoration demand planning.
Those who have never had schedules, or who have avoided scheduling do not plan formation into their days.
Every semester when I was teaching college, the first thing I did was introduce my students to Time Management Skills.
I would, in some extreme cases, find up to 40 wasted hours in one week of 168 hours. I would mostly find between 17-27 wasted hours, enough time for my students to really study. They all had too much "down time" or just wasted time.
Waste is a sin.
Wasting time can create a habit of avoiding God and holiness.
Wasting time can lead one to hell.
A few days ago, I was speaking with a person who use to read the Scriptures daily for at least a half-hour.
He no longer does this. He is "too busy", "too tired".
He works, and he works hard, but his home life is not scheduled and never has been. He goes out a lot.
I see many, many elderly people out and about here-and they have lively social lives. There is nothing wrong with that, but one must face preparation for death.
Sanctity must be a cooperation between work and grace. Without a schedule, it is hard, perhaps impossible to find out who one is and who God is.
Schedule.
