This summer will be a unique opportunity for me. I'll have finished high school, I'll still be living with my folks (i.e. free rent, food), and I'll have lots of time to work on constructive things and have fun. I don't know why this has never occured to me before during any other summer, but it has now.

The major focus of my efforts this summer will be: 1) working on my software business and freelance jobs that come up, 2) learning several topics I'm interested in and reading an assload of books, 3) maintaining a completely consistent exercise routine and losing weight. 4) community service

This is pretty ambitious, but I figure this is a unique opportunity to accomplish some great stuff. In past summers, I've worked on projects that have turned out well, but spent most of my time at a summer job. So this will be great if I can get my ass in gear and set up a routine.

Anyway, my challenge now is trying to figure out a routine for this. I've figured I ought to get up at some painfully early hour every day and start to work, give myself a lunch break, etc. But in many ways, treating it like a 9-5 would suck, because it might make me not only waste time, but waste my own time, which is even worse.

One idea I've had mild success with in the midst of the usual senioritus is insisting to myself that I engage in some kind of "constructive activity" -- homework, organizing, reading, journaling, whatever. So I was thinking I ought to schedule periods of that, and then have a "credit" system sort of like that Printable CEO guy has.

So I'm posting, asking for some advice here, because I figure a good portion of people here have been in the situation (eg freelancers, writers) of having a lot of completely blank days and having to make them worthwhile.

Your thoughts?