There is a kind of quiet power that lives in the land. Anyone who grew up in a farming community knows it: not only the rhythm of the seasons, but the rhythm of each day. Before school bells, before digital calendars, before time-blocking apps, there were barns to muck, biscuits to bake, applesauce to make or pull from the freezer. I can still taste it and see it in my mind’s eye, as vivid now as it was then. And of course, there were suppers to get on the table by five. Every day. Without fail.
My great-aunt Belva lived for decades on the family farm in Shannon, Illinois. She kept her driver’s license into her 90s and ran her own affairs until close to the very end. You could set your watch by her: up by 5:30, coffee and toast, chores, dinner at noon and supper at five.
Notice it was not called lunch. On Midwestern farms, especially in the past, the main midday meal was called dinner. It was the most substantial meal of the day, designed to fuel long hours of physical labor.
- Traditional farm schedule: Farmers needed their largest meal midday, when they were burning the most energy. Dinner sustained them through the rest of the day.
- Shift over time: As fewer people worked the land, the evening meal became the largest and most formal one, shifting the word dinner later.
- Why “supper”? A lighter evening meal, often soup or something simple, was called supper, from the old verb “to sup.”
Belva’s routine shows us something bigger than word choice. Her days were anchored by rhythm, predictability, and nourishment that matched her life’s demands. What she called dinner, we might call lunch today. But the principle is the same: meals and rest set the scaffolding for a life that works.
This is exactly what we mean by a competent daily schedule. When energy, meals, movement, work, and downtime are structured into the day, our bodies and brains learn what to expect. That steadiness reduces stress, supports decision-making, and makes responsibilities easier to shoulder. Whether we are students, parents, or working professionals, predictable anchors like Belva’s 5:30 wake-up or her dinner at noon keep the rest of life more manageable.
Was it discipline? Yes. But it was also something deeper: a relationship with time, with land, with work, and with self. My great-aunt never used words like “executive functioning.” She did not track her sleep cycles or meditate. Instead, she built her days on sturdy, quiet scaffolding, a competent daily schedule long before that phrase ever showed up in a therapy room.
The family farm in Shannon is still in the family. Out there, time is not measured only by clocks. It is marked by hay cuttings and harvests, by thaw and freeze, by the scent of rain on dry soil. Farming requires a different kind of schedule, one that listens. To the land. To the livestock. To the weather and the work.
And let us not ignore that farming today involves intuition, wisdom, hard work and science. It takes grit, planning, and precision alongside instinct and patience. Farming is also a way of living, with a culture all its own. But I digress. The point is: when you farm, you have to be connected to the schedule of the day, the sun, the frost, and the harvest.
And here is the bridge: our bodies want that too. We are wired for rhythm, for steadiness, for days that anchor us in something larger than the immediate demand. That is why a competent daily schedule is not about rigid productivity. It is about finding the cadence that allows life, whether on a farm or in a classroom, to unfold with balance and belonging.
And the science now says Belva was onto something.
The Science of Rhythm: Why a Competent Daily Schedule Works
Psychologists call it Social Rhythm Theory, and it explains how our daily routines impact mental health, mood regulation, and cognitive functioning. Originally developed to treat bipolar disorder, Social Rhythm Therapy (SRT) proposes that stability in the timing of daily activities, especially sleep, meals, social contact, and work, helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythms, reduces emotional volatility, and builds resilience against stress (Frank, Swartz, & Kupfer, 2005; Alloy, Ng, & Titone, 2015).
This is not just about being organized. It is about syncing your body and brain to a rhythm that reduces chaos and restores equilibrium.
Even beyond mood, executive functioning—the brain’s control center for planning, attention, and follow-through—benefits directly from predictable routines. Research shows that routines offload the burden on working memory, reduce cognitive fatigue, and improve task initiation and focus (Menon, 2011; APA, 2019).
In short, a competent daily schedule does what fancy apps and coaching plans try to replicate: it grounds you. It helps your brain anticipate what is next, transition smoothly, and avoid the burnout of constant decision-making.
What Makes a Daily Schedule “Competent”?
A competent daily schedule is not about rigidity or perfection. It is about reliability. It includes:
- Anchors: consistent wake and sleep times, meal windows, work or study periods
- Transitions: clear start and stop points, buffer time between tasks
- Variety: space for movement, rest, social contact, and meaningful work
- Boundaries: limits on screen time, late-night work, and overextension
Farming culture got this right. The land does not allow you to forget to eat. The animals wake you up before the sun. The weather teaches you humility. And your neighbors, often just as hardworking and sleep-deprived, know exactly when you will be done with your day because they are doing the same thing.
How to Start: Small, Manageable Steps Toward Rhythm
If your days feel chaotic, you are not alone. A competent daily schedule is not built overnight. It is layered, one anchor at a time.
- Pick one anchor first. Choose a single time-based anchor such as a consistent wake-up time or lunch at the same hour each day. Start there. Once it is automatic, add the next.
- Use gentle external cues. Calendar reminders, sticky notes, or linking habits (“After I brush my teeth, I open the blinds”) reduce reliance on memory.
- Batch similar tasks. Group errands, emails, or assignments into blocks. Think: “Homework from 3 to 4” instead of “try to do math sometime today.”
- Honor transitions. Build in a few minutes between tasks for stretching or water. Transitions protect executive function and reduce decision fatigue.
- End your day on purpose. Choose a simple ritual such as a cup of tea, journaling, or washing your face with intention. Let your body know the day is closing.
- Add self-compassion. You will miss a day. You will stay up too late. Lunch will happen at 3 p.m. That does not mean you have failed. A competent schedule is not a test. It is a tool. Begin again.
Most importantly, do not wait until life is stable to begin. Competent routines do not require stability. They create it.
Final Thoughts: Belva Knew
Aunt Belva never read a self-help book. She was not trying to optimize executive functioning. But she had what so many of us are missing: rhythm, order, consistency, and care. She honored her days. And they held her in return.
So maybe we do not need more hacks. Maybe what we need is the old wisdom, farm wisdom. The wisdom of showing up at the same time, in the same way, for the work, the meal, the light on the kitchen floor. Every day.
