The Free-Time Formula

9Red‐Carpet Calendar: Best Intentions

I gained thirty pounds (thirteen and a half kilos) during the first semester of my freshman year of college.

Yeah, I did that.

My transition from high school to college was more than an opportunity to move out of my parents' house and into a dorm—it was also the first time in my life that I had full control over my calendar.

I shifted from scheduling my entire life inside a paper planner to using what I believed was the future of personal tech, a Palm Pilot. Remember those?

I shifted from following a preset schedule to creating my own. I had real power over my life for the first time, and I had no idea what to do with it.

My first inclination was to schedule my classes, book a few sessions at the university's gym, and leave plenty of open space for social time.

So far, so good.

Then, on the very first day of class, I popped by the cafeteria for a quick bite. I was surprised at the enormous selection of food, so I ate a full breakfast, went to class, and returned a few hours later for lunch.

What I saw next surprised me even more.

Some of the same people I saw at breakfast were still in the cafeteria. They had never left. They were still eating ….

What?!

Then it hit me: my new cafeteria allowed you to eat as much as you wanted for every meal. There was no limit if you stayed.

Boom!

That was it. I was hooked. I began eating gargantuan‐sized meals. I ate whatever I could get my hands on and then went back for more.

Combine my new obsession for ...