Day Crafting: What Makes a Good Day? Science Has a Go

Hello , how are you doing?

You might have seen a recent study doing the rounds – a team at the University of British Columbia led by Dunigan Folk asked thousands of US adults a simple question:

“Was yesterday better than a typical day?”

Then, using machine learning, they crunched the time-use data to work out what activities were most strongly associated with having a “better than typical” day. The results are interesting (if a bit expected). A good day, according to their analysis, includes:

• Around 6 hours with family
• 2 hours with friends
• Some exercise
• Under 6 hours of work
• Minimal commuting
• Almost no screen time

Does that work for you, or is any of it jarring? 

Here’s the thing with research like this. It tells us what made yesterday feel better than usual for an average cohort. In practical terms, this definition perfectly suits > 1% of the population. It doesn’t do much to tell you what would make your days feel meaningful, fulfilling, sustainable, or remarkable. The headlines give average trends, but real humans are full of quirks, constraints, and messy trade-offs.

Some examples I thought of: 

• Introverts might love spending time alone or in quiet focus. A better-than-average day might have one or two moments of meaningful Connection*.
• Parents might be overwhelmed, but it might feel like a highlight if they finally have dinner with the whole family – even if it’s not how they want to structure every day.
• Working fewer hours might improve mood in the short term – but that doesn’t tell us what kind of work, flow, impact or creativity makes time feel well used.

This study gives us a statistical average. It’s helpful, in the same way a weather forecast is helpful. Day Crafting isn’t about averages; you need a bespoke fit for you. I’ve tried to build that from the ground up in the practice. It’s about you. Your rhythm. Your purpose. Your constraints. Your metrics. And sometimes, yes, that includes screen time. Or solitude. Or ten hours of work because you’re on a roll.

So here’s the Day Crafting take: Use studies like this if they help spark ideas or conversations, but don’t mistake them for a recipe. Your good days are yours to design, not to inherit from data.

Here’s a Day Crafting practical:

What does your version of a good day look like – and how often do you let yourself live it? Take a few quiet minutes with this exercise.

Sketch out a day that feels undeniably good for you. Not someone else’s idea of balance. Not a productivity guru’s dream schedule. Not what science says usually makes people feel better. Yours.

1. What time would you wake up?
2. How would you start the day? (Rush? Drift? Move? Brew?)
3. What kind of work or focus would you love to get stuck into?
4. What kind of rest would restore you?
5. Who would you choose to see – if anyone?
6. What sounds, spaces, smells, or scenes belong in this day?
7. What would give you that subtle vibe of, yes, this is living?

And once you’ve sketched it, ask yourself:

• How often do I make space for days like this?
• What gets in the way?
• What tiny rebellion could I start to bring it closer? What tiny action can I add tomorrow to get it 1% closer to this?

Okay, bye for now. 

Bruce.

* I have a blueprint featuring time alone in a darkened room for the day after I have to spend 8 hours with people 😉 Not you obvs, you’re great. 

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