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Be Your Own Hero
Volume I  •  No. 1 welisevich.com
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Mick · Personal Systems

Deployed Schedule & Philosophy

Built on Atomic Habits  ·  Forged in Stoic Practice  ·  Version 1.0

Identity Statement
“I am a disciplined person who trains my body, sharpens my mind, and faces each day with intention. I control what I can. I let go of what I cannot.”
Work Day Schedule
3 Days On · Shift: 1745–0230
Post-Shift Block · 0230–0900 — Work → DFAC → Study → Dorm → Gym
0230–0235
Walk Work → DFAC (5 min)
Straight from work to chow. No dorm detour needed — your study bag is already with you.
0235–0315
Post-Shift Meal (40 min)
DFAC window: 0200–0400. Protein + vegetables. Decision already made. This meal fuels the entire post-shift block.
0315–0320
Walk DFAC → Study Building (5 min)
Straight from meal to study — momentum carries you in.
0320–0520
Study Block 1 — Deep Work (2 hrs)
This block IS your digestion window. Eating ended 0315; gym can start at 0515. The 2-hr wait becomes your most productive academic time.
0520–0523
Walk Study → Dorm (3 min)
First time back at the dorm since you left for work. Pack up the bag with intention.
0523–0530
Change into Gym Clothes (7 min)
Gym bag staged at the door from your night-before prep. Zero searching, zero deciding.
0530–0535
Walk Dorm → Gym (5 min)
2-hour digestion satisfied (0315 + 2:20 = past 0515). The walk over is the hardest part of the workout.
0535–0635
Gym — Lift or Run (60 min)
Alternate days: lift / run. Full hour. Identity, not obligation.
0635–0640
Walk Gym → Dorm (5 min)
Bathroom is 1 min away. Towel and toiletries already staged.
0640–0705
Shower (25 min, incl. 1-min walk to bathroom)
Shower stacked immediately after gym, every time. Within a week this will feel automatic.
0705–0735
Coding Practice (30 min)
Post-shower, brain is awake and clean. One problem, one concept, one small build.
0735–0835
Study Block 2 — Deep Work (60 min)
In your room or back at the study building (3-min walk). Combined with Block 1 = 3 hrs/day on work days.
0835–0900
Journal + Stoic Page (25 min)
3-prompt journal entry, then one page of Marcus Aurelius or Seneca. Both live in your study bag.
Wind-Down + Sleep + Pre-Shift · 0900 → 1745
0900–0930
Wind-Down — Read in Bed (30 min)
Book on the nightstand. No phone, no screens. Read until your eyes close.
0930–1700
Sleep — Protected 7.5 Hours
Non-negotiable. Sleep mask, earplugs, phone across the room on DND.
1700–1740
Wake + Hygiene + Dress (40 min)
No DFAC available pre-shift (1400 closed, 2000 not open). Mid-shift meal solves this — see below.
1740–1745
Walk Dorm → Work (5 min)
Show up ready. The system did its job hours ago.
1745–~2030
Work — Shift Begins
Execute. First half of the shift before mid-shift meal break.
~2030–~2100
Mid-Shift Meal at DFAC (~30 min)
Leave work for the 2000–2200 window. 5-min walk each way + 20-min meal. Same protein-first rule applies.
~2100–0230
Work — Shift Continues to End
Second half fueled. Cycle repeats post-shift.
Preparation & Tracking
Microsoft To Do · Daily Prep Checklist

Stage The Environment Before Each Shift

Copy these into Microsoft To Do as a recurring daily list. The whole list takes ~5 min each evening before you leave for work. Future-you at 0230 will thank present-you.

Pre-Shift Stage — before 1745
  • Gym bag packed: shorts, shirt, socks, shoes — by the door
  • Shower kit ready: towel, soap, shampoo in caddy
  • Water bottle filled and in gym bag
  • Study bag packed: laptop, charger, journal, pen, Stoic book, current novel
  • Sleep mask + earplugs on the pillow
  • Phone charger across the room (not by the bed)
  • Backup snack in dorm: protein bar or jerky (DFAC contingency)
  • Tomorrow’s clothes set out for after-sleep wake
Daily Habit Checklist — track as you go
  • Stoic page read
  • Gym session complete (showed up = win)
  • Showered post-gym
  • 30 min coding done
  • Study target hit (3 hrs work day / 6+ hrs off day)
  • Two healthy meals (protein + veg)
  • Journal entry written (3 prompts)
  • Read before bed
  • In bed by 0930
Initial Setup — one time only
  • Buy a dedicated journal and pen — keep them in your study bag permanently
  • Pick your first Stoic book: Meditations (Marcus Aurelius) or Letters from a Stoic (Seneca)
  • Pick your first reading book: anything that pulls you in. Fiction works best for sleep
  • Set up Microsoft To Do recurring daily lists (this list + the habit checklist)
  • Buy/borrow: sleep mask, earplugs, blackout curtain if possible
  • Stock dorm with backup snacks: protein bars, jerky, fruit, instant oatmeal
  • Choose your coding track (see below) and bookmark the resource
Bad Day Protocol · Never Miss Twice

Minimum Viable Habits

When work runs long, you’re sick, or motivation collapses — these are the floor. Hit these, the streak survives.

  • Gym → walk to gym, do 10 min. Showing up is the habit.
  • Study → 25 min Pomodoro. One block, then you’re done.
  • Coding → open the editor, write 3 lines. Existence counts.
  • Reading → 1 page. One.
  • Journal → answer just question 1. “What went well?”
  • Eating → backup snack if DFAC missed. Protein bar + water.
  • Sleep → protect this above all else. Skip everything else first.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — Clear

Coding Track · Cybersecurity Master’s

Direct Your 30 Min

Pick a primary track and stick with it for at least 30 days before switching. Decision fatigue kills the habit.

  • Security CTFs: HackTheBox, TryHackMe — directly relevant to your degree
  • Python for security: automation, parsers, scripting tools
  • Algorithm drills: LeetCode easy/medium — interview prep if that’s the goal
  • Build a project: log analyzer, port scanner, password tool. Pick one and ship it.
  • Read code: 30 min reading good code is as valuable as writing it

Bookmark one resource. Open that bookmark every session. No deciding what to do — just do.

Weekly + Monthly Review · Close the Loop

Track The System, Not Just The Day

Weekly Review · 30 min on Off Day
  • Streak check: how many days did each habit hit? (gym, study, journal, code)
  • Read this week’s journal entries: what patterns appear in your “could do better”?
  • School load: on track for 15 hrs? On track for week’s deliverables?
  • One thing to adjust for next week. One only.
  • One Stoic principle to focus on for the week ahead
Monthly Identity Check · The Real Question
  • Re-read your identity statement at the top of this document, out loud.
  • Am I becoming that person? One-word answer: yes, no, or drifting.
  • Where’s the evidence? Each habit completed = a vote for the new identity. Each missed = a vote against. What’s the tally?
  • What system component is broken? Adjust the system, not the goal.
  • Have I drifted from “I am” to “I’m trying to”? Identity-based habits don’t work in conditional language.
  • Pick one Stoic principle to lean into for the next month.
Daily Journal · 3-Prompt Method

End Each Entry With:

1
What went well today?
Name one specific thing. Gratitude builds identity.
2
What could I do better?
Honest, without self-judgment. The Stoic way: observe, don’t condemn.
3
What will I do moving forward?
One concrete action. Not vague intent — a specific behavior.
Atomic Habits · Key Stacks

Habit Stacking

After work ends at 0230, I walk straight to the DFAC. [no dorm detour — study bag already with me]
After my post-shift meal, I walk to the study building. [Block 1 = digestion window, fully productive]
After Study Block 1 (~0520), I walk back to the dorm and change into gym clothes. [2-hr digestion satisfied]
After the gym, I shower immediately. [stacked — never one without the other]
After my shower, I do 30 min of coding practice. [clean slate, sharp brain]
After coding, I complete Study Block 2.
After Study Block 2, I journal and read one Stoic page. [closes the productive day]
After journaling, I get in bed and read until sleep. [book on nightstand — phone across the room]
Environment & Optimisation
Environment Design · Priming Your Space (Clear, Ch. 6 & 12)

Prime For What You Want. Impede What You Don’t.

Dorm Room · Staged Each Night Before Work
Gym Bag
Packed and by the door. Clothes laid out or inside. Shoes next to it. You change and leave in under 5 minutes at 0230 — no decisions.
Bathroom Kit
Towel, soap, shampoo already in your caddy by the bag. Post-gym shower has zero friction — you don’t even think about it.
Nightstand
Book only. No phone on the nightstand — ever. Phone charges across the room. To check it, you have to get up. You won’t.
Sleep Mask
On the pillow before you leave for work. Daytime sleep in a dorm is brutal without one. Remove this obstacle before it exists.
Earplugs
Also on the pillow. Dorm noise at 0930 will happen. You can’t control others — control your environment.
Study Building · Your Bag Setup
Journal
Stays in your study bag. It goes where you go. You never need to remember to bring it — it’s always there.
Stoic Book
Also in the bag. One small paperback. Meditations or Letters from a Stoic fit in any pocket. No excuse not to have it.
Laptop Rule
When you open it in the study building, coursework or coding only. The location is the cue — don’t pollute it.
Reading Queue
Always have your next book chosen before you finish the current one. No gap = no decision = no habit break.
Impede What You Don’t Want
Phone
Face-down during study. On DND during sleep. Across the room at night. Every extra step between you and distraction is a win.
Junk Food
Don’t bring it into the dorm. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it at 0230. The decision happens at the DFAC, not in your room.
Stoic Mindset · Daily Practices

The Discipline of the Mind

Dichotomy
Each morning, ask: what is within my control today? Focus your energy only there. Your shift, your coworkers, your PT score — some are yours, some aren’t. Know the difference.
Memento Mori
You have a finite number of mornings. Each one matters. This isn’t morbid — it’s fuel. The person who remembers death wastes nothing.
Amor Fati
Love what happens. Brutal shift? Good — forge yourself in it. Missed a workout? Good — note it, correct it, move on. Don’t resist the obstacle. Become it.
Evening Review
Your three journal prompts ARE Stoic practice. Seneca did this nightly. Marcus Aurelius filled twelve books doing it. You’re in good company.
View From Above
When stress or frustration hits at work or in class, zoom out. See yourself as a small figure in a vast story. Does this moment control you, or do you control your response to it?
Atomic Habits · Design Rules

Rules That Run The System

  • Never miss twice. Miss a workout? Tomorrow is non-negotiable. Missing once is an accident. Twice is the start of a new identity.
  • Reduce friction to zero. If something requires searching, deciding, or assembling — it won’t happen at 0230. Stage everything the night before work.
  • Track the streak, not the outcome. Did you show up? That’s the win. Quality follows consistency.
  • DFAC hours are a constraint, not a choice. Work backward from the windows — gym ends before they close, meals hit when they’re open.
  • Scheduled play is not a reward. Gaming on your off day is a planned habit, not a cheat. Protecting it protects the system.
  • The 2-hour rule is fixed. Gym never starts within 2 hours of eating. Build around it, not through it.
Nutrition · Decision Framework

Eating Healthy in a DFAC

  • Protein first, always. Eggs, meat, fish — whatever’s there. Fill half the plate before anything else.
  • Vegetables second. Whatever’s available. Frozen broccoli counts. Perfection is the enemy.
  • Decision made before the line. No deliberating in the moment. Your rule is already set.
  • Drink water at every meal. No extra thinking required — just the default.
  • Off day doesn’t mean off diet. Same framework, same rules. Consistency is the point.
  • Pre-shift meal = performance fuel. Not comfort. Not habit. You’re going into a night shift — eat like it.
Night Shift Optimisation · Sleep, Light, Caffeine

Your Body Thinks It’s Day. Manage It.

Inverted schedules carry real physiological cost. These rules limit the damage and protect the sleep window that everything else depends on.

Caffeine Protocol
Last Cup
No caffeine after ~2200 (4.5 hrs before sleep). Caffeine has a 5–6 hr half-life — late-shift coffee will still be active at 0930 sleep.
First Cup
Wake at 1700 → first caffeine ideally 1730+ after some water. Don’t drink it on an empty stomach right out of bed.
Total Cap
Cap at 400mg/day (~3–4 cups coffee). More creates a tolerance spiral that wrecks sleep.
Light Management
At Wake
Bright light immediately upon waking at 1700 — overhead lights, lamps, a SAD lamp if you have one. Signals “day” to your circadian rhythm.
Walking Home
Walking back from study/gym at 0830–0900 in morning daylight will fight your sleep. Sunglasses on the walk home — protects melatonin.
In Bed
Sleep mask + blackout curtain + earplugs. Daytime sleep in a dorm is brutal without all three.
Night Shift Nutrition Tweaks
  • Hydration matters more. Night shift workers chronically dehydrate. Water bottle at the desk, refill every break.
  • Mid-shift meal lighter. Heavy food at 2000 makes the second half of the shift sluggish. Protein + vegetables, skip the heavy carbs and fried items.
  • Post-shift meal is your “dinner”. This is the bigger meal — your body will use it for recovery during sleep.
  • No alcohol on work nights. Wrecks sleep quality even if it makes you fall asleep faster. The 0930–1700 window has to be high quality.
Habit Tracker
Visual Streak · Don’t Break The Chain

Weekly Tracking Grid

Print this, draw it on a notecard, or replicate in Microsoft To Do. Mark each box at the end of the day. The growing chain of marks IS the motivation. Seeing it broken stings — that’s the point.

Habit MonTueWedThuFriSatSun Streak
Gym / Run
Study Target
Coding 30 min
Healthy Meals
Reading
Journal
Stoic Page
Sleep by 0930

Mark “✓” for hit, “—” for miss, “∗” for minimum-viable hit (bad day protocol). Even a string of asterisks is a streak. The chain protects itself.

Master’s Coursework · Load Distribution

15 Hours/Week — How It Actually Breaks Down

3h Per work day
(3 days × 3h = 9h)
6h 15m On the off day
(after gaming with wife)
15h+ Total weekly
(slight cushion above target)

Off-day flow: gaming with wife (1730–2300) is the protected anchor. Everything else fits around it. Gym + study happen post-gaming, with the big study block from 0245–0830 making up the bulk of the 6h 15m off-day load.

“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius  ·  Built May 2026