A peaceful afternoon can be more valuable than an impressive evening.

Impressiveness is a judgment made from outside, while peace is something you actually experience. Evenings that look good in the telling often cost more than they return, and a quiet afternoon leaves you with something the impressive version does not. The two are measured on different scales and only one of them is yours.

When you plan your time, ask which parts you are choosing for the experience and which for the account of it afterward. Protect at least one stretch a week that would be boring to describe to anyone else.